Jay Russell Gilbert
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Jay's obituary
Jay Russell Gilbert - musician, artist, foodie, mentor, friend
September 30, 1971 – May 3, 2025
Jay Gilbert, 53, of Cranston, RI, formerly of Madison, NJ passed away on Saturday, May 3, 2025 following a years’ long battle with progressive health issues.
He was born in Summit, NJ and grew up in Madison, NJ before moving to Providence, RI in 1996. Jay had a passion for music which was nurtured at one of his first jobs at Scotti’s Record Shops in NJ. He learned the bass guitar and started with heavy metal music but soon ventured into many styles of music.
It was in Providence, RI that Jay discovered traditional Irish music and truly never looked back. His passion for this genre was evident in both his playing as well as his engaging conversations about it. He was a prolific writer of original tunes as well.
Friends remember his encyclopedic knowledge of all music genres, and his ability to recognize talent before it exploded onto the world stage in his earlier years of going to concerts in New York City at a variety of venues, both large and small. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and not just of music – he was a very well-read man on a variety of topics. In the Irish music community, he was noted as being a true steward of the tradition. To quote Jay “just dipping your toe into Irish traditional music is bound to lead to a reverence for it.” Jay was a musician’s musician – adaptable and reliable, and there were many who learned from just watching him play at sessions. After starting on the bass, he learned guitar, mandolin, banjo and ukulele. It has been noted that Jay could coax melodies from a comb.
He loved good food, knew where to find the best hotdogs in NYC, and was a hot sauce aficionado. He grew up with a very talented mother who cooked not just the usual fare, but also made Chinese, Indian and other exotic cuisines.
He was also an artist, something that came from his parents and grandparents – he was avant-garde in his style, creating digital mosaics, painting record cover designs on jackets and more.
Jay was a generous, knowledgeable, talented and kind man, who would share openly and with no expectation of return. His renowned laughter lives on.
Jay was pre-deceased by his parents Bob and Gail Gilbert. He is survived by his sister Dawn (Gilbert) Buchanan, her husband Rich, and their children Bryan and Wes.
A celebration of Jay’s life will be planned for September 20, 2025 at the Blackstone River Theatre in the afternoon, which will include an Irish music session. Specific details will be shared by the family closer to the date.
If you wish to donate in Jay’s memory, please consider the Blackstone River Theatre (Donate - Blackstone River Theatre) or The Irish Institute of Music & Song (Donate — Irish Institute of Music and Song). Or consider supporting music locally in your own community in Jay’s memory.
Gratitude is the attitude!
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