Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Oct. 15.

Singer Nellie Lutcher was born this day in 1915 in Lake Charles, La.

Trumpeter Al Killian, a veteran of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington orchestras, was born this day in 1916 in Birmingham, Ala.

Singer and pianist Victoria Spivey was born this day in 1906 in Houston. She died in 1976.

On this night in 2001, Carnegie Hall presented a celebration of 40 years of Bossa Nova with Gal Costa, Dori Caymmi, Jane Monheit, Cesar Camargo Mariano, Romero Lubambo, Filo Machado, Richard Galliano and Paula Robinson.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

On the New York jazz scene... the Bobby Hutcherson quartet is at the Village Vanguard through Sunday. Pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio is at the Jazz Standard this week. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and the New Jazz Composers Octet are at Iridium this week.

The Eric Lewis trio is at the Zinc Bar tonight and Wednesday. Saxophonist Mark Gross joins jazz historian Arnold Jay Smith tonight in discussing "The Legacy of Charlie Parker" at the Guitar Study Center of the New School University.

Guitarist Gene Bertoncini is at Trumpets in Montclair, N.J., tonight.

In and around Boston... there's a compact disc release party at Scullers tonight for saxophonist Hilary Noble with Bobby Sanabria on drums, Charles Neville on sax, John DiMartino on piano and Andy Eulau on bass. Noble's debut on the Whaling City Sound label is called "Noble Savage." Saxophonist Philippe Crettien is at the Center for the Arts in Natick tonight. The Creatures of the Schneitt quartet and Dead Cat Bounce are at Ryles jazz club in Cambridge.

Singer Jimmy Scott, the subject of a new biography by David Ritz, appears tonight for a signing event at Joseph-Beth Books in Cleveland.

On the Chicago jazz scene... Men of Note are at Andy's tonight. Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms are at the Green Mill. The Wallace Roney quintet, with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, Clarence Seay and Lenny White, is at the Jazz Showcase. Ken Cheney is at Joe's BeBop Cafe and Jazz Emporium on Navy Pier. Von Freeman and Friends are at the New Apartment Lounge. The Bobby Broom trio is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in suburban Evanston. Marshall Vente is at Philander's in suburban Oak Park.

In New Orleans... the Ian McPhail quartet and the Ted Hefko quartet are at the Blue Nile. Ingrid Lucia is at the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar. Maurice Brown's Chi-Town is at the Funky Butt. Louis Ford is at Satchmo's jazz room in Harrah's casino. Ruben Blades is at the House of Blues. The ReBirth Brass Band is at the Maple Leaf. Greg Stafford leads tonight's band at Preservation Hall. The Rob Wagner trio is at the Seaport Cafe.

In California... saxophonist Pete Christlieb is at Charlie O's in Valley Glen every Tuesday in October with John Heard, bass; Ron Anthony, guitar; and Mike Stephans, drums. This is John Pisano's Guitar Night at Spazio in Sherman Oaks. Lori Genaire is at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood tonight. The Chris Williams quintet is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. Mark Levine is at Jazz At Pearl's in San Francisco with the Vince Lateano trio. Arturo Sandoval is at Yoshi's in Oakland through Sunday.

On the recording front...

The Sunnyside label is just out with three new releases. They are "Slow," singer-trumpeter Michael Leonhart's duo album with guitarist Jon Herington, "Hecho a Mano" by pianist Chano Domingues, and "Beat Degeneration," which pianist Kenny Werner's trio recorded at the Sunset jazz club in Paris before the club ownership changed its name to the Sunside. Werner's trio includes bassist Johannes Weidenmuller and drummer Ari Hoenig.

The A440 Music Group is out this fall with jazz releases by saxophonists Andy Snitzer and bassist Brian Bromberg. "Sugar" is Snitzer's first straightahead jazz CD. He's known for his work with the Rolling Stones and covers their hit "Wild Horses," in addition to tipping his hat to sax greats John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Stanley Turrentine. His band includes Alain Mallet, piano and Hammond B-3 organ; James Genus, bass; and Clarence Penn, drums.

Bassist Brian Bromberg, on the heels of his straightahead acoustic bass jazz hit CD, "Wood", adds fretted and fretless electric bass sounds in a tribute to the legendary Jaco Pastorious on a new CD simply called "Jaco." Sidemen include Alex Acuna, Jeff Lorber, Bob Mintzer, Eric Marienthal, as well as members of Bromberg's touring band. Bromberg pays a heartfelt homage to his early bass inspiration with new renditions of Jaco staples like the funky "Come On, Come Over," the gorgeous "Portrait of Tracy" and hauntingly beautiful "Continuum," the chops-busting "Teen Town" and the suite-like "Three Views Of A Secret."

Last year, "The Prestige Legacy" debuted with a pair of discs highlighting different aspects of the label's history. One CD was devoted to the music of "The High Priests: Miles, Monk, Sonny & Trane," the other to Prestige's storied "Battles of the Saxes." A third volume in the series, out today, is "The All-Star Jam

Sessions," featuring established as well as up-and-coming players -- among them Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley -- stretching out in the studio with their young peers.

Five new 20-bit remastered titles from the Riverside and Contemporary are out this week in the Original Jazz Classics series. They are "Misterioso" by the Thelonious Monk quartet, with Johnny Griffin, Ahmed Abdul-Malik and Roy Haynes, recorded live at the Five Spot in summer 1957; "Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You," a 1958 quartet album featuring the trumpeter/vocalist/leader with pianist Kenny Drew; and "Explorations," the February 1961 Bill Evans session that marked his final studio meeting with trio members Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Also released, Charlie Byrd's "Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros," recorded not long after the guitarist's introduction to bossa nova in the course of a 1961 State Department tour of Brazil; and Art Pepper + Eleven's "Modern Jazz Classics," the 1959 landmark recording described on its original cover as "a treasury of modern jazz classics by Gillespie, Giuffre, Monk, Mulligan, Parker, Rollins, Silver, etc.; arranged by Marty Paich."