Perhaps it was fate that brought Jim Syoen to the weather team at WDSU, as he has been playing jazz tuba in New Orleans Jazz Bands since he was 16 years old.

Jim began his broadcasting career in Decatur, Illinois, working at WAND-TV, as the weekend and eventually morning meteorologist.

He traded predicting snowstorms, to chasing hurricanes, as he then worked in Fort Myers, Florida for over 20 years, at WBBH-TV, then later at WFTX TV as the Chief Meteorologist. While covering Hurricane Charley, Jim and the weather team at WBBH were the first to accurately report the turn of Charley, which eventually came ashore in Punta Gorda, Florida.

While working in the Fort Myers area, Jim became friendly with today show weatherman, Willard Scott, and was featured twice on The Today Show broadcast playing his tuba. For seven consecutive years, Jim was voted Best Meteorologist by readers of the Fort Myers News Press.

Jim moved to New Orleans in 2018, to front a new Jazz Band, The Assunto Dukes Tribute, who play the music of Frank and Freddie Assunto, who were The Original Dukes of Dixieland. Growing up in Chicago, it’s rumored that Jim’s father Fran used to march him around the house as a colic baby, to the music of The Dukes of Dixieland, which is likely where his love of New Orleans Jazz began. The Assunto Dukes Tribute still play regularly in New Orleans, and you can hear the music on their website here. www.assuntodukestribute.com

Jim is also an advisory board member of the New Orleans Jazz Club, the oldest Jazz Club in America. In hopes of keeping the music alive for the next generation, Jim has also produced a television pilot for kindergarten aged children, called Mister Tuba’s Funtime Band.