Jaymz Bee was born in North Bay on April 13th, 1963 at 2pm. He is a triple fire sign, text book middle child and has been known as "life of the party" for most of his life. He's always found a way to make it a career out of creating, partying and promoting. As a child Jaymz was a prolific writer, professional puppeteer, home movie-maker, actor and host of a television show on the local CTV affiliate called "Jay's Friends". After graduation Jaymz made a bee-line for the big city.
In 1981, less than half a year after moving to Toronto, Jaymz was injured in a house fire. After escaping through the blaze he watched all his personal belongings go up in smoke. Luckily, his injuries weren't life threatening and within a few months, he was back on his feet, ready to kick start a career in the entertainment and music business.
Bee spent the 1980's establishing himself in the entertainment industry, touring extensively throughout Europe and North America as the leader and singer of the rock group Look People. They performed for audiences large and small... from a few hundred people in a Berlin nightclub to 20,000 Swiss at an open air festival. Jaymz and his mates were a favourite of Hilly Krystal, owner of New York's infamous CBGB's and ended up on selected dates for the Lollapalooza tour in North America, including an unforgettable show in San Fransicso where they shared the stage with Rage Against The Machine and a show in Barrie, Ontario where Jaymz and drummer Great Bob Scott joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers on stage for backing vocals and freak dancing. The Look People shared bills with Los Lobos, Uriah Heep, Jane Sibbery and the Cowboy Junkies. They backed up Jim Carrey for a CTV comedy special and recorded a song in the studio with him for his Las Vegas act.
After extensive roadwork (tours of Europe and North America) Jaymz landed the job as musical director on Friday Night, a national variety/talk show on the CBC. He also acted as the musical director for various television specials on City TV, CTV and The Women's Network. Jaymz has been hired as musical director six times for day one and two of the Gemini Awards, (Canada's equivalent to the Emmy Awards). Since then Jaymz Bee and various combos have performed at Award Shows throughout Canada, too numerous to mention. Honestly... it would bore you to read such a list.
In the early 90's Jaymz directed a wide range of videos for artists including Queensryche, the Rheostatics and the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow. The Bee Hive, a Queen Street nightclub years ahead of its time was owned and operated by Jaymz, as was a two-month project spearheaded by Jaymz and the late, great artist Lisa Brown called The Jaymz Bee Art Gallery Of Ontario, where he sold her paintings while throwing unusual cocktail parties.
With all this experience, Jaymz began applying his skills as a party consultant, whether planning, hosting or performing he worked for a wide range of celebrity and corporate customers including filmmaker Wes Craven, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jim Carrey, Mr. Dress-up, Timothy Leary, Canadian Opera Company, Canadian National Ballet, CBC Television and Mark Breslin's Yuk Yuks.
During all these projects, Bee and Look People continued to work constantly. After almost a decade of international touring and a string of critically acclaimed recordings, the band parted amicably. Their final gig was at The Palamino Club in North Hollywood on April 12, 1994.
Jaymz returned to Toronto and immediately began composing big band songs with producer and multi-instrumentalist Jono Grant which caused enough of a buzz (excuse the bee jargon) to warrant a CD and a slew of live gigs. Thus, in the summer of 1995; The Royal Jelly Orchestra was born.
Jaymz and his band (which, depending on the gig ranged from a seven to fourteen-piece ensemble, always with several vocalists) performed their first show for an AIDS benefit called KUMBAYA; the brain child of singer Molly Johnson, held at the Ontario Place Forum to a crowd of four thousand and broadcast across the country on Much Music. Since then The RJO has performed at gala benefits for worthy causes such as: The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, The Canadian National Ballet, The Daily Bread Food Bank, Earthroots, Variety Club, CJCC, CANFAR and Covenant House.
In 1996, Jaymz released a self-titled independent CD through Nepotism Records, a label he formed with artist Melleny Melody which later caught the attention of BMG Music Canada President Paul Alofs, who then hired Jaymz to head a boutique label called "Leisure Lab" as well as create original music for the label. As part of this deal, Jaymz and the Royal Jelly Orchestra (RJO), created a series of critically acclaimed CD's, and toured the country twice with his 16-piece orchestra, with multi-instrumentalist Jono Grant as his music director and later, record producer.
In 1997 Jaymz released "ClintEastWoodyAllenAlda" and supervised the release of Calgary's singer Tim Tamashiro's debut album "Wiseass Crooner". 1997 also saw the worldwide release of Bee's "Cocktail: Shaken & Stirred" and "A Christmas Cocktail" album on Milan/BMG Records in America.
After a glowing endorsement by Paul and Mike Myers, Jaymz was hired to host a party for John Killcullen, the man who started the "Dummies" series of books. After the party he pitched his idea for a party guide and in the fall of 1997, he launched Jaymz Bee's "Cocktail Parties for Dummies", published by IDG Books Worldwide.
Several personal endorsement deals followed. Smirnoff, Black and Decker (The Party Mate™ portable blender) and various beer and wine companies jumped on board to support his press junket and personal party appearances at nightclubs from coast to coast called "The Cocktails Across America Tour". His journey was covered by national radio as well as ABC, NBC and CNN. He followed his American excursion with a 1997 tour of hosting events with his party posse across Canadian Universities. "The Jaymz Bee Floating Cocktail Party of The Caribbean" was another idea that panned out... with almost 900 people at just over a thousand dollars a ticket joining Bee and his band for eight days at Sea in the Caribbean.
The Royal Jelly Orchestra spent much of 1997 and 1998 touring on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border. In 1999 Jaymz arranged to have his back up chorus (The Beehive Singers) and his emcee (Roger Clown) record their own CD's. He also recorded another Royal Jelly Orchestra record called "Life of The Party". Unfortunately, the distributor (Song Core) went bankrupt and cost his independent record label (Leisure Disc) a small fortune.
Two weeks after losing his shirt, Jaymz could afford to buy a new one, after being asked by Oglio Records in Los Angeles to do a CD of urban hits done as easy listening music. The CD by "Jaymz Bee and The Deep Lounge Coalition" was called "Sub Urban" (produced by Dave Howard) and can still be purchased on-line.
Following The DLC recording, Bee released a one-off RJO CD for Wychwood Park Productions entitled "Seriously Happy" which was a collection of happy songs done big band style with his usual bevy of jazz vocalists. Over the years the band has performed live with dozens of vocalists who have gone on to have wonderful solo careers, including Michael Buble, Sohpie Milman, DK Ibomeka, Genevieve Marentette and Alex Pangman.
In 2004 Bee founded BULLHORN, a team of marketing consultants and promotion experts. Clients have included CHIN TV/RADIO, Two Artists, Lori Cullen, Swing Rosie, Luis Mario Ochoa, Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre and Timely Manor records.
Currently, Bee hosts "Jazz In The City" every Saturday from 6-8pm on JAZZ.FM91 and also makes regular appearances on BENMERGUI IN THE MORNING, 6-10am weekdays; also on 91.1 jazz.fm. He runs a fund raising incentive called The Jazz Safari™ that involves him taken hundreds of jazz fans in small groups on tours of Toronto nightclubs. He also produces and hosts jazz events for JAZZ.FM91 and for other companies and charities.
Jaymz Bee launched a record label called "Timely Manor" in 2006 to assist independent artists in releasing their music nationwide, working with Fontana North, Universal, iTunes, CatPR and Bullhorn. His label has released five CD's in 2006 that include: "2am at The Torch Café" by Serafin serafin.ca, the latest Royal Jelly Orchestra record called "Toronto Launch Pad" and the self-titled debut CD from "Babes In Jazzland". Timely Manor has also released a solo recording by Marieve Herington called "Blossoming" and new CD by Kollage called "At This Time".
In 1997 he followed with Timely Manor releases: "Lessons Learned" by William Carn, "Need Another" by Nancy Walker, "Indigo Bliss" by Adam Makowciz, "Pianoptic" by Robert Scott, the self-titled CD from saxophonist Colleen Allen and "Strands" by Darren Sigesmund Quintet. His most recent release is a collection of 17 renowned pianists paying homage to the grand piano that lived at The Monteral Bistro for over a decade. The recording, "One Lucky Piano" is a CD that raises money for JAZZ.FM91 who in turn, uses the money toward scholarships and bursaries for promising young musicians.
Now in 2008, Jaymz looks forward to another great year working for jazz radio, jazz recordings, charities, television and special events. He is currently producing The Timely Manor Jazz Series at Diesel Playhouse which includes concerts by Kenny Rankin, Kevin Clark and a piano tribute that features six outstanding pianists. His first musical, Murder At The Cabaret Burlesque can be seen at Diesel Playhouse; 8pm on Sunday March 9th. His birthday celebration is at Diesel at 2pm on April 13th.
To hire Jaymz Bee you can contact him by clicking here.