J made her debut with The Professors in dramatic fashion at the International Communication Association show in Chicago, May 25, 1996. Until that time, everyone thought of J as being quite shy and reserved. And yet J was a talented and versatile blues vocalist waiting to be unleashed. An audience member at the Professors' gigat Kenny's Castaways on November 22, 1998, wrote of J's performance: "Chanteuse J has the uncanny ability to beguile an audience with warmth and humor, and then unleash her seductive voice like a striking panther. Be careful! She goes straight for the heart." J sang with the band from 1996-1998 and wrote the lyrics for the classic Dark and Stormy Day.

Here is J performing the blues classic "Five Long Years," recorded in Chicago, IL, May 24, 1996.