When San Francisco's legendary jazz radio station KJAZ FM went off the air in August of 1994 the silence was deafening. Operating for 35 years, since August of 1959, KJAZ was hailed as "The greatest jazz station in the world" by the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Ahmad Jamal, Carmen McRae, Tony Bennett, Stan Getz, Bill Cosby and Herbie Hancock. In a failed last-ditch effort to save KJAZ, loyal listeners contributed an unprecedented 1.5 million dollars to keep their favorite radio station on the dial. No public radio fund drive had ever raised that kind of money and yet KJAZ was a commercial station that had never asked it's fans for a dime in the past.

Now, what thousands of listeners and millions of dollars couldn't do is being done inexpensively and efficiently as a result of the technical breakthroughs of internet broadcasting. The 24 hour jazz sound of KJAZ is back, in the flesh and most importantly in "The Spirit". Using the facilities of SHOUTcast.com, three former staff members of KJAZ have combined their efforts and their personal libraries to celebrate the history and tradition of KJAZ via the internet Shoutcast station called "The Spirit".

Stan Dunn , who created The Spirit says the webcast is programmed to include station ID's, promo's and archived elements from KJAZ's 35 year history. "We are a continuation of that very unique, San Francisco-style Jazz Radio station by mixing echos of the KJAZ past with current jazz sounds, and specially produced features. It's a thrill to hear the music of that old friend KJAZ and the voices of that quirky, wonderful jazz radio family, once again."

A significant member of that "KJAZ family" is Jerry Dean who was the very first and very last announcer heard on KJAZ. Jerry contributes regular programs to The Spirit's jazz mixture. Former KJAZ Program Director, General Manager and smooth-voiced deejay, Tim Hodges is also an important fixture on The Spirit with his music programs and his "Jazz Over The Pacific" shows. These archival programs include interviews and musical performances by such Jazz Greats as Randy Weston, Tony Williams, Billy Higgins,Michel Petrucciani, and many more.

We'll be adding more elements from those wonderful KJAZ years" says Stan Dunn, "and we encourage listeners to send us some of those tapes of KJAZ they recorded over the years. We've picked up where KJAZ left off and we'll carry that great KJAZ tradition into the present and on into future with programs that are new and unique to "The Spirit".

More information is available by e-mailing The Spirit at thespirit@telocity.com. When it comes to carrying on the torch of the legendary KJAZ FM San Francisco, this is one time when "The Spirit is willing".

Need a player?

The Spirit recommends Winamp for Windows computers and Audion for Macintosh.