on-air programs

Jazz Cafe
Host: Gene Knight

Café Jazz is a three-hour straight-ahead jazz program that is high-energy, engaging, and classic. Host and jazz aficionado Gene Knight has honed his craft and knowledge of the music for over three decades. Yet, the feel of the show is fresh and filled with vitality. Some of the music is old, some new. However, because of the mix and 
juxtaposition of tunes, listeners can hear this music, even the classics feel new.

THE WIND DOWN
Host: Will Downing

The AAPRC Network welcomes sophisticated soul vocalist Will Downing, host of \The Wind Down\to our line-up.  A recording artist since 1988, Will's 28-year 
career has produced 20 albums, selling over 4 million copies worldwide.  
Will Downing's tender, sultry renditions of love ballads have been a universal staple 
on \Quiet Storm\ playlists for nearly three decades. 

THE SPIN
Host: Esther Armah

The Spin with Esther Armah is a weekly, one-hour talk show is a no holds barred, candid and informed discussion with dynamic women of color on the news and social issues, issues like race, gender, health, income and more. Armah is bright, funny and bold, a U.K. native of Ghanaian heritage and an international journalist who recently hosted WBAI New York’s Morning Show. 

WOMEN'S HISTORY

Host: Gina Carter-Simmers

Coming in March. Profiles in Women's History will entertain and educate listeners about the accomplishments of remarkable African-American women during the 20th century, including filmmakers, opera singers, actresses, prima ballerinas, authors, bandleaders, artists and many more.  Produced by the African American Public Radio Consortium.

the soul of jazz

Host: Jamal Ahmad

“The Soul of Jazz” combines the best in classic and contemporary soul/jazz, international rhythms, dance music and other genre-bending styles–  and this mix has garnered fans from all over the world. Using jazz as the foundation, Ahmad has managed to create a sound that blurs the lines between style and category.  Mixed with jazz, you’ll hear touches of new urban sounds from Brazil, Africa, and the U.K. 

tRUE GOSPEL

Host: Nate Butler

Nate is a song writer, producer, and has worked with Luther Vandross, Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice, Houston, Craig David, Backstreet Boys, 3LW, Christina Milian, Stacie Orrico, JoJo, Aaron Carter, The Cheetah Girls, Jay Sean, Guy Sebastian, Justin Bieber, JoJo, Tiwa Savage and many others. Nate has also been a part of 45+ million records sold worldwide at last count.

Insightful Musings for the Soul

Host: Hanif Sa Shekhem

As your host, I will curate an array of textured, diverse, and soul stirring rhythms designed to awaken your intellectual, somatic, and sensory perception. Journey with me as we ascend to higher vibrational
tones bringing to light Drums, Afro Beat, Jazz, Latin Groove, Soulful Vocalists, Spoken Word, Urban Instrumentals, and much more.

Motown Lunch
Host: Billy D

Billy D is a Maine native and product of Portland. He has worked in local radio with tenures at The Bone, WBLM and Y101FM. Billy is also an alumni of the New England School of Communications in Bangor, ME.

He arrived at 107.9FM WJZP in the late winter months of 2016 as the orignal host, producer and pioneer of "The Motown Lunch". Billy became WJZP's Programming manager in 2017 and has since spent time hiring and training staff, coordinating the initial JZP website, and expanding upon the WJZP brand. You can catch Billy at 9pm for the "Monday Night Miniconcert" and every Saturday at noon as he hosts the "Motown Lunch". 

Ken Johnson
Host: Ken Johnson

Ken grew up in East Orange NJ and started
playing trombone at the age of 10, by the
time he was in high school he played for
numerous local bands gigging and touring..
After high school Ken played and toured with gold award winning acts like Slave, Aurra, Young and Company and Tanna Gardner. It was at this time that he fell in love with Audio Engineering.
Ken went audio school in NYC and
graduated number one in his class. He then
became the First Black American Assistant
Engineer at the world's most successful
Recording Studio at the time Unique
Recording. He also was an edit engineer,
editing quite a few major projects. He then
went on to becoming a Free Lance Audio
Engineer in the Tri State area. After moving from studio to studio, Ken opened up his own studio in NJ... Perfect Pair Recordings. His studio quickly became the most successful studio in New Jersey. His Studio was the first Audio Recording studio to have a full blown out Pro Tools system in the country, where he engineered many platinum albums for artist such as Jaheim, Next, 3LW, Naughty by Nature, Coffee Brown, Zhane, Escape, Groove Theory, Chaka Khan, Bilal, Chubb Rock, Changing Faces, Queen Latifa and received a Grammy for the album of the year "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". He is
the first engineer to use Auto Tune on a
R&B Multiplatinum song. "No more" by 3LW.
He owned a House Music Record Label and
Management Company.
Currently Ken resides in Las Vegas where
her teaches Recording Techniques at the
local college. He and his wife Dana own a
multifaceted entertainment company which
encompass a Recording Studio, Record
Company, Website Building company and a
Book Publishing Company.
Ken also Host and Produce a weekly Radio
MixShow... Deep in the house with 488
records for Wkzp107.9.