Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is April 25.

Ella Fitzgerald -- the "First Lady of Song" -- was born on this date in 1918. She was known for her treatments of Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and Rogers and Hart. Fitzgerald died on June 15, 1996.

Blues singer/guitarist Albert King was born in Mississippi in 1923.

Jazz trumpeter Digby Fairweather was born on this date in 1946.

Otis Spann -- Chicago blues session player and a regular in Muddy Waters' band -- died of cancer at age 40 in 1970.

Jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon died of kidney failure at age 67 in 1990.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

Legendary jazz pianist Marian McPartland and the Eastman School of Music are teaming up to shine the spotlight on jazz pianist Jason Moran.

The 27-year-old Moran, whose CD "Black Stars" was named the best jazz recording of 2001 by The New York Times, makes his Rochester, N.Y., debut as the featured artist in the fourth annual "Marian McPartland/Eastman Jazz Series" on May 9 (at 8 p.m. ET) in Kilbourn Hall, AllAboutJazz.com reports. Moran will perform many of his own compositions as well as a several jazz standards. McPartland also will perform, both solo and with her featured guest.

Philadelphia's Strings for Schools will pay tribute to jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor this Saturday (at 7:30 p.m. ET) at the Kimmel Center, JazzReview.com reports.

The evening --- held in honor of Taylor's 80th birthday --- will be hosted by jazz violinist John Blake Jr. and feature jazz and conversation with members of Dr. Taylor's Trio, Chip Jackson, and Winard Harper. Artists Geri Allen, Frank Wess and Jimmy Owens will also appear.

Billy Taylor has led The Billy Taylor Trio since 1952. For the past 17 years, he has been the artistic advisor and host of "Billy Taylor's Jazz from The Kennedy Center," a co-production of National Public Radio and the Kennedy Center Education Department. He is also an arts correspondent for "Sunday Morning" on CBS.

All proceeds from Saturday's concert will be used by Strings for Schools, a non-profit organization that musically enriches the lives of students throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.

(Web site: stringsforschools.org)

(By UPI's Penny Nelson Bartholomew, sitting in for Ken Franckling)