Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Jan. 29.

Drummer Ed Shaughnessy, longtime member of Doc Severinsen's "Tonight Show Band," was born this day in 1929 in Jersey City, N.J.

Guitarist Derek Bailey was born this day in 1932 in Sheffield, England.

Pianist Marc Cary was born this day in 1967 in New York City. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and first made his mark in the bands of singer Betty Carter and drummer Arthur Taylor.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

In the spirit of the Billie Holiday song "God Bless the Child," jazz saxophonist and educator Arnie Lawrence and collaborator Anna Immanuel open a four-day "International Artists Conclave" in Jerusalem today. A series of concerts and other programs are being held to remind their Middle Eastern neighbors and the world at-large of the importance of making the world a safer place for children. Lawrence founded the jazz program at New School University in New York many years ago. He moved from his native New York to Jerusalem four years ago to open a community music center where Jews, Christians and Arabs of all ages could build friendships and learn to play extraordinary music together.

Lawrence and Immanuel, a Jerusalem writer and editor, hope to shine a new spotlight on the plight of children in societies torn by violence and terrorism. They lined up dozens of high-profile supporters from the arts and entertainment community, some of whom flew to Jerusalem this week for the conclave.

The contingent is expected to include drummers Max Roach, Denardo Coleman and Buddy Miles, bassist Chris Walker and George Johnson and his No' Mo' Hard Times Revue. Israeli-Arab author Salman Natour will be honored with the conclave's second Jerusalem Humanitarian Jazz Award.

International concert promoter Peter Brightman and ex-Grateful Dead keyboardist Merl Saunders signed on as chairman and honorary chairman of the conclave's "consultancy." Other supporters include Roach, Lionel Hampton, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, executive Bill McCaffrey, the Rev. Dale Lind - New York-based pastor to the jazz community - jazz broadcaster Michael Bourne and Bill McFarlin, executive director of the International Association for Jazz Education.

This new year solidarity event will include several concerts and film screenings, jazz performances at Arnie's Jazzness Café in Jerusalem, musical offerings at historic sites in Bethlehem and the Haifa Valley, a "sundown peace concert" at the Dead Sea in tribute to Jerry Garcia, and an "Olive Woodstock" concert at a site overlooking Lake Tiberius in Galilee.

Lawrence calls the conclave "an initiative by and for people who are unwilling to let any more kids be hurt anywhere in the world. A world where a kid can step on a mine or get blown up by a bomb is just not going to be acceptable. We want to help the kids ... and give people back the courage to protect their kids."

Lawrence and Immanuel created a "List of Consultancy" through which they hope to register the names of thousands of supporters who commit themselves to the campaign through e-mail messages or by telephone.

Those interested in supporting the conclave may contact the organization at 800-441-8908 in North America. From outside North America the conclave may be telephoned at 972-8-946-7634 in Jerusalem. Messages of support may be e-mailed to [email protected] or faxed to 972-2-673-1425.

On the New York jazz scene, pianist Kenny Drew Jr.'s trio is at the Village Vanguard tonight through Sunday. Singer Tania Maria is at the Blue Note this week. Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's trio is at Iridium through the weekend. Trombonist Frank Lacy's quintet is at the Zinc bar tonight and Wednesday. Trombonist Jack Jeffers puts the Duke Ellington Orchestra through its paces tonight at Birdland after an early evening warmup by the Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra.

In and around Boston, saxophonist Daniel Ian Smith's Big and Phat Jazz Orchestra is at Scullers jazz club tonight and Wednesday with singer Shawnn Monteiro for performances that will be recorded for future release. Guitarist Bruce Bartlett's band is at Ryles in Cambridge tonight. Norah Jones and Pete Francis are at the House of Blues.

Saxophonist Mike Monaghan is at Casa Vecchia in Salem, N.H., tonight.

Pianist Benny Green is in the spotlight tonight at the Harriet Himmel-Gilman Theatre in West Palm Beach, Fla., where the Jazz Arts Music Society holds its second anniversary concert.

Singer Terry Blaine, pianist Mark Shane and clarinetist Allen Vache are at Nighttown in Cleveland tonight.

On the Chicago jazz scene, Brian Danzy and the Jazzmatics are at the Backroom tonight and Wednesday. The Vandermark Five are at the Empty Bottle. Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms are at the Green Mill tonight. Franz Jackson and his Jazz Entertainers are at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. Von Freeman is at the New Apartment Lounge. The Keith Scott band is at Pops for Champagne tonight.

In New Orleans tonight, the Jazz Vipers are at El Matador. Drummer James Alsanders' Jazz Project is at the Funky Butt. The ReBirth Brass Band is at the Maple Leaf. Pete Fountain is at his club in the New Orleans Hilton. Trumpeter Gregg Stafford leads the band at Preservation Hall. Roland Guerin, Jason Marsalis and Derek Douget bring their band The Khore into Snug Harbor tonight. Clarinetist Tim Laughlin is at the Storyville District Jazz Parlor with his band. Pianist John Royen is at Sweet Kathleen's tonight.

On the California jazz scene, saxophonist James Carter's organ trio is at The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight through Sunday. Trumpeter Wallace Roney's quintet is at The Catalina Bar and Grill in North Hollywood all week. Dorothy Collins teams up with the Mark Massey trio tonight at Steamer's Jazz Café in Fullerton. Pianist McCoy Tyner opens the second phase of his eighth annual two-week residency at Yoshi's in Oakland. His trio this week includes Ron Carter and Harvey Mason. Drummer Vince Lateano's trio is at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco.

Pianist Claude Bolling's trio is at Petit Journal Saint-Michel in Paris tonight.

On the recording front...

-- Verve is out today with John Scofield's latest jazz meets the jam band session, called "uberjam." His bandmates are guitarist Avi Bortnick, bassist Jesse Murphy and drummer Adam Deitch. Saxophonist Karl Denson and keyboard wiz John Medeski are featured on several tracks apiece.

Verve has also released the Thievery Corporation's "Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi." It is a compilation of rare and classic Verve Records tracks chosen by Washington, D.C. club DJs Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, better known as Thievery Corporation. Their choices include bossa nova, Latin jazz, samba, hard bop and 1960s folk exotica are all represented on the collection. It ranges from the Luiz Bonfá and Stan Getz version of "Menina Flor" to Kenyan Hopkin's "Hard Latin" and Astrud Gilberto's sensual version of "Light My Fire." Other featured artists include Chico Hamilton, Jackie and Roy, Elis Regina, Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66, Walter Wanderley, Cal Tjader, Lalo Schifrin, Willie Bobo, Wynton Kelly, Richie Havens, Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery.

-- Blue Note today releases a previously unissued 1969 all-star tribute to Duke Ellington at the White House in honor of his 70th birthday. It featured Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Hank Jones, Billy Taylor, Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan, Jim Hall, Urbie Green, J.J. Johnson, Bill Berry, Clark Terry, Milt Hinton, Louie Bellson and singers Joe Williams and Mary Mayo. Ellington played a three-minute piano improvisation he called "Pat" in honor of First Lady Patricia Nixon. While it is not on the CD, President Nixon played "Happy Birthday " to Ellington on the piano that evening.

Blue Note is also out with "The Best of Dianne Reeves." The 12-song collection of material from prior projects is a career summation, with two bonus tracks. It includes two tracks never before released in the United States. One is a of Joni Mitchell's "River," that was an out-take from Reeves' Grammy-winning 2000 CD "In the Moment - Live in Concert." The other is a version of "Misty" that was only available on the Japanese version of last year's "The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan."