"He's a musical pied piper; quick, nimble, and wonderfully crazy. He alternates complexity, simplicity, and hilarity, leading us to the most beautifully obvious conclusion; that we're all human, we're all in this together, and it's not so bad after all."
- Margie Rosenkrantz, Director, The Eighth Step
"The blending, in fact, is what makes Mankita such an outstanding performer . . . Even within individual verses of the same song, Mankita will shift his voice from a Brombergian growl to a soft and mellow falsetto; pull his tempo from allegretto to a dramatic legato; from Windham Hillian wallpaper background to a snapping fret-slapping blues style. With his assortment of styles and voices, you never find your mind wandering."
- Jeremy Bloom, Schenectady Daily Gazette
"Jay Mankita jumps up and down with a big grin on his face, playing incredible guitar, getting everyone laughing. Moments later, he's doing a dead serious song with no accompaniment. Come hear this guy, I think he's one of the half dozen best songwriters today."
- Pete Seeger
"Jay's songs are thoughtful, humorous, provocative, and engaging. He reveals a great deal of feeling for serious issues, seasons them with a bit of humor, and weaves his own unique style of guitar playing throughout. Treat your audience to some Jay Mankita!"
- Kate Patton, Director, Globe Theater
"Actors frequently say that comedy is the hardest thing to do well. Doing comedy in verse while you sing and play guitar is a tricky business too. Doing a whole album of songs that will make an adult laugh that you can play with your children in the room is practically unheard of…until now! Kudos Jay Mankita! I suppose that those who voted “red” (an interesting change of terminology since the ‘50s) might not find “They Lied” and “Illegal Aliens From Outer Space” all that funny, but the “blue” folks will get a rueful guffaw. The tunes are jaunty and jazzy and the pun-rich lyrics are packed tightly into each song. Mankita’s lighthearted vocals are backed by an acoustic ensemble featuring standup bass, light percussion and an occasional clarinet. Good clean fun!"
- Michael Devlin, Music Matters Review
"A consumate folk artist who performs in a whimsical, versatile style for both children and adults; a good portion of his work is environmentally, or peace-and-justice based".
- Whole Earth Review
"Environmental songwriter Jay Mankita performed magnificently,with everything from his environmental anthem 'Living Planet', to his brand-new anti-Bush song, 'They Lied'."
- Sierra Atlantic - winter 2004
"Mankita is the man! What an awesome song writer!!!..."
- Mike Hentrich - gortbusters.org
"He tickles my melodic funny-bone."
Ralph Litwin - 'Horses Sing None of it' (from the website)