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.

This video consists of a series of photographs taken at Dress Rehearsals Studio in Chicago, IL, May 24, 1996. The accompanying music is "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd and most famously performed by Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton. The vocal is by J.