Jazz Notes: Goings on in the jazz world

Today is May 12.

Pianist Gerry Wiggins was born this day in 1922 in New York. After working in the bands of Les Hite, Benny Carter and Louis Armstrong, he shifted more and more into accompanying singers including Lena Horne, Kay Starr, Eartha Kitt and Helen Humes.

Bass player Gary Peacock was born this day in 1935 in Barley, Idaho. In addition to leading his own projects, he is a regular member of the Keith Jarrett trio.

Alto saxophonist Marshall Royal was born this day in 1912 in Sapulpa, Okla. He spent 20 years with the Count Basie Orchestra as lead alto soloist and musical director.

Looking at today's hip happenings...

Pianist Keith Jarrett will receive his Polar Music Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a gala ceremony at Berwaldhallen in Stockholm tonight, followed by a celebratory banquet at Grand Hotel. The Citation about his selection as the 2003 recipient cites Jarrett's "ability to effortlessly cross boundaries in the world of music."

The Polar Music Prize is one of the world's more significant music awards. The award of 1 million Swedish Crowns is given to individuals, groups or institutions for exceptional achievement in the creation and advancement of music. Past winners have included Pierre Boulez, Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Joni Mitchell, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Dizzy Gillespie, Paul McCartney, Mstislav Rostropovich, Quincy Jones, Miriam Makeba, Stevie Wonder, Robert Moog and Isaac Stern.

On the New York jazz scene... Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra is at the Jazz Standard tonight. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is at the Village Vanguard on Mondays. Les Paul's trio is at Iridium. The Berklee Scholarship Jazz Ensemble is at the Blue Note. Gary Morgan's Panamericana Big Band is at Birdland. The Yosuke Yamashita trio is at Sweet Rhythm tonight through Wednesday. Pablo Calogero, Andy Gonzales and Arturo O'Farrill are at Tonic tonight.

The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra is at Bovi's in East Providence, R.I., tonight.

Drummer Steve Smith and Vital Information with special guest Bill Evans on sax are at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, Mass., tonight.

Steel pans player Andy Narell and Sakesho are at Nighttown in Cleveland tonight.

In the Chicago area... Detour is at the Backroom. The William Garcia quartet is at Cafe Bolera. The Patricia Barber quintet is at the Green Mill tonight. Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues are at HotHouse on Mondays. David Boykin, Karl Seigfried and Mike Reed are at the Hotti Biscotti Café for an avant-garde jazz jam session.

Kelly Brand is at Joe's BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium. The Long Count Quartet is at Joy Blue. The Marc Pompe trio is at the 100 South Chop House in Elmhurst tonight and Tuesday. The Mike Kocur trio is at Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston. Sami Scott is at Philander's in Oak Park. Typhanie Monique is at Pops for Champagne.

In New Orleans... Glen Andrews and Lazy Six plus pianist Mark Darnell Marquez are at the Blue Nile. Earl Brown is at Cafe Sbisa. Bob French and Friends are at Donna's. Rob Wagner's New Thing is at the Dragon's Den. Warren Battiste and Friends are at El Matador.

Jacques Gauthe is at Fritzel's. Jeesok Kim and Maurice Brown are at the Funky Butt tonight. Reginald Koeller leads the band at Preservation Hall tonight. Charmaine Neville is at Snug Harbor tonight. The Jazz Vipers are at the Spotted Cat. The Rob Wagner trio is at d.b.a.

On the California jazz scene... the Buddy Childers Big Band is at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles tonight. Big Band 2000 with Luretta McCray is at Steamers Jazz Café in Fullerton. The Estrada Brothers are at Spazio in Sherman Oaks tonight. The Banda Brothers are at Charlie O's in Valley Glen. The Contra Costa Big Band is at Yoshi's in Oakland tonight. Bill Bruford's Earthworks are at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz.

In Toronto tonight... the Ken Page Memorial Trust's fifth annual benefit gala features the Jim Galloway Wee Big Band at the Montreal Bistro jazz club.

On the recording front...

Two new titles in Bluebird's "When The Sun Goes Down" reissue series have been released this month. "Poor Man's Heaven: Blues and Tales of The Great Depression" is a multi-artist collection of country, blues, jazz and pop songs from and about the decade-long economic slump that began with the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929. "Take This Hammer" compiles the complete RCA Victor recordings of the legendary folk-blues singer and guitarist Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter).

"Poor Man's Heaven: Blues and Tales of The Great Depression" compiles 24 songs recorded by as many different artists in the period from 1929 to 1940.

The themes of hard times and fervent hope bind together remarkably diverse performances by artists as famous as Eddie Cantor ("Eddie Cantor's Tips On The Stock Market") and Sonny Boy Williamson ("Welfare Store Blues"), as obscure as Julia Gerity ("Sittin' On A Rubbish Can") and Wilmoth Houdini ("Poor But Ambitious").

"Poor Man's Heaven" includes the original versions of two songs later recorded by Ry Cooder: Blind Alfred Reed's "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" (1929) and Fiddlin' John Carson's "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" (1934). The E.Y. Harburg/Jay Gorney classic "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?", heard here in a 1932 recording by Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, vocal by Milton Douglas, later was covered by Dave Brubeck, Judy Collins, Tom Jones, Abbey Lincoln and Luciano Pavarotti, among other singers.

"Take This Hammer" collects 26 tracks recorded by Leadbelly in July 1940, divided between solo performances and collaborations with the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet.

(contributed by John Swenson)