Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Today is March 29. Today's jazz birthdays include Scottish jazz trombonist George Chisholm, who was born in 1915; singer Pearl Bailey in 1918; composer Vangelis in 1943; and Michael Brecker of the Brecker Brothers in 1949. Advertisement Looking at today's hip happenings... Ray Charles is teaming up with producer Quincy Jones on an album of duets patterned after Frank Sinatra's star-studded, late-career collaborative albums. Fox News reports Jones and Charles have already lined up Barbra Streisand and Willie Nelson to appear on the album. Tony Bennett, Diana Krall and possibly Natalie Cole will also participate. Cuban born percussionist Jesus Diaz and his band QBA will take the stage next Thursday at the School of the Arts (SOTA) sixth annual fundraiser in San Francisco. Comedian and actor Cheech Marin will emcee the benefit, being held at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum. This year's theme is "An Evening of Latin Music." SOTA is the Bay Area's only public high school that is dedicated to the arts. It offers specialized training for more than 400 gifted students in vocal and instrumental music, dance, theatre arts and technology, film and video and visual arts. Advertisement (Web site: yerbabuenaarts.org) April 8-12 is Guitar Week 2002 at Berklee College of Music in Boston. It's the school's annual series of concerts and clinics by visiting artists, faculty and some of the college's top guitar students. AllAboutJazz.com reports some of the artists taking part this year include The Peter Bernstein Group, pianist Brad Meldau, trumpeter Herb Pomeroy, and faculty guitarist Jon Wheatley. The Brad Mehldau Trio, Russell Malone Quartet and Omar Sosa Septet are among the artists headlining the seventh annual Big Sur JazzFest in Big Sur, Calif., May 3-5. Other artists set to perform are Kitty Margolis Quintet, Eric Person and Meta-Four, Scott Amendola Band, Michael Zilber/Scott Smith Group, Wild Mango, Bitches Brew, Bruce Forman's Jazz Masters, Hydeus Kiatta, Roger Eddy Quartet, John "Broadway" Tucker and Friends, Big Sur Natives, and This and That Quartet, according to JazzReview.com. (For more information, visit the Web site at bigsurjazz.org or call the festival office at 831-667-1530.) (By UPI's Penny Nelson Bartholomew, sitting in for Ken Franckling)
