Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Today is Oct. 14. French horn player, arranger and composer John Graas was born this day in 1924 in Dubuque, Iowa. He left the Indianapolis Symphony in 1942 to play in Claude Thornhill's band. After World War II, he worked with Tex Beneke and Stan Kenton, and in the recording studios. Advertisement On this day in 1977, singer Bing Crosby died while playing golf in Spain. He was 74. On this day in 1938, Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc recorded their hit "Big Noise from Winnetka." Haggart's composition, a duo for bass and drums, remains highly popular on the Swing jazz scene to this day. Haggart's distinctive compositions and arrangements were important to the success of Bob Crosby's band, which he joined in 1935. Bob Haggart also wrote two other jazz chestnuts -- "South Rampart Street Parade" and "What's New?" The latter tune was introduced to a younger generation of listeners when Linda Ronstadt covered it in the 1980s. Advertisement Looking at today's hip happenings... On the New York jazz scene, bassist Ray Brown is at the Blue Note with special guest Dee Dee Bridgewater. Guitarist Bill Frisell's quartet is at the Village Vanguard. The Roz Corral trio with guitarist John Heart and bassist Thomas Bramerie is at the C-R3 Lounge in Greenwich Village this afternoon. Guitarist Peter Leitch is at Walker's tonight with special guest Pete Yellin on alto sax. The Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band is at Birdland tonight. Trombonist Chris Washburne's SYOTOS Latin jazz band is at Smoke tonight. The Julie Holtzman quartet performs tonight in the Jazz Vespers series at St. Peter's Church. Jazzberry Jam, featuring Bertha Hope, Carline Ray, Paula Hampton and Eulysses Slaughter, is at the Brooklyn Public Library this afternoon. Tonight's Knitting Factory schedule includes Ehran Elisha's Kinetic Music group premiering a new work celebrating the living spirit of New York City and guitarist Ben Monder's trio. Trumpeter Humberto Ramirez and Sabor de Cuba are at Nighttown in Cleveland tonight and Monday. Pianist Dan Will and guitarist Bob Fraser perform tonight in the Sundown Jazz Series at Cleveland State University's Drinko Hall starting at 4 p.m. Advertisement In and around Chicago tonight, the Chicago Skyliners Big Band is at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn. Denise LaGrass and Melissa Walker are at HotHouse. Pianist Danilo Perez winds up a weeklong run at the Jazz Showcase. The Sonny Turner quintet is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium tonight. In New Orleans, David Torkanowsky and Topsy Chapman are at Donna's tonight. The Nightcrawlers Brass Band is at Snug Harbor. New Orleans Streetbeat is at the Crescent City Brewhouse. Barbara Shorts is at the Storyville District Jazz Parlor. On the California jazz scene, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove bring their Miles Davis-John Coltrane tribute tour to the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts tonight. Marian McPartland is at Yoshi's in Oakland. Saxophonist Anton Schwartz's quartet is at Cato's Ale House in Oakland. Jules Broussard is at Sweetwater in Mill Valley. The Alcatraz Angels Jazz Band is at Dick's in San Leandro this afternoon. The Frank Martin band is at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. Chris Botti is at Kimball's East in Emeryville. The Golden Eagle Dixieland Band is at Steamers Jazz Café in Fullerton this afternoon. The Walter Earl band is at Enrico's in San Francisco this afternoon. Acoustic Alchemy is at the Thornton Winery in Temecula tonight. Advertisement Singer Tierney Sutton is at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle tonight.
