Jay Bennett

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Jay Bennett is an American singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of Titanic Love Affair, which recorded three albums in the 1990s: Titanic Love Affair (1991), No Charisma (1992), and Their Titanic Majesty's Request (1996).

In 1995 Bennett joined the group Wilco. He was hired as a lead guitarist but soon became Wilco's keyboardist, recording engineer, and co-songwriter. He appears on the Wilco albums Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as the two Billy Bragg collaboration albums Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II. He left the band before the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Much of the tension which led to Bennett's departure from Wilco can be seen in the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Since leaving Wilco Bennett has released four albums. The first, entitled The Palace at 4am(Undertow Music), is a collaboration with Chicago musician Ed Burch. 2004's Bigger than Blue is a more stripped-down set of personal songs. In the same year he released The Beloved Enemy, which saw Bennett exploring his personal turmoil in even more intimate detail. In 2005, he produced jam band Blues Traveler's eighth studio album, ¡Bastardos!. His most recent album, The Magnificent Defeat, was released in September, 2006. He is now on tour opening with the Death Ships in support of this album.

Bennett lives in Chicago, Illinois, where he spends most of his time writing songs and recording in his private studio.