Jay Foote is a versatile musician who plays electric, acoustic, and synth basses and is known for his vocal harmonies. Over the past twenty years, he has collaborated with many acclaimed songwriters from New York, Nashville, and LA. His impressive list of collaborators includes Grammy-award-winning artists such as Madison Cunningham, Sufjan Stevens, The Lone Bellow, Peter Bradley Adams, Adam Melchor, and Scott Metzer’s Wolf!. He also worked with Diane Birch and performed on Broadway alongside Sara Bareilles, Jason Mraz, and Jordin Sparks. Jay has performed as a section bassist to the Eagles and Seinfeld's Jason Alexander. He has recorded with a diverse range of artists, including Madison Cunningham, Anthony DaCosta, Sandra McCracken, Jaymay, Peter Bradley Adams, Greg Holden, Josh Garrels, Bee Caves, Matt Bauer, Julia Nunes, Austin Plaine, The Welcome Wagon, Tummyache, and The Gregory Brothers. Since relocating to Iowa in 2020, Jay has collaborated with Iowa-based nationally-known artists Deb Talan of The Weepies, Grammy Award-winning guitarist Bo Ramsey, James Tutson, and The Wellpennies.

He played over 800 performances on upright, electric, and synth bass on Broadway in New York City for award-winning shows at “Hamilton,” Sara Bareilles’s “Waitress,“ “Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Band’s Visit,” “Tootsie,” “Amelie,” and “Mean Girls.” In addition, he has performed with the touring companies of “Hamilton,” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” He traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, in February 2020 to perform with the “Stars of Broadway” Revival.

As a jazz bassist, he has performed with MacArthur Genius Grant Winner Tyshawn Sorey, Conduction Improvisor Butch Morris’s Orchestra, drummer Kenny Wolleson, Soundpainting conductor Walter Thompson, pianist Jon Cowherd, saxophonist David Binney, trumpeter Mike Maher (of Snarky Puppy), composer Maria Schneider, and trumpeter Clark Terry. He was also a member of the award-winning bluegrass band King Wilkie, with whom he performed alongside bluegrass greats Peter Rowan, Aoife O'Donovan, and The Byrds’ Chris Hilman.

In the past 8 years, Foote has produced 12 albums, including albums for Austin Plaine, Anthony da Costa, Sandra McCracken, Jaymay, German songwriter Nicolai Wilkins, Ryan Jeter’s A Mind@Large, and Andrew Rose Gregory of the Gregory Brothers.

He has appeared on national television shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, Conan (TBS), Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, CBS Saturday Morning, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Artie Lange Show, and VH1’s Big Morning Buzz.

Foote has performed on nationally televised shows in Canada, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Yemen. He has also appeared at various music festivals, including the Bonnaroo Music Festival, Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, Greenbelt Festival in the UK, SingFest in Singapore, and Jisan Valley Rock Festival in South Korea. Additionally, he has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and iconic venues such as the Ryman Theater in Nashville, Budokan in Tokyo, Central Park Summer Stage in NYC, Massey Hall in Toronto, Kennedy Center in DC, and Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY.

Other notable performances include Bee Caves and Diane Birch on Daytrotter, Sophie Auster, and Laura Gibson at WNYC’s Soundcheck, Diane Birch at Mountain Stage, and World Cafe Live with Madison Cunningham, Diane Birch, Greg Holden, Jamie McLean, and Matt Bauer. He has also appeared in Paste Magazine performances alongside Anthony da Costa and Austin Plaine.

Foote's acoustic bass playing has been featured in the feature films “Happythankyoumoreplease” and “A Good Marriage,” supporting Jaymay, as well as in the Grammy-nominated “Silver Linings Playbook” behind Ambrosia Parsley. For over ten years, his bass playing could also be heard on the “CBS This Morning” theme song.

Foote has released two instrumental music records under his name. In 2006, Budd Kopman from allaboutjazz.com named "UBUNTU!" one of the year's best instrumental jazz records.

Foote is a NYC Local 802 Musician’s Union member and a charter member of the NYC chapter of the Jim Keltner Fan Club. He is an AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique teacher in Des Moines, Iowa. He was a Senior Assistant trainer on the Balance Arts Center AT Teacher Training Course for five years. He served on the AmSAT Board of Directors from 2018-2020. His degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Northern Iowa and a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University. In 2023, Foote completed a Master's in Social Work from the University of Iowa and now works in private practice as a therapist in Des Moines. Jay Foote endorses Aguilar Amplifiers.