Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Friday, July 5.

Alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe was born this day in 1940 in Los Angeles.

On this day in 1983, trumpet-playing bandleader Harry James died in Las Vegas. He was 67. James died on the 40th anniversary of his marriage to actress Betty Grable.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

Tonight's Montreal International Jazz Festival concert lineup includes Simon Shaheen and Rabih Abou-Khalil, Trilok Gurtu, Zjim Hall, Chick Corea, the Jean-Michel Pilc trio, and Sarah-Jane Morris and Marc Ribot. Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes continues his four-night segment of the festival's acclaimed Invitation series at the Monument Nationale with his regular quartet.

On the New York jazz scene... guitarist Mark Whitfield's organ trio is at Iridium this week. The Count Basie Orchestra is at the Blue Note through Sunday. The Gary Bartz quintet with pianist Barney McCall, guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist James King and drummer Greg Bandy is at the Village Vanguard this week. The Celebrate Brooklyn series presents the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis tonight at the Prospect Park Bandshell.

The Jazz Standard presents a "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" Birthday Tribute to Louis Armstrong and the U.S.A. through Sunday. Tonight's lineup features trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's sextet. Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing series presents the Tabou Combo tonight. The Knitting lineup features the So-Hum Quartet, Odd Jobs, Mack Lethal, NYAD, Alias, Sage Francis, The Understudies, Troubador, The Others, Liz Lysinger and Karma Sutra.

In and around Boston, the Ryles Jazz Orchestra is at Ryles jazz club in Cambridge, Mass. The Four Freshmen perform tonight in the Jazz at Sunset series at the Ecotarium in Worcester, Mass.

Pianist Ahmad Jamal performs tonight at the Summer Festival in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Buddy Budson Trio with Ursula Walker is at The Bird of Paradise tonight and Saturday in Ann Arbor.

In and around Chicago... the Eric Alexander quartet is at the Jazz Showcase. Skinny Williams is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. The King Fleming trio is at Philander's in Oak Park, Ill., tonight.

In New Orleans... the Treme Brass Band is at Donna's. Rickie Castrillo and Dreamland are at Dos Jefes. Trumpeter Jeremy Davenport Lucia is at the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar tonight. The Devin Phillips Quartet and Have Soul Will Travel are at the Funky Butt. Brian O'Neill and Louis Ford are at Satchmo's jazz room in Harrah's casino. Joe Schlesinger is at Le Meridien. The Olivier Bou Trio is at Le Salon at Windsor Court.

Trumpeter Leroy Jones leads the band tonight at Preservation Hall. The Panorama Jazz Band is at the Seaport Café. Astral Project is at Snug Harbor. Blake Amos and Saudade, Jerry Jumonville and the New Orleans Jazz Vipers are at The Spotted Cat tonight. Frederic Yonnet and Michael Ward are at Sweet Lorraine.

In California... saxophonist Lou Donaldson and organist Lonnie Smith are at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. Micki Rhyne is at Steamers Jazz Café in Fullerton tonight with the Mark Massey trio. The Juan Carlos Quintero band is at the Catalina Bar and Grill in North Hollywood tonight through Sunday. Robin White and Jazz Asylum are at Main Street Station in Guerneville tonight. Jonathan Butler is at Yoshi's in Oakland tonight. In San Francisco, Larry Vuckovich is at Bistro 339 and George Khouri is at the Bix Restaurant and Supper Club tonight. The Joyce Cooling Group performs at the Stanford Jazz Festival tonight in Palo Alto. Get the entire schedule at stanfordjazz.org.

The du Maurier Atlantic Jazz Festival opens today and runs through July 13 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This year's festival lineup includes the Maritime Jazz Orchestra and the bands of pianists Doug Riley and Renee Rosnes, guitarist Oscar Lopez, bassist Skip Beckwith, saxophonist Mike Murley and guitarist-cornetist Jeff Healey. Cuba's Habana Sax and two American artists, singer Kurt Elling and guitarist Charlie Hunter, are on the mainstage list. For more information go to jazzeast.com.

The all-star quartet of John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland and Al Foster, drummer Roy Haynes' Birds of a Feather tribute to Charlie Parker with Kenny Garrett and Nicholas Payton, and trumpeter Russell Gunn and his Ethnomusicology band are featured tonight at Jazz a Vienne in Vienne, France.

The 21st annual Estoril Jazz Festival in Portugal begins tonight with a concert featuring the Mingus Big Band. It winds down on Saturday, July 13 with the Gary Bartz-Stefon Harris quintet.

On the recording front...

Bassist Ron Carter's newest release as a leader is in stores this week. "Stardust" finds him in the splendid company of pianist Roland Hanna, drummer Lenny White, vibes player Joe Locke and tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. The recording is partly a tribute to late bass man Oscar Pettiford and includes three of his compositions as well as a few standards and three Carter originals.

Former Tower of Power member and Richard Marx sideman Euge Groove, whose real name is Steven Eugene Grove, is out with his second compact disc. The tenor sax player's latest on Warner Bros. is called "Play Date." Guitarists Peter White and Paul Jackson Jr., pianist Freddie Ravel and percussionist Paulinho DaCosta are among the sidemen.