Biography

JAY ASHER is a composer, songwriter, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, pianist/synthesist, and entertainer who has been based in Los Angeles since 1972.

He was raised in the Boston area and is a graduate from the Boston Conservatory of Music with a B.M in Music Composition. He did post graduate orchestration study with renowned Los Angeles orchestrator Dr. Albert Harris.

As a composer, he has written music scores and songs for many TV series, TV Movies of the Week, and films, including New World Television’s “Zorro” NBC’s “Fame” and the NBC Movie Of The Week “Fugitive Nights”. More recently he composed the score for the Lions Gate hip-hop comedy “Hittin’ It” and co-scored with Adam Malamut the independent comedy “Nanny Insanity” as well as scoring DVD documentaries on the lives of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband Alamnzo.

He has written songs that have been recorded by Julio Iglesias, Whitney Houston, and Donna Summer, among others. He has also produced and arranged CDs for the Israeli based duo Merkava.

Among the films and TV movies he has arranged, orchestrated and/or conducted for are Paramount Pictures “Blame It On Rio” and NBC’s TV mini-series  “JFK: Reckless Youth”.

He has served as a musical director and/or accompanist for such artists as Neil Diamond, Bobby Gentry, Carol Burnett, Minnie Riperton, Donald O’ Connor, and Roslyn Kind, as well as playing piano/keyboards for various TV and film projects, and commercials, and has been featured as the lead vocalist on songs for several TV movies and films, including Disney’s “Under Wraps”.

Jay is also an Apple Certified Logic Pro trainer and expert on integrating Vienna Ensmeble Pro with Logic Pro X. He teaches Logic Pro X at the Songwriting School of Los Angeles and is a sought after private consultant for many well known film/TV composers and recording artists.

Credits

TELEVISION

  • “State Of Affairs” (score)                                                 Columbia/TriStar TV Pilot
  • “Fugitive Nights” (score)                                                 TriStar TV Movie
  • “Zorro” (theme & score)                                                   New World Series
  • “Zorro: The Legend Begins” (theme & score)             New World TV Movie
  • “Hometown Hero” (theme & score)                              Family Channel Pilot
  • “Maximum Security” (score)                                          HBO Series
  • “Fame” (songs)                                                                  Paramount Pictures
  • TV Logos-TriStar & New World TV
  • TV Promos-Richmel Productions

FEATURES & DVD

  • “The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder” (score)               Legacy Documentaries
  • “Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura” (score)                Legacy Documentaries
  • “Nanny Insanity” (score)                                                    Independent
  • “Hittin’ It” (score)                                                                 Lions Gate Entertainment
  • “Little House On The Prairie” Seasons 8-9 DVD          Goldhill Home Media
  • “Exiled In America” (score)                                               Curb/Esquire Films
  • “Misfit Patrol” (score)                                                         Oriental International
  • “I’m Going To Be Famous” (score & songs)                   Independent
  • “Oh, Babe” (score)                                                               Independent
  • “Blame It On Rio” (arrangements)                                  20th Century Fox

Jay has also co-written many songs recorded by artists such as Whitney Houston, Julio Iglesias, Donna Summer, Paul Jabara, Sam Harris, Freda Payne, and Ahmad Jamal. Among the many great songwriters he has collaborated with are Academy Award winners Paul Jabara and Dean Pitchford, Emmy winner Dennis Spiegel, and hit songwriters Harriet Shock and Kathy Wakefield.