Jason (Jay) Byrd has been a professional guitarist, singer, and songwriter since his late teens. In his early twenties, he co-founded the blues-rock trio The Groov with Kerry Brooks, and in 1996 joined the then-Grateful Dead cover band Wavy Train. Byrd's original songs and guitar work helped Wavy Train to forge a sound that combined pop-oriented melodies with extended improvisation. After moving to the Washington, DC area in 2001, Jason began crafting songs with a decidedly Americana bent. An award-winning songwriter (NewSong, Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest, Bernard-Ebb Finalist), Jason continues to write and perform original roots-influenced music.
Throughout the years with Wavy Train, South Rail or as a solo artist, Jay has opened for Little Feat, Chely Wright, Cary Morin, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Kevin Gordon, Caroline Rose, Yarn, etc. and has shared stages with String Cheese Incident, Tom Constanten, Col. Bruce Hampton, Ratdog and Steve Winwood, among many others. His previous band, South Rail, has released three EPs, a self-titled debut in 2012, "Stars" (2014), produced by Don Was, and most recently, “Take The Wheel” (2018).
Jay’s latest album, “At Home Again,” was released in August of 2022.
Visit the tours section for current Jay Byrd shows. For shows by Jay’s other projects visit The Bob Band and Terry & the Back Alley Rhythm Cats.