Today is March 4.
Tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford was born this day in Boston in 1954. A member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra under Mercer Ellington in the mid-1970s, he has toured with Charles Mingus, Abdullah Ibrahim and the Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars.
Norwegian tenor saxophonist and composer Jan Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, this day in 1947. He made his first recording at a jazz festival in Warsaw, Poland in 1966. Garbarek has recorded and toured extensively since then with pianist Keith Jarrett. He is featured on Jarrett's classic album "My Song." In 1994, he soared up the classical charts with a jazz-meets-Gregorian chant recording on ECM called "Officium."
Tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen was born this day in Nice, France, in 1937. He recorded in Paris in the 1950s with John Lewis and worked with Miles Davis on his highly regarded "Lift to the Scaffold" movie soundtrack. In between musical phases, he worked as an anthropological filmmaker. He died in 1996.
Looking at today's hip happenings...
In New York ... Patti Austin and Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine are at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in the first of two nights in the HIP Health Plan of New York's HIP Jazz Concert Series to benefit the Jazz Foundation of America's Jazz Musicians' Emergency Fund and the Jazz Program at the New School University. Dianne Reeves and the Ramsey Lewis trio are featured on Wednesday.
Singer Jeri Brown is at The Jazz Standard tonight and Wednesday. The Ahmad Jamal trio is at Iridium this week. The Kurt Rosenwinkel quartet is at the Village Vanguard. The Blue Note features the Latin side of Paquito d'Rivera. The Jerry Gordon quartet is at the Zinc Bar tonight and Wednesday.
In and around Boston... the Either/Orchestra is at the Regattabar in Cambridge. The John Payne Saxophone Choir is at Ryles jazz club in Cambridge. Billy Novick and Guy Van Duser are at the Sherborn Inn in Sherborn, Mass., tonight. Shelley Neil is at Scullers in Boston, celebrating the release of her new CD, "Envisioning Blue." She's with John Blake Jr., Lazlo Gardony, Yoron Israel and John Lockwood.
Piano week continues at Boston's Berklee College of Music today. Piano Department Assistant Chairman Jetro Da Silva presents a free concert with two fellow Berklee alums -- Prince drummer John Blackwell and Berklee Woodwind Chairman Bill Pierce, former saxophonist with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
In Chicago... Men of Note are at Andy's. Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms are at the Green Mill. Ken Cheney is at Joe's BeBop Cafe 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 Erin McDougald trio is at Pops for Champagne. Kimberly Gordon's quartet is at the Underground Wonder Bar.
In New Orleans... Earl Brown is at Cafe Sbisa. The Soul Rebels Brass Band is at the Dragon's Den. Wendell Brunious is at Harrah's. The ReBirth Brass Band is at the Maple Leaf. Joe Krown's Organ Combo is at d.b.a.
In California... the California Guitar Trio is in concert tonight at Dizzy's in San Diego's East Village with Chapman stick virtuoso Tom Griesgraber opening the show. The Benn Clatworthy quartet on is at Charlie O's in Valley Glen.
This is John Pisano's Guitar Night with Jim Hershman at Spazio in Sherman Oaks. The Ron Kobayashi trio is at Steamers Jazz Cafe in Fullerton. Pianist Dick Hindman's trio is at Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco tonight. The Dena DeRose trio featuring Bill Henderson is at Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland tonight and Wednesday.
On the recording front...
Pianist Michael Weiss is just out with an impressive CD of original compositions called "Soul Journey." It's on Sintra Records. He won the 2000 BMI/Thelonious Monk Institute Composers Competition with the work "El Camino," which is included. His bandmates are Steve Wilson on alto sax, Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, Paul Gill on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums and Daniel Sadownick on percussion.
Singer Katie Bull is out with her debut recording, "Conversations With the Jokers," on the Corn Hill Indie record label. She is joined by pianist Michael Jefry Stevens, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Lou Grassi.
