Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is Feb. 11.

Composer and pianist Matt Dennis was born this day in Seattle in 1914. He is best remembered for the haunting ballad "Angel Eyes." Another sparkling Matt Dennis gem is "The Night We Called It a Day," which was first recorded by Tommy Dorsey's band in 1942.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

On the New York jazz scene... Dave Valentin's quintet is at the Blue Note tonight and Wednesday. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Juan Carlos Formell is at The Jazz Standard tonight and Wednesday. The Frank Lacy quartet is at the Zinc Bar tonight and Wednesday.

The Bad Plus is at the Village Vanguard this week... just in time for the trio's Columbia Records debut "These Are The Vistas." Chano Dominguez and Julio Martí are featured tonight in a Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Talk discussion on Flamenco and Jazz at the Kaplan Penthouse.

In and around Boston... trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and the New England Conservatory Composers' Orchestra are at Ryles in Cambridge tonight. Pianist Laszlo Gardony's trio with John Lockwood and Yoron Israel, with special guest Dave Liebman, is at The Regattabar in Cambridge tonight.

On the Chicago area jazz scene... the Vandermark Five are at the Empty Bottle. Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms are at the Green Mill. Ken Cheney is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan are at Katerina's. The Bobby Broom trio is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. Marshall Vente is at Philander's in Oak Park. The Kimberly Gordon quartet is at the Underground Wonder Bar.

In New Orleans... the Ted Hefko quartet is at the Blue Nile. Earl Brown is at Cafe Sbisa. Devin Phillips 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. Greg Stafford leads the band tonight at Preservation Hall. Los Tres Amigos are at Snug Harbor.

In California... James Carter's organ trio is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight through Sunday. This is John Pisano's Guitar Night with Dan Faehnle at Spazio in Sherman Oaks. The Ron Eschete-Mort Weiss quartet is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. Don Menza is at Charlie O's in Valley Glen. Ledisi is at Yoshi's in Oakland tonight and Wednesday.

Diane Schuur is at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle tonight through Sunday.

Paul Lovens, Rudi Mahall and Torsten Muller are at St. James Community Square in Vancouver, British Columbia, tonight.

On the recording front...

Tenor saxophonists Red Holloway and Frank Wess are at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood, N.J., today and Wednesday to record a new Milestone album with guitarist Melvin Sparks and drummer Paul Humphrey. Bob Porter will produce. Porter and Sparks also were part of Holloway's 2001 Milestone CD, "Keep That Groove Going!," co-led by tenorman Plas Johnson.

Blue Note Records today releases "The Grand Unification Theory," a 12-movement concert-length jazz suite composed and arranged by Stefon Harris. The vibraphonist's 12-piece ensemble tells an epic story of life and death in this project, which was commissioned by the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in upstate New York.

Columbia Records Tuesday released the label debut of The Bad Plus, a piano trio with Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass and David King on drums. It's called "These Are The Vistas." It includes original material by all three players as well as wonderfully inventive reconstructions of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the Aphex Twins' "Flim" and the Blondie hit, "Heart of Glass."

Trumpeter Jim Cifelli is out today with "Tunnel Vision," the third CD by his New York Nonet. It's on Short Notice Music. An eight-minute Wayne Shorter medley plays homage to the saxophonist-composer's Blue Note period by bringing together "Fee Fi Fo Fum" and "Speak No Evil."

Cuban composer and keyboardist Omar Sosa has released "Ayaguna." The new CD on Ota Records is a live duo recording with Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles. It was recorded at Motion Blue jazz club in Yokohama, Japan, last July after a three-night run at the Blue Note in Tokyo by Sosa's octet.