, July 22 (UPI) -- Last week's death of Benny Carter marked much more than the loss of a quiet giant of a jazz alto saxophonist and brilliant musical composer.

Miles Davis was born this day in 1926 in Alton, Ill., the son of a wealthy, middle-class dentist who gave him a trumpet for his 13th birthday.

Saxophonist Georgie Auld was born this day in 1919 in Toronto. He came to prominence in 1937 in the Bunny Berigan Orchestra. Other key steps in his musical development included stints in the Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman bands.

Today is April 15.

Singer and actress Pearl Bailey was born this day in 1918 in Newport News, Va. In addition to singing and film work, Bailey won a special Tony Award in 1968 for her performance in an all-black version of "Hello, Dolly!"

Delmark Records, one of the most important companies in blues and jazz history, celebrates its 50th anniversary in this year.

The DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music and Books has set the lineup for the first date in a monthly club series spotlighting the top works from its DIY Film Festival and DIY Music Festival.

On this day in 1955, graffiti artists began scrawling the words "Bird Lives!" in subway stations and on walls around Greenwich Village in New York City.

When pianist Marian McPartland began her weekly program "Piano Jazz" on National Public Radio in 1979, blending music and conversation with a featured guest pianist, she figured it would be a short-lived series.