Composer and pianist Hall Overton was born this day in 1920 in Bangor, Mich. He played with Stan Getz, Oscar Pettiford, Teddy Charles and Jimmy Rainey, and wrote arrangements for Thelonious Monk's historic orchestral concert at Town Hall in 1959.

Cornetist Rex Stewart was born this day in Philadelphia in 1907. He succeeded Louis Armstrong in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra where he quickly proved himself a highly charged and energetic soloist.

Pianist and composer Tadd Dameron was born this day in 1917 in Cleveland. Under-acknowledged during his career, he is considered today to have been one of the first great jazz arrangers.

Saxophonist and flute player Bobby Jaspar was born this date in 1926 in Liege, Belgium. He developed his jazz reputation in Paris in the early 1950s before moving to New York, where he soon performed or toured with J.J. Johnson, Miles Davis, Donald Byrd a

Tenor saxophonist David Murray was born this day in 1955 in Berkeley, Calif. He began his career as a free player, sitting in with Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry and Anthony Braxton. By the early 1980s, his music moved back into a more structured swing format.

Tenor saxophonist Harold Land was born this day in 1928 in Houston. He came to national prominence as a member of the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet in 1954 and 1955.

Tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins was born in St. Joseph, Mo., this day in 1904. Nicknamed "Bean" by his colleagues, Hawkins became the first full-throated tenor stylist. His classic version of "Body and Soul" set the standard for saxophone balladry.

Today is Monday, Nov. 11, the 315th day of 2001 with 50 to follow.

For the past 40 years, pianist Mose Allison has been the embodiment of hip, a quality still very much in evidence based on his performance before a packed house at the new Iridium location in Times Square last week.