Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Today is March 11. Trombonist Miff Mole was born this day in 1898 in Roosevelt, N.Y. He was a revolutionary trombonist in the 1920s, teaming up on classic recordings with cornetist Red Nichols. Advertisement Duke Ellington's only child, son Mercer Ellington, was born this day in 1919 in Washington, D-C. Trained as a trumpeter, Mercer Ellington led the Ellington orchestra for more than 20 years after his father's death. The younger Ellington died of heart failure in February 1996 in Denmark. Now Mercer's son, and Duke's grandson, Paul Mercer Ellington, runs the band. Versatile singer Bobby McFerrin, a one-man vocal orchestra, was born this day in New York in 1950. His father was an opera singer, his mother a classical soprano. Trained as a pianist, he began singing unaccompanied in 1983. Jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, a founding member of the jazz avant-garde movement, was born this day in 1932 in Chicago. Advertisement On this day in 1964, tenor saxophonist Ben Webster went into Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio to begin recording the final album he made before moving to Europe because of lack of public interest in his work at home. This session, called "See You At The Fair," was released on the Impulse label and was reissued by MCA/GRP in 1993. Sidemen included Hank Jones, Roger Kellaway, Richard Davis and Osie Johnson. Looking at today's hip happenings... Pianist Arturo O'Farrill and his Latin jazz quintet begins a two-week series of 14 educational performances at New York area public and private schools, hospitals, and community programs under the auspices of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The performances in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, and New Jersey are designed to demonstrate Latin music's role in helping to shape and influence jazz - and vice versa. Each will place a strong emphasis on audience participation and interaction. O'Farrill's band will include tenor saxophonist Peter Brainin, bassist Andy Gonzalez, drummer Phoenix Rivera and percussionist Joseph Gonzalez. Today's first stop in the Jazz in the Schools Tour is at Polyprep Country Day School in Brooklyn. Advertisement The rest of the schedule includes: March 12 -- Intermediate School 25 (Brooklyn) March 13 -- Convent of the Sacred Heart (Manhattan) March 14 -- Free Arts for Abused Children Program (Manhattan) March 15 -- Grace Church School (Manhattan) March 18 -- Community Works Program (Merkin Hall) March 19 -- Rumson Fair Haven High School (New Jersey) March 20 -- Coler & Goldwater Hospitals (Roosevelt) March 21 -- P.S. 108 (Bronx) March 22 -- P.S. 243 (Bedford-Stuyvesant -- Change 4 Kids Program) There will also be evening concerts in collaboration with the Midori and Friends foundation at: March 12 -- P.S. 91 (Queens) March 19 -- P.S. 180 (Manhattan) March 20 -- P.S. 160/48 (Queens) March 21 -- P.S. 229 (Queens) Elsewhere on the New York jazz scene, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is at the Village Vanguard. The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin is at Birdland. Singer Kendra Shank's trio is at the 55 Bar tonight. The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, BIFT and saxophonist Seth Misterka are at the Knitting Factory tonight. The Boston Jazz Repertory Orchestra performs tonight at the Tremont Theatre. Bandleader and composer Ken Schaphorst discusses the concept of time in jazz in a New England Conservatory lecture this afternoon that's part of its annual spring festival. Advertisement The George Burton trio featuring Jonathon Blake is at Chris's Jazz Café in Philadelphia tonight. On the Chicago jazz scene, singer-pianist Patricia Barber's trio is at the Green Mill tonight. The Chuck Hedges Swingtet is at Andy's tonight, followed by the weekly No-Am, Pro-Jam. Carlos Cannon is at the Backroom all week. William Garcia's quartet is at Café Bolera tonight. Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues Band is at HotHouse. Kelly Brand is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. Typhanie Monique is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. Nadine Baxter is at Philander's in Oak Park tonight. In New Orleans tonight, Bob French leads the Monday night jam session at Donna's. The Pearl Harbor Jazz Ensemble and Jason Marsalis's quartet are at the Funky Butt. Joe Krown presides over Piano Night festivities at Le Bon Temps Roule. Trumpeter Reginald Koeller leads the band at Preservation Hall. Charmaine Neville sings at Snug Harbor. The New Birth Brass Band is at the Storyville District Jazz Parlor. On the California jazz scene, saxophonist Michael Brecker's quartet is at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz tonight. The Mike Barone Big Band is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. Big Band 2000 is at Steamer's Jazz Café in Fullerton. Advertisement Terence Blanchard, Joe Lovano, Cedar Walton, Howard Alden, Justo Almario, Idris Muhammad, and Peter Washington perform tonight at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga as part of the Newport Jazz 2002 all-star tour. Singer Janis Siegel is with the Eric Reed trio, rather than The Manhattan Transfer, tonight at Yoshi's in Oakland. The Renegade Sidemen are at Anna's Bistro in Berkeley. In San Francisco tonight, singer Anita O'Day is at The Plush Room. Bryce Rohde is at the Bix Restaurant and Supper Club. The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra is at Jazz at Pearl's tonight. The George Khouri trio is at the Bix Restaurant and Supper Club. Singers Janis Mann and Greta Matas are at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle tonight. Laura Fygi is at Ronnie Scott's in London tonight through Saturday. Trumpeter Ray Vega's Lain jazz quintet is at Q4 in Basel-Rheinfelden, Switzerland, tonight.
