Woodwinds
Jay Reynolds
Saxophone / Clarinet / Flute
Jay has been playing woodwinds since he was twelve years old and he’s loved every minute of it. A graduate in saxophone studies from both the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, he has been touring, teaching private lessons, and giving clinics for over 25 years. From playing as a session musician alongside artists like Bootsy Collins, to touring with bands like 10-time Grammy Award winners Asleep At The Wheel, Jay has played either sax, flute, or clarinet in literally every style of music.
Jay also brings 20+ years of music production experience, having personally engineered or produced dozens of albums at either Cincinnati’s own New Fidelity Studios, Bismeaux Productions in Austin, Texas, or at his own home-based recording facility. An avid electronic music producer, Jay has been making everything from hip-hop influenced acid jazz to ambient jams via modular synthesis, often incorporating instruments such as cello, saxophone, or sounds from nature.
After a long stint as part of the Austin music scene, he’s excited to be back in Cincinnati and working with his old songwriting partner and bandmate Sean McGary, currently teaching woodwind lessons at The Music Salon.
Randy Villars
Saxophone / Clarinet / Piano
RANDY VILLARS is a multi-insrumentalist who has performed internationally on piano, synthesizers, saxophone and clarinet. He is also an established music educator and author having taught as a graduate student at The Ohio State University, The University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM), as an adjunct music facultymember at The Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton, Ohio and in his own private lessonstudio The Dayton Jazz Institute.
Randy has an extensive list of credits as a composer/arranger, commercial music producer, live performer and studio session musician. He has released three solo CD projects on the Leviathan and Positive Music Records labels and is currently at work on a new recording project called “DREAMS” which will feature his original jazz compositions and his saxophone and keyboard playing.
Randy has authored two jazz improvisation text books called SECRETS OF MUSIC THEORY - REVEALED! and THE SCALE WORKOUT BY RANDY VILLARS which have been utilized in public school and private lesson settings.
Randy has studied with Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, Dave Pietro, Dick Shearer, Michael Kanan, Aaron Goldberg, Sergio Pamies Rodriguez, Arthur Eresman (Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra), Louise Whyte, William Walters (Wittenberg University), Robert Wynne (Wittenberg University), Hap Ashenfelter (Wittenberg University), has played with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, The Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra, The Illinois Regional orchestra, The Middletown (Ohio) Symphony and has been featured as a soloist with The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra on the clarinet. Randy is a registered Conn-Selmer Artist and endorses Jody Jazz woodwind mouthpieces.
He currently resides in Cincinnati and can be found in clubs such as Bromwell’s Hearth Room and BrewRiver Creole Kitchen fronting his own groups and also at venues such as Miami Trailyard and Mansion Hill with the band formerly known as The Tim Goshorn Band and The Troublemakers - now billed as FARM CAT.
Jon Aiken
Saxophone / Flute / Harmonica
Jon sings and plays sax, flute, harmonica, keyboard, and bass. He is also a singer/songwriter and plays piano, but mostly as a songwriting tool. Jon has a CD out called "Welcome to the Real World" amongst other more recently released material and thinks of his style as Pop or Adult Contemporary with a bit of a jazz edge.
Jon has lived and worked in the greater Cincinnati area for the past 25 years. Music biz luminary Jeff Dowd, President of Music Matters Promotion Ltd., describes Jon Aiken as a "Singer/Songwriter of great depth and soul that we'll see for many years to come."
Jon’s musical path started with the harmonica when he was 16. He listened to every style of harmonica player he could find and did his best to absorb their sound and feel. At 18, he started on flute. This was around the time of Jethro Tull. At this time, he also took an interest in learning the art of audio recording and bought his first 4 track reel to reel. At 23, he picked up an alto sax and has studied and pushed himself ever since.
In the late 80's to early 90's, Jon lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and stepped up his game considerably. He has always worked consistently due to the fact that he has learned 100's of tunes in many styles and from many eras and focuses on what the audience wants to hear. At this point in time, Jon is performing mostly solo and occasionally with groups and is continually working on new music.