Instructor of Jazz Trumpet Jay Jennings is a four-time Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and a part of the musical supergroup Snarky Puppy. His career has spanned two decades and he has backed up notable artists such as Aretha Franklin, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and David Bowie.
“I chose the trumpet kind of randomly,” Jennings said. “My dad was a middle school principal […] and I used to go to some of the band concerts, and I saw this trumpet player do a little feature out in front of the concert band. I always reference that as what drew me to the trumpet initially.”
According to Jennings, he gravitated towards jazz music growing up because of his friend’s father, who was a musician.
“When we were 12 or 13, we were listening to Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and all these people that are huge innovators of the music,” Jennings said.
According to Jennings, Snarky Puppy was founded in 2004 at the University of North Texas (UNT). The group won their first Grammy in 2014 for their collaboration with Lalah Hathaway on the song “Something” off their album “Family Dinner.”
“Early on, we were not making any money,” Jennings said. “We were sleeping on people’s floors, people’s couches […] There were more people in the band than there were in the audience. [The Grammy win] opened up a lot of doors for us. Nobody in the band does this for those types of accolades, but it’s really nice to be recognized in that way.”
Samuel Hjelmeset (junior) takes private lessons with Jennings and was a member of Chamber Jazz Spring 2025, of which Jennings teaches one section.
“I just can’t emphasize enough how inspiring he is as […] a professor, but more so as a person and a musician,“ Hjelmeset said. “He really brings the energy and the vibe that makes you want to create something.”
According to Hjelmeset, Jennings emphasizes internalizing the music. In class, he turned off all the lights, closed his eyes and asked his students to sit in the essence of the song, Hjelmeset said.
“I think that we could all use a professor like him because he approaches [teaching] from a way that everyone can participate in, and everyone can understand and get something out of it,” Hjelmeset said. “He’s really great, not to mention how talented he is and insanely virtuosically knowledgeable.”
Jessica Zinn (sophomore) said she used to take private lessons with Jennings. Zinn said these lessons helped her gain confidence in playing the trumpet.
“[Jennings’s] lessons are very catered to where you are at,” Zinn said. “[They are] something that I carry with me now when I play. […] I’m no longer in lessons with him, but I’ll still keep that with me.”
Director of the Occidental Jazz Ensemble Jonathan Richards said Jennings stood out in the hiring process because of his versatility as well as his jazz background.
“[His versatility] is really refreshing, and I learn a lot just watching the way that he works,” Richards said. “It doesn’t really matter what environment he’s in — I feel like he’s always comfortable to really connect with the students and their musical needs, which is really inspiring to watch.”
According to Richards, Jennings has an encouraging and inspirational relationship with the students. Richards said Jennings’ students love and respect him, which helps his teaching.
“It’s really great to just sit back and watch him work with the [jazz ensemble] sometimes […]” Richards said. “He has all of those things that you really only get from a seasoned trumpet player.”
According to Jennings, his teaching style has two components: trumpet maintenance and improvisation.
“Trumpet is a very physically demanding instrument, and you really have to put in the time and hours each day to make any sort of gains on the instrument,” Jennings said. “We focus a lot on exercises that you can do to work out your face muscles and play the instrument from a technical standpoint. I also like to dive into the world of improvisation, which I would consider one of my fortes as a musician.”
Jennings has an upcoming faculty recital Oct. 10 at Booth Hall. He is currently on tour in Quito, Ecuador, with Snarky Puppy. According to Jennings, his career has allowed him to bring a different mentality into the world of teaching.
“I try to teach tradition from the jazz world as well as keeping your mind open musically,” Jennings said. “I think a lot of [students’] musical upbringing, especially this far along as a college student, has been very focused on reading music that’s on the page and playing it the exact way. I try to focus on getting out of that box and listening to the other members of the band as you’re playing with them. It’s really a lot about listening to each other in the ensemble.”
According to Jennings, his teaching style is influenced by his upbringing with musical education from high school to UNT.
“I was very fortunate to have great people teaching me at a very young age,” Jennings said. “It’s very important to pay it forward and give back to the younger generations who are doing the same thing that I was doing.”
Contact Quinn Sumerlin at sumerlin@oxy.edu
