2 minute read
James Janisse by La Quetta Shamblee
JAMES JANISSE
Radio DJ, Master of Ceremonies, Voiceovers, Radio Station Owner, James Janisse embraced Los Angeles, California, when his family moved from Houston, Texas. He was a child and their love of jazz impacted James by the time he attended Locke High School. He was enjoying much of the same music as some of his classmates who became successful recording artists, including Patrice Rushen, Indugo Chancler, and Raymond Pounds, drummer for Dru Mitchell in high school. Their music teacher, Reggie Andrews, won a Grammy with Earth Wind and Fire.
After attending UCLA and joining the military, James served a tour of duty in Vietnam. Like so many veterans, he grappled with the demons of warfare. His relationship with jazz was a life raft on which he surfed back to the mainstream of life, after years of struggling with substance abuse. During a workshop he attended in a recovery home, James heard about a radio production training program but he did not have the money to enroll. He panhandled and took odd jobs to raise the registration fee.
He landed a part-time job at KLON 88.1FM, that featured the premier jazz radio broadcast in Southern California. Known as America’s Jazz and Blues Station, it was renamed KKJZ in August 2002. While working other fulltime day jobs, James hosted the weekend and overnight radio show for 15 years. He made good use of many isolated hours in the studio, learning everything he could about the musicians on the CD’s he was spinning. His knowledge of all of the members in the band, on every tune is unparalleled, as he insists on announcing all of the members in the band on every tune. The only exceptions are big bands and recordings by some vocalists that don’t announce their bandmembers. It is this reputation that has endeared him to “sidemen/women” musicians who are typically overlooked.
By the time he left this gig, he was working full-time for many years and was one of the station’s most popular DJs in demand as an MC for annual, regional festivals and venues. He MCed a series of annual concerts throughout Southern California that led to the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. He was the MC for major jazz festivals in Los Angeles, including the Long Beach Jazz & Blues Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Idlewild Jazz Festival, Watts Towers Jazz Festival, City of Angeles Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Drew. James applied what he learned from voiceover icon Dave Fennoy and went on to entertain millions of listeners tuned to his series Voice of Jazz on Continental and United Airlines flights.
After leaving the radio station, James was searching for a new direction. His wife said, “Do what you do!” This was the spark he needed to produce a daily, two-hour radio program. A short time later, he established his radio station at www.KJMJRadio. com offering jazz and blues programming 24 hours, 365 days of the year. The playlist includes a variety of historic recordings and live performances of straight-ahead jazz, avant garde, bebop, and blues curated by Janisse to share, introduce, and celebrate jazz and blues icons, lesser-known, and upcoming indie jazz artists. Log on to www. KJMJRadio.com to enjoy “Some of the Best Jazz & Blues” brought to you by Mr. James Janisse, L.A.’s original Gentleman of Jazz.
www.KJMJRadio.com
