Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Feb. 24.

Pianist Clyde Hart was born this day in 1910 in Baltimore. After working with Stuff Smith, Roy Eldridge and Oscar Pettiford, he became a regular at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem where the bop style was being developed.

He was one of the first swing pianists to adapt his music to the new style presented by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Clyde Hart died from tuberculosis in March 1945.

Tenor saxophonist Eddie Chamblee was born this day in 1920 in Atlanta. He grew up in Chicago and recorded with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie and Dinah Washington.

French arranger, songwriter, pianist and singer Michel Legrand was born this day in Paris in 1932. He has recorded on his own, and had his songs recorded by the best in the jazz world, including Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, and Stan Getz.

Tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman was born this day in 1933 in Dallas. This Texas tenor, who now lives in upstate New York, built his chops on the rhythm and blues circuit before a 10-year stint with the Ray Charles band.

On this night in 2002... Dianne Reeves sang at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City as part of a tribute to American music. She sang George Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm" while figure skater Kurt Browning interpreted the tune on ice.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

The music industry celebrated its creativity and popularity last night at the 45th annual Grammy awards at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Here's a look at the winners in the jazz categories:

- Best Contemporary Jazz Album -- "Speaking Of Now" by the Pat Metheny Group (Warner Bros. Records).

- Best Jazz Vocal Album -- "Live In Paris" by Diana Krall (Verve Records).

- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo -- "My Ship" by Herbie Hancock, from his "Directions In Music" recording with Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove(Verve Records).

- Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group -- "Directions In Music" by Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker & Roy Hargrove (Verve Records).

- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album -- "What Goes Around" by the Dave Holland Big Band (ECM).

- Best Latin Jazz Album (Vocal or Instrumental) -- "The Gathering" by the Caribbean Jazz Project (Concord Picante).

On the New York jazz scene... singer Barbara Morrison is at The Blue Note tonight. Les Paul is at Iridium. The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra is at Birdland. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is at the Village Vanguard. The Ron Affif trio is at the Zinc Bar.

Lars Halle is at Chris's Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia tonight.

Judi Silvano, Billy Drewes, Mike Murray, Ed Schuller and Carmen Castaldi are at Nighttown in Cleveland tonight. The Cleveland Chamber Symphony performs David Thomas's "Songs Of The Journey To Freedom" tonight at Cleveland State University's Drinko Hall.

On the Chicago jazz scene... the William Garcia quartet is at Cafe Bolera tonight. Terry Callier and Beyond are at the Green Mill on Mondays. Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues are at HotHouse. There's an avant-garde jazz jam session with David Boykin, Karl E. H. Seigfried and Mike Reed at the Hotti Biscotti Cafe tonight.

Kelly Brand is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. The Long Count quartet is at Joy Blue tonight. The Mike Kocur trio is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. Sami Scott is at Philander's in Oak Park. Judy Roberts and Greg Fishman are at Pops for Champagne.

In New Orleans... Earl Brown is at Cafe Sbisa. Bob French and Friends are at Donna's. Jeesok Kim and Soul U Out featuring Maurice Brown are at the Funky Butt. Reginald Koeller leads tonight's band at Preservation Hall. The Dixie Trio is at the Seaport Cafe. The New Orleans Jazz Vipers are at the Spotted Cat. The Rob Wagner trio is at d.b.a.

On the California jazz scene... Terry Federoff's Jazz Lite octette is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. The Robert Incelli Latin jazz sextet is at Spazio in Sherman Oaks. The Sam Most quartet is at Charlie O's in Valley Glen. The Buddy Childers Big Band is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles. Billy Cobham's The Art of Five is at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz tonight.

The Marsalis family tour stops tonight at historic Massey Hall in Toronto.

On the recording front... Mark Levine and The Latin Tinge are out this month with their third release, "Isla," on Left Coast Clave Records. The music on "Isla" is an eclectic mix of jazz standards, Cuban and Puerto Rican songs, plus tunes from The Great American Songbook.

The jazz standards include Cedar Walton's "Black" and "Hindsight," Kenny Garrett's "Ain't Nothing But The Blues," Donald Brown's "A Free Man," Duke Pearson's "You Know I Care," and Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma." Cuba is represented by Alberto Ruiz's "Corta Ese Bonche" and Ernan Lopez-Nussa's "Isla." Puerto Rico is represented by José Lugo's "Seis Pa' Chuito." The standards "Tea For Two" and "You Don't Know What Love Is" complete the session.

Just in time for April in Paris... comes an attempt to capture the musical mood of a sidewalk Parisian café... in this case Café de Flore in Saint-Germain de Pres. The Sunnyside label has released "Rendez-vous a Saint-Germain de Pres," a compilation reflecting the timeless, light and romantic moods of Café de Flores. The 21 tracks range from Diana Krall's "Besame Mucho" to Blossom Dearie's "Plus je t'Embrasse," from Eartha Kitt's "Je Cherche un Homme (I Want a Man) to Serge Gainsbourg's "Black Trombone." There's even a Brigitte Bardot vocal version of "Les Hommes Endormis."