Tonight hear plenty of holiday jazz by jazz favorites like Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Smith and Diana Krall, plus there are treats by local talent with holiday hits by Dmitri Matheny and Judy Roberts.  It's a delightful mix all week when jazz awakes at 8. 

McCoy Tyner was encouraged to play piano by his mother and by his neighbor, Bud Powell.  By the time he was 17 he was playing with Coltrane in some local clubs in Philly.  Eventually they formed one of the finest jazz quartets ever recorded.  Hear the startling virtuosity and the delightful variety in the sound of pianist McCoy Tyner Monday night on the 9 O'clock Special.  Jazz awakes at 8!

 Jimmy Smith changed the way we hear the jazz organ.  He created a whole new language of blues and bebop that is part of the sound every B3 player uses today.  Hear the fun and fabulous genius of jazz giant Jimmy Smith tonight on the 9 O'clock Special, and Marty Ashby stops by to talk about his Christmas concert when jazz awakes at 8.

Dave Brubeck helped to bring jazz into the pop culture of the 60s with his million selling album Time Out.  His unique style and new ideas continued to develop all through his life.  Tonight hear Brubeck from his early days to his final concerts, when jazz awakes tonight at 8.  It's a Brubeck bonanza.

Pianist Wynton Kelly was born in Jamaica. He moved to New York as a kid and grew into jazz from R & B.  He played with Dizzy but is best known for his work with Miles Davis and his own trios.  Monday Night you can get a groove on with the sound of Wynton Kelly on the 9 O'clock Special.  Plus Blaise is giving away tickets to the Nutcracker! Jazz awakes weeknights at 8.

In the 1960s Charlie Bird and Stan Getz brought Bossa Nova and Samba into the jazz world.  Beautful intricate harmonies combined with African polyrhythms made this a unique contribution to jazz.  Hear some of  the artists, like Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim who became famous for playing the sounds of Brazil tonight on the 9 O'clock Special.

Pianist and arranger Billy Strayhorn wrote Lush Life, Take the A train and more for Duke Ellington.  He spent his career arranging and composing for the Ellington orchestra.  Tonight learn more about this behind the scenes classically trained jazz composer, who Duke considered his right hand man.  Celebrate Strayhorn tonight on the 9 O'clock Special.

The Christmas CDs have been arriving here at KJZZ!  Tonight hear some fresh new versions of holiday music just in time for holiday gift giving.  It's a fun night of new jazz tonight plus I have tickets to the Phoenix Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah to give away.  You could be a winner when jazz awakes at 8.

Jazz is evolving from the music of Bird and Diz, Trane and Miles into new ideas and plenty of brilliant young players. Discover the spirit of jazz with Esperanza Spalding, Eldar, Graham Dechter, and more young talent changing the face of jazz tonight on the 9 O'clock Special. Jazz awakes at 8!