Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Nov. 4.

Pianist and composer Joe Sullivan was born this date in 1906 in Chicago. Strongly influenced by Fats Waller and Earl Hines, Sullivan played in the Bob Crosby and Eddie Condon bands. In 1940, he led one of the earliest racially integrated bands in New York. Joe Sullivan died in 1971.

Pianist Ralph Sutton was born this day in 1922 near St. Louis. He was a founding member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band in 1968 and played with the group through 1974. He carried on the Harlem stride piano style popularized by Fats Waller, James P. Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith.

Cuban conga player and percussion innovator Carlos "Potato" Valdes was born this day in 1926 in Havana. After moving to the United States in 1953, he played in the Latin bands of Machito and Tito Puente, then with Herbie Mann, with whom he recorded live at Newport in 1963. Most recently, he has been working with Candido Camero and Giovanni Hidalgo as "The Conga Kings."

Cornetist and bandleader Buddy Bolden died this day in 1931 in a Louisiana asylum. He was 63. Though he left behind no known recordings, Bolden is credited with helping standardize the New Orleans jazz tradition in its founding days.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

On the New York jazz scene... singer Judi Silvano is at the Blue Note tonight with Janice Fried on piano, Donny McCaslin on tenor sax and flute, Scott Lee on bass and Newman Taylor-Baker on drums. Ron Affif is at the Zinc Bar. Tomasz Stanko is at Merkin Concert Hall. Les Paul's trio is at Iridium. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is at the Village Vanguard.

Terence Blanchard is at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, N.J., tonight.

The Afro-Semitic Experience is at the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, Conn., tonight.

This is Winds Day in Boston, the Berklee College of Music's annual, all-day event that features brass and woodwind department faculty and students plus guest artists. This year's Winds Day is dedicated to the late Joe Viola, who was a master woodwind player and founding chairman of the Berklee Woodwind Department. The festivities peak tonight with a concert by saxophonists George Garzone, Frank Tiberi, Dino Govoni, Bill Pierce, Matt Marvuglio, Shannon LeClaire, Bruce Nifong, Jim Odgren, and Tommy Ferrante, former member of Viola's Saxophone Quartet. The second half will feature the Berklee Rainbow Band directed by faculty Phil Wilson.

Caetano Veloso is at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis tonight.

In Chicago tonight... Bill Russo's Chicago Jazz Ensemble is at the Jazz Showcase. Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues are at HotHouse on Mondays. William Garcia's quartet is at Cafe Bolera. Terry Callier and Beyond are at the Green Mill. Kelly Brand is at Joe's BeBop Cafe and Jazz Emporium. Sami Scott is at Philander's in Oak Park.

In New Orleans tonight... the Panorama Jazz Band is at the Blue Nile, Two Pan Sam hosts the jazz jam at Checkpoint Charlie. Bob French and Friends are at Donna's. The Fresh Off the Boat Refugee Jazz Band and Jason Marsalis are at the Funky Butt. Riccardo Crespo is at the Neutral Ground. Reginald Koeller leads tonight's band at Preservation Hall. The Dixie Trio Jazz Band is at the Seaport Cafe. Charmaine Neville is at Snug Harbor. The Rob Wagner trio is at d.b.a.

Singer Maya Azucena's band is at the Blue Note in Las Vegas through Saturday.

On the California jazz scene... Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. The Louie Cruz Beltran Latin jazz band is at Spazio in Sherman Oaks. The John Peace Superband is at Steamer's Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. Boubacar Traore is at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra directed by Alex Budman and featuring vocalist Duane Lawrence is at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco on Mondays. The Beth Custer Ensemble is at Yoshi's in Oakland tonight.

The Omar Sosa octet is at the Cankarjev Dom in Ljubjana, Slovenia, tonight as its latest tour criscrosses Europe.