Guitarist Irving Ashby was born this day in 1920 in Somerville, Mass. He followed Oscar Moore in Nat King Cole's trio for five years beginning in 1947.

Trombonist Cutty Cutshall was born this day in Huntington County, Pa., in 1911. As a member of Benny Goodman's band from 1940 to 1942, he and Lou McGarrity formed one of the best two-man trombone sections ever to work with the band. Cutshall died in 1968.

Pianist Danilo Perez was born this day in 1966 in Panama City, Panama. Perez came into the jazz spotlight in 1989 as a member of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, the trumpet great's last major jazz group.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

On the New York jazz scene, pianist McCoy Tyner's trio with George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums plays the music of John Coltrane tonight and Sunday at Iridium. Pianist Cedar Walton's quartet is at the Village Vanguard. Dave Liebman's group is at Birdland for one more night tonight. James Hurt's Trance-Dance project is at The Jazz Gallery. The El MOllenium Quintet performs the music of late pianist Elmo Hope tonight at La Belle Epoque. The band includes tenor saxophonist Charles Davis, guitarist Roni Ben-Hur. Bassist Walter Booker, drummer Leroy Williams and singer Amy London, with Hope's widow, Bertha Hope, on piano.

Drummer Cindy Blackman's quartet performs tonight at the Van Dyck in Schenectady, N.Y.

Doc City and Kindred Spirits perform tonight at Peabody's Down Under in Cleveland.

In Chicago tonight, tenor saxophonist Red Holloway is special guest with guitarist Henry Johnson's organ quartet at The Jazz Showcase. The Kelly Brand quintet is at Andy's. Carmen Stokes is at the Backroom. Von Freeman and Ed Petersen are at the Green Mill tonight. Bopology is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. Pianist Marshall Vente's trio is at the Fairmont Hotel's Metropole Room. The Redd Holt quartet is at Pops for Champagne.

On the New Orleans jazz scene, Charmaine Neville and Amasa Miller team up tonight at Cobalt. Trumpeter Leroy Jones' quintet is at Donna's. Jeremy Davenport is in the spotlight at the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar. Devin Philips is at the Funky Butt. Joe Krown's Organ Combo is at Le Bon Temps Roule. Pete Fountain is at his longstanding club in the New Orleans Hilton tonight. Trumpeter Wendell Brunious leads the band at Preservation Hall. Trumpeter Nicholas Payton is at Snug Harbor. E.L.S. presents a Soul Yuletide concert this afternoon at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.

In California tonight, the Afro Cuban Jazz Masters are at Yoshi's in Oakland. Jane Monheit headlines the Catalina Bar and Grill in North Hollywood. Paul Breslin is at Spiedo Ristorante in San Jose with Larry Vuckovich and Danny Spencer. Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill are at The Plush Room in San Francisco. Rob McConnell and his Boss Brass are the scheduled headliners tonight at the first Desert Big Band and Jazz Party at the Palm Springs Riviera Resort. The three-day and night event features many of the top players and vocalists on the West Coast jazz scene.

Jovino Santos Neto performs tonight at Caffé Brazil in Seattle.

Pianist Claude Bolling's trio is at Petit Journal Saint-Michel in Paris tonight.