Dexter Gordon is the comeback kid for all the times he restarted his career.  He came on the scene in the 40s with Billy Eckstein,  lost his way in the 50s and came back in the 60s with his own sound and style.  When he returned again in 1976 after living in Europe for a decade he got standing ovations from the crowds.  Hear why Dexter Gordon was so loved  tonight on the 9 O'clock Special. Jazz awakes at 8. 

Houston Person is always working, he books his own gigs, produces his own CDs and arranges his own music.  The saxaphonist is determined to play for the people and doesn't want anyone to get in the way of that.  His soulful jazz style has been a hit for over 50 years with jazz and blues fans around the world.  Hear the sweet tenor sax sound of   Houston Person tonight on the 9 O'clock Special.

John Coltrane is a jazz legend because he was a brilliant improvisor who took the tenor sax in new directions, creating a uniqe style and sound that many have imitated.  Although he became known for his sheets of sound, he played beautiful ballads and blues and could swing with the best.  Hear the beginning of modern jazz and the many sounds of John Coltrane  when I feature him tonight on the 9 O'clock special.

  Sonny Rollins is one of the greatest improvisors to play jazz.  His brilliant ideas and his ability to always reference the melody make him one of the most influential artists from his bebop in the 40s to today.  He has written jazz classics like Airegin, Oleo, Doxy and St. Thomas. Sonny's album  Saxaphone Colossus has become one of his nicknames or titles.  Listen tonight and find out what makes Sonny Rollins so admired and enjoyed.  

Hank Mobley, who was born in Georgia and raised near Newark,  worked with Dizzy before he hooked up with the Jazz Messengers in the 50s. Although he recorded a number of sides for Blue Note, he was never as well known as his contemporaries John Coltrane and Stan Getz. Hear Hank's music tonight on the 9 O'clock Special.