Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Today is May 15th. Clarinetist Edmond Hall was born this day in 1901 in New Orleans. On the New York swing and traditional jazz scene he worked with Henry Allen, Teddy Wilson, Eddie Condon and Louis Armstrong's All-Stars. In the 1950s, he was a regular performer at the Storyville jazz club in Boston. Ed Hall died in 1967. Advertisement Pianist Ellis Larkins was born this day in 1923 in Baltimore. Early in his career, he settled into the New York jazz scene, working with, among others, Billy Moore and clarinetist Edmund Hall. He recorded classic jazz duo albums with Ella Fitzgerald and Ruby Braff. This was also the day, in 1953, when bebop jazz invaded Canada in a big way. It happened at Massey Hall in Toronto with a "modern giants" concert featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Max Roach and Charles Mingus. The quintet performance, sponsored by the New Jazz Society, was a landmark event in the history of bebop. Advertisement Looking at today's hip happenings... Honorary doctor of music degrees were presented by the Berklee College of Music in Boston on Saturday to producer-songwriter David Foster and legendary jazz pianist-vocalist Shirley Horn. Foster delivered the commencement address to the graduating class and more than 3,000 guests in attendance. A 14-time Grammy winner, Foster produced several of the 1990s' biggest hits, including "Unforgettable" by Natalie Cole, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, and "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion. Reaching such a high level of success, Foster told the graduates, takes much more than talent. "Probably every keyboard player here today plays better than I do" he said. "And although that's impressive, it won't take you to the top. But attitude will. And if you look at every single thing that comes your way as an opportunity, that will take you to the top, too." Grammy winner Horn, one of jazz's most acclaimed vocal stylists, praised and thanked the Berklee students who performed many of her trademark songs during a commencement tribute concert. On the New York jazz scene... the Von Freeman-Chico Freeman quintet is at Iridium tonight. Kenny Barron and Regina Carter are at the Blue Note through Sunday. The Fred Hersch trio is at the Village Vanguard. Sam Kaufman and the Danny Holgate Big Band are at Birdland tonight. Rene Marie is in the spotlight tonight in the Jazz Standard's Discover Vocalists series. Advertisement Tonight's Knitting Factory lineup features Slavic Soul Party, the Klezmer-rock band Golem, Jennifer Friedman, Carmaig de Forest and Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes. Drummer Mark Griffith discusses the history of drums in jazz and fusion tonight at the Arkadia Music Center. Seattle's Roosevelt High School took top honors last weekend at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Seventh Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. Garfield High School, also of Seattle, finished second among the 15 bands invited. The panel of judges included bandleader and Ellington expert David Berger, pianist and composer Stanley Cowell, pianist and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill and Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter and artistic director at Jazz at Lincoln Center. At Saturday night's final concert, each of the three top-placing bands performed two Ellington compositions, one alone and one with Marsalis as guest trumpet soloist. The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra then performed a set of Ellington compositions that will be distributed to high schools for Essentially Ellington 2003. The orchestra was also joined by Cowell for a rousing rendition of "C Jam Blues." Crosscurrent is at the Regattabar in Cambridge. Singer Cassandre McKinley is at Scullers tonight. Advertisement The Noel Freidline Quintet, out with "Four Nights at the Slammer" on Free Lion, is at The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina tonight through Friday. The Miami Beach edition of the JVC Jazz Festival opens tonight with the Dewey Redman Trio. Other features this week include a Jazz New Orleans Parade with the Michael Foster Project, Riverside Dixieland Band and Brazilian Samba tomorrow; La India and Dr. Lonnie Smith on Friday night, Tony Bennett and Randy Brecker on Saturday and Sally Townes on Sunday. In and around Chicago... the Don Saran duo is at Bistro America in Batavia, Mike Finnerty and the Jazz Hippies are at Cafe tonight. Rob Parton's JazzTech Big Band is at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn. The Bill Porter Orchestra with Rich Fudoli is at Green Dolphin Street. The Kurt Elling quartet is at the Green Mill. Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble is at HotHouse. The Jazz Showcase features trumpeter Nicholas Payton's quintet through Sunday. Ken Saydak is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium tonight. The Matt Erion trio is at Michael's Jazz Bistro in Glen Ellyn tonight. The Frank Catalano trio is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. Andrew Blenderman is at Philander's in Oak Park. The Peter Lerner trio is at Pops for Champagne. Advertisement In New Orleans tonight... Dr. Bone and the Hepcats are at the Blue Nile. Lenny McDaniel is at Cobalt. Leigh 'Little Queenie' Harris is at Dos Jefes. The Soul Rebels Brass Band is at El Matador. Ingrid Lucia is at the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar. Evan Howard's Jazz Party and the Larry Ankrum quartet are at the Funky Butt tonight. Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers are at Le Bon Temps Roule. Joe Schlesinger is at Le Meridien. Darell Lavigne and Victor Atkins are at Le Salon at Windsor Court. Johnny Vidacovich, George Porter and Tommy Malone are at the Old Point. John Brunious leads the band at Preservation Hall. Local Salsa king Fredy Omar is at the Red Room. Warren Battiste is featured at Snug Harbor tonight. Sharon Martin, Eddie Bo and Leah Burton lead the musical fun tonight at the Storyville District Jazz Parlor. In California... pianist Michel Camilo's trio is at the Catalina in North Hollywood. The Claudia Acuna band is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles. Susan Sinner is at Steamer's Jazz Café in Fullerton tonight. The Roy Hargrove Quintet is at Yoshi's in Oakland. Bill Henderson, Eric Comstock and Dena deRose present their Hollywood Songbook show at The Plush Room in San Francisco. Drummer Vince Lateano's trio is at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco. Advertisement The Ray Brown trio is at Rossini's Gastown restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia tonight. Jimmy Scott, en route to Europe for a series of Scandinavian concerts this week, will perform in Paris tonight and Thursday at the club New Morning. The Ray Vega quintet is in Asturias, Spain, tonight and Thursday.
