Jazz has been a part of Atlanta’s radio history, albeit in short phases. Through the ’80s, 94Q gave the jazz sound representation as the sun went down with the evening show, Jazz Flavors. In the next decade, a station with a similar name launched on 104.1 with the WJZF call letters. The 104.1 FM frequency launched on September 1, 1947, in LaGrange , Ga., as WLAG-FM, where it would be a country music station until 1984, when a signal boost pushed its signal further into Metro Atlanta. It would spend two years as WJYA, playing adult standards. In 1987, it would become the
first stint as an Urban AC station as “Kiss 104” (WEKS). From 1989 to 1994, it was paired with WYAY to become one half of the country duo “Y106FM & Y104FM”. On New Year’s Day, 1994, “Jazz Flavors 104.1 FM WJZF” would launch with its smooth jazz format, following a nationwide trend of stations flipping to “New Adult Contemporary,” or as was stated repeatedly at WJZF, “smooth jazz and smooth vocals,” which was a mix of contemporary jazz and AC songs with a jazz lean. WJZF had many fans in its six years on the air, but not enough to keep the station going into the new century, and it’s evenutal owner, Cox Media Group, would move it’s WALR-FM Old School R&B format from 104.7 (which it swapped with Salem Media for the 104.1 frequency) to 104.1, putting Adult R&B back on 104.1 which it remains to this day as Kiss 104.1 FM. As for the smooth jazz format in Atlanta, it would land on 102.5 WJZZ in 2001 (for a year before becoming “Grown Folks Radio WAMJ”), then would migrate to WJZA-AM 1100 and 101.1 FM in 2023. And of course, jazz has always had a home on Clark Atlanta University’s WCLK 91.1 FM.
These were the top 30 hits on WJZF on June 21, 1996…
- Pieces of A Dream – “The Cool Side”
- Daryle Chinn – “Sensitivity”
- Bryan Savage – “Cat Food”
- Marilyn Scott – “I’m Calling You”
- Freddie Ravel – “Erotika”
- Chris Camozzi – “Ring of Gold”
- Ramsey Lewis – “Between The Keys”
- Avenue Blue – “Baby I’m Yours”
- Richard Elliot – “City Speak”
- George Jinda – “Between Dreams”
- Spyro Gyra – “Westwood Moon”
- Tom Scott – “In Your Eyes”
- Earl Klugh – “Maybe Tonight”
- George Howard – “One Last Time”
- Bill Evans – “The Sunday After”
- Doc Powell – “Sunday Mornin'”
- Brian Culbertson – “After Hours”
- Ray Chew – “Love Walked In”
- Ricardo Scales – “Mujer Latina”
- Rippingtons – “First Time I Saw Her”
- Avenue Blue – “Naked City”
- Lionel Richie – “Piece Of Love”
- Joe McBride – “After Sunset”
- Herb Alpert – “Second Wind”
- Blue Knights – “Venice Beach”
- Rippingtons – “Hideaway”
- Norman Brown – “Better Days Ahead”
- Jeff Lorber – “Katherine”
- Harvey Mason – “8:22 AM”
- George Michael – “Older”
Data used in this post is from Radio & Records dated 6/21/96 from World Radio History.com.
