Jaymz Bee (born April 13, 1963) is a Canadian musician, writer, emcee and radio personality based in Toronto, Ontario.
Early life
James Terrence Doyle was raised in North Bay, Ontario. He was a founder of the Al Waxman Fan Club at Inglenook Community High School and leader of the punk band Bee People. "Bee had a fixation on [Waxman]... '[W]e only dressed in black and yellow and we only sang songs about Al Waxman: about his dog, his movies, his life, anything we could think of. We ended up with an hour-long show, just about Al Waxman.'"
Early career
In 1985, Bee and his drummer Bob Scott joined members of a defunct Swiss band to form the alternative rock band Look People and left for Switzerland.
In 1994, Bee and Melleny Melody formed an independent label called "Nepotism Records".
Bee formed "Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra" and recorded the group's first lounge music album in 1995.
In 1997, Bee published the book Cocktail Parties for Dummies, and began hosting radio shows on Toronto's CFRB and CFMJ.
Radio Career
Bee joined Toronto-based radio station JAZZ.FM91 in 2002 and became one of its recognizable on-air personalities. Over a tenure of more than two decades, he hosted flagship programs including Jazz in the City covering the local scene and Jazz Gone Wild, blending contemporary jazz, soul, funk, and world music with artist interviews and live performance recordings.
Beyond broadcasting, Bee played a or role in the station’s public profile, hosting concerts, producing live events, and emceeing fundraisers in support of arts programming and community outreach.
Music career
In 2002, Bee released a new album, produced by Dave Howard, Sub Urban by Jaymz Bee and the Deep Lounge Coalition and followed that with another Royal Jelly Orchestra release entitled Seriously Happy for Wychwood Productions. His last recording with the RJO was Toronto Launch Pad, recorded in 2006 for his own label, Timely Manor. For over a decade, Bee ran a PR firm called Bullhorn which turned into a personal monthly newsletter in 2016. Bee formed a pop group called Bonzai Suzuki with Dave Howard. Their self-titled debut was released in the summer of 2011 and their follow up recording called "Everything Leads To Everything Else". He collaborated with Carlos Peron (ex member of the band Yello) on an electronic dance recording called "Tuk" and then (2017) began writing and recording The Tiki Collective - a surf jazz band led by guitarist Eric St-Laurent. In 2018, this group released their debut album Muse, which reached #17 on the Canadian campus radio jazz chart in December.
During the 2020s, Bee has continued to be active in music production, performance, and curation. Through Vesuvius Music Inc., he has promoted and produced the thematic jazz recording Jaymz Bee Presents: Music for Secret Agents (2021), which remains available on major digital streaming platforms. He continues to produce songs for this band and host live events in Ontario. It is shared through his official media channels.
Music promotion and live events
In addition to radio, Bee has been active as a cultural producer and promoter. He organized and hosted concerts, tribute events, and benefit performances across Toronto, including shows at venues such as Koerner Hall and the Paradise Theatre.
He has produced music and live entertainment through independent production entities including Happy Fingers Music and Vesuvius Music. Vesuvius Music has also served as a platform for cross-disciplinary projects combining music, film, and live presentation.
Films
Bee appeared in Say Nothing (2001), Heatscore (2002), Dom (2004), and Five Course Meal (2018).
In 2021, it was revealed that a documentary about Bee's life (working title: Being Bee) is currently being produced. Collaborators on the project include the team at Retrontario and Joel Goldberg, notable for his work on Electric Circus and directing music videos for rapper Maestro.
In 2023, Bee directed three short films: Wild Music, Beat Speak, and Artists & Aliens.
In February 2024, he began directing his first full-length feature film.
In 2023, Bee presented an evening combining live music and film exhibition at the Paradise Theatre in Toronto, highlighting his transition into cinema and the relationship between his music and film work.