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Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

By KEN FRANCKLING, United Press International
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Today is Sept. 16.


Singer Jon Hendricks was born this day in 1921 in Newark, Ohio. Praise from Charlie Parker for his musical abilities kept him from pursuing law school in the 1940s. Fame came with the trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross as Hendricks added words to classic jazz solos by Count Basie, Miles Davis and others. Although Eddie Jefferson and King Pleasure are credited with popularizing the "vocalese" technique, Jon Hendricks perfected it.

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Blues guitarist Riley "B.B." King was born this day in 1925 on a cotton plantation outside Indianola, Miss. The "B.B." nickname stands for Blues Boy, which he was called early in his career. King had his first Billboard Top 10 album last year with the release of "Riding With the King," which he recorded with fellow guitarist Eric Clapton.

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Guitarist Charlie Byrd was born this day in 1925 in Suffolk, Va. He helped spark America's 1960's fascination with bossa nova music from Brazil in collaboration with Stan Getz. Byrd died in 1999.


Pianist Gordon Beck was born this day in 1936 in London. The longtime house pianist at Ronnie Scott's club in London, Beck has been the accompanist of choice for many American singers and jazz players touring the United Kingdom.


On this day in 1946, Les Brown and his "Band of Renown" recorded his big hit "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" for the Columbia label. Nobody heard it, however, until about 1950 because a recording ban kept it locked in the Columbia vaults.


This was the day in 1965 when Duke Ellington's orchestra performed its first "Sacred Concert" at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The work was called "In the Beginning God..." and it was written for orchestra, chorus, two soloists and a dancer. In his final decade, Ellington wrote mostly liturgical music. Like everything else he wrote, it was steeped in the blues.


Looking at today's hip happenings...


On the New York jazz scene.... The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is at the Village Vanguard. The Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra is at Birdland. Les Paul is at Iridium with his trio on Mondays.

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Saxophonist Branford Marsalis's quartet is at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northhampton, Mass., with his quartet featuring Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums.


In metropolitan Chicago... Holland's Willem Breuker Kollektief opens a three-week North American tour tonight at HotHouse. Bob Centano and Tom Muellner are at the Big House. Terry Callier and Beyond are at the Green Mill. Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues also are at HotHouse. Kelly Brand is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. Sami Scott is at Philander's in Oak Park. Two for Brazil are at Pops for Champagne.


On the New Orleans jazz scene... Ian McPhail and the Latin band Otra are at the Blue Nile tonight. Two Pan Sam hosts the jazz jam at Checkpoint Charlie. Ballyhoo is at the Circle Bar. Bob French and Friends are at Donna's. The Fresh Off the Boat Refugee Jazz Band and James Westfall's Jazz Blasters are at the Funky Butt. Larry Sieberth and Victor Atkins are at Le Salon at the Windsor Court.

Papa Grows Funk is at the Maple Leaf. Charmaine Neville sings tonight at Snug Harbor. The New Orleans Jazz Vipers and Ryan Burrage and the Rhythm Masters are at the Spotted Cat. The Dukes of Dixieland perform aboard the Steamboat Natchez for tonight's Mississippi River dinner cruise. The Rob Wagner trio is at d.b.a.

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The Gene Ludwig organ trio is at the Blue Note in Las Vegas tonight through Saturday.


On the California jazz scene... the Bill Mays trio is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. The Arlene and the Guys Big Band is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. The Rare Form Band is at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood tonight. The Louie Cruz Beltran Latin jazz nonet is at Spazio in Sherman Oaks tonight. Omar Sosa is at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz with his quartet. The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra directed by Alex Budman is at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco tonight. The Walter Savage band is at Yoshi's in Oakland.


Fourplay is at the Blue Note in Tokyo tonight through Wednesday.

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