Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is July 24th.

Pianist, jazz educator and arts producer and broadcaster Billy Taylor was born this day in 1921 in Greenville, N.C.

Trumpeter Jon Faddis, a longtime Dizzy Gillespie protégé, was born this day in 1953 in Oakland, Calif. In addition to appearing with various Gillespie alumni groups, he was musical director for the New York-based Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, which the concert hall disbanded this year.

Swing trumpeter Joe Thomas was born in Webster Groves, Mo., on this day in 1909.

On this day in 1938, Artie Shaw first recorded "Begin the Beguine" for the Bluebird label. With a hard-driving introduction, the Shaw band turned this first song from its first recording session into its first big hit.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

On the New York jazz scene... Lalo Schifrin is at the Blue Note for a weeklong 70th birthday celebration. The Alex Blake quartet is at the Zinc Bar tonight. Henry Threadgill's Zooid is at Iridium through Sunday. The Larry Willis trio is at the Village Vanguard. The Lonnie Smith trio featuring special guest James Carter is at the Jazz Standard this week.

WBGO-FM in Newark, N.J., holds a nine-hour fundraising marathon starting at 4 p.m. at Birdland with Ray Vega's Latin sextet, Tom Lellis, Carla Cook, Steve Turre, James Williams, John Hicks and many more musicians who will pop in to do their part.

The Knitting Factory features Marty Ehrlich's "Song" Quartet, the Hackensaw Boys, Lars Jacobsen and the Liquid Ensemble tonight. Vernon Reid and James (Blood) Ulmer perform tonight in the Hudson River Festival music series. Find details at worldfinancialcenter.com.

Claudio Roditi and the Summer Big Band perform tonight at the Shea Arts Center at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J.

In and around Boston... Philip Bailey, the lead singer of Earth, Wind, and Fire is at Scullers in Boston tonight and Thursday to support his new compact disc, "Soul On Jazz," before returning to tour in the fall with EWF. The Nando Michelin Brazilian Project is at the Regattabar in Cambridge tonight.

The Indigo Invention Group, led by composer/storyteller/saxophonist Hans Spencer Indigo, celebrates its debut recording, "First Storybook" tonight at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, Mass. Drawing on diverse influences like Laurie Anderson, Pink Floyd, Maria Schneider, and John Cage, Indigo creates original compositions that combine a spoken word narrative with modern 12-piece jazz orchestra arrangements and other conceptual elements.

Will Downing, Patti Austin and Gerald Albright are at Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta tonight.

The Tom Fries band is at Cascade Plaza in Akron, Ohio, at midday today. The Eddie Baccus organ quartet is at the Cleveland Museum of Art tonight. Both performances are free.

On the Chicago jazz scene... alto saxophonist Frank Morgan's quartet is at the Jazz Showcase this week. Mike Finnerty and the Jazz Hippies are at Cafe Ennui tonight. The Bill Porter Orchestra with Rich Fudoli is at Green Dolphin Street. Ken Saydak is at Joe's BeBop Cafe and Jazz Emporium on the Navy Pier. The Ryan Cohan trio is at Pops for Champagne. Andrew Blenderman is at Philander's in Oak Park tonight.

In New Orleans tonight... Mafouz is at the Blue Nile. Joe Krown is at Dos Jefes. The Soul Rebels Brass Band is at El Matador. Ingrid Lucia is at the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar. Stratosphere is at the Funky Butt. Brian O'Neill is at Satchmo's jazz room at Harrah's casino. Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers are at Le Bon Temps Roule. Ron Jones is at the piano at Le Meridien. David Torkanowsky and Paul Longstreth are at Le Salon at Windsor Court.

The Jerry Embree Swing Band is at Mid-City Lanes Rock'n'Bowl. Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter Jr. are at the Old Point tonight. John Brunious leads the band tonight at Preservation Hall. MQ 20/20 with Quamon Fowler and Maurice Brown is at Snug Harbor. Dr. Guitar and the Franklin Avenue Overpass and Loren Pickford and New Orleans Gamuk are at the Spotted Cat tonight. Bleu Orleans is at d.b.a.

On the California jazz scene... Natalie Cole and Joe Sample are at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Jeff Berlin is at the Catalina Bar and Grill in North Hollywood tonight and Thursday. The Dennise Neill quintet with Ron Stout is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton tonight. French horn player Richard Todd's quartet is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. Dmitri Matheny and the Stanford Jazz Workshop All-Stars are at the Stanford Jazz Festival in Palo Alto tonight. The Jessica Williams Trio is at Yoshi's in Oakland. Bryce Rohde is at the Bix Restaurant and Supper Club in San Francisco tonight.

Kurt Elling and his band are at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle this week.

The 37th edition of Spain's San Sebastian Jazz Festival opens its six-night run tonight. This year's lineup includes James Brown, Chick Corea, Bill Wyman, Abdullah Ibrahim, Cecil Taylor, Maceo Parker, McCoy Tyner, Dave Douglas, the Carla Bley Big Band and Uri Caine. Also on tap, the Cool Crooners of Bulawayo from Zimbabwe, a jam with 11 of the best Spanish players, the Larry Goldings trio, Norway's Nils Petter Molvaer, Argentine pianist Adrian Iaies, Charles Lloyd, Bobby Hutcherson, David Murray, the Havana Big Band and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

Omar Sosa's octet is at the Blue Note in Tokyo, Japan, tonight.