As a young boy growing up in New Jersey J.Geils was exposed to jazz by his father who had a great collection of classic jazz albums. Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Good man with guitarist Charlie Christian and Louis Armstrong were just a few of the musical giants Jay was exposed to growing up. He played trumpet and drums in his high schools jazz and marching band and even attended jazz band camp. Upon going to college in Boston he traded the trumpet in for a guitar and never looked back. He became part of the then happening" Boston music scene" and formed the J.Geils Blues Band and backed famous blues musicians coming through Boston like Buddy Guy,Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and blues guitar icon Mike Bloomfield. When the band signed with Atlantic Records they dropped the" Blues Band" moniker and became what would become the greatest" live rock and roll" band in the world, the "J.Geils Band". The rest is part of Rock and Roll history. When the J.Geils Band broke up Jay was burned out on the music busines