Paul Desmond once quipped that he wanted his alto sax to sound like a dry martini. His shaken not stirred lyrical style highlighted his 17 year stint in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and one of the most popular jazz tunes of all time, "Take Five." Some of his best work was also done in his quartet with guitarist Jim Hall. Tonight explore the life and music of one of the world's greatest sax players. Jazz awakes at 8.

Tonight hear all your favorite food songs. You'll hear Pass the Gravy, Frim Fram Sauce, Cookin' at the Continental, Back at the Chicken Shack and more fun tunes for your holiday evening.  News until 9 tonight, then jazz to digest by.

Check the jazz calendar for some exciting jazz shows.  This Friday night Bela Fleck is in town with the Marcus Roberts trio at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and this Monday night there is a special recovery celebration for Margo Reed with performances by the valley's finest  and a special appearance by Francine Reed at Kazimierz World Wine Bar.  Treat yourself to some live music for the holidays.

Bandleader Tommy Dorsey created a unique sound with his band and with his horn.  Frank Sinatra said he learned his phrasing by listening to Tommy Dorsey play trombone.  Enjoy the swinging sounds of the Dorsey band and learn what made Tommy different than Jimmy.  It's a big band party  Monday night  on the 9 O'clcok special.  Jazz awakes at 8.

Singer and pianist Diana Krall has been wowing jazz fans since the 90s.  Whether

  Vocalist Denise Donatelli studied classical piano as a child in Pennsylvania, but always loved listening to jazz.  After she raised her boys in Atlanta  she started singing in clubs with a jazz trio and eventually moved to LA.  That has led to her Grammy nominated CD with Geoffry Keezer.  Tonight Denise stops by the studio to talk about her how she got here, her music and her Friday night show at the Tempe Center for the Arts.  Jazz awakes tonight at 8!

Singer Roberta Donnay fell in love with the jazz of the 20s and 30s; she and her band do plenty of Fats Waller, Irving Berlin and Hoagy Carmichael.  Hear how Roberta captures the heart of soul of the era when she stops by K-Jazz for the 9 O'clock Special to share some music and talk about her concerts here in Arizona. Jazz awakes at 8.

Cuban trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval studied classical music at 13  in Cuba.  He listened to every American record he could find especially Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown. In Cuba, Sandoval co-founded the band Irakere with Paquito D'Rivera. They became a worldwide sensation and appeared at the 1978 Newport Jazz Festival. Finally Sandoval defected from Cuba to play the music he loved.  Today he is a Grammy winning world renowned artist, and educator.  Tonight hear him play trumpet and even a little piano on the 9 O'clock special, jazz awakes at 8.

  In honor of veterans' day you'll hear the veterans of jazz.  The artists who fought to make jazz what it is today, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Billie Holiday and more.  It's a delightful night of music tonight when jazz awakes at 8!

Thelonious Monk was a pianist and composer and iconoclast who wrote some of jazz's most recorded tunes.  Hear Dennis Rowland sing 'Round Midnight and Art Blakey do In Walked Bud, learn what made Monk so unique tonight on the 9 O'clock Special.  Plus dig Ray Brown and some High Heel Sneakers to start things off when jazz awakes at 8.