Though Bob Dorough was born in Cherry Hill, Ark., 85 years ago, the pianist/singer remains, in many ways, the quintessential jazz hipster. And you can hear why when Dorough's trio wraps up its two-night stay at Dazzle, 930 Lincoln St., at 7 and 9 tonight ($15, 303-839-5100).

In the early 1950s, the pianist/singer went on the road with the great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, who had turned himself into an entertainer. By the mid-1950s, Dorough was living in Paris. After returning to America, he recorded a couple of tracks with Miles Davis in 1962. One was a tune called Blue Christmas that Dorough wrote for Davis as the reluctant contribution by the trumpeter to a Christmas album from Columbia Records. The other was Nothing Like You, which finally emerged on Davis' disc, Sorcerer, five years later.

From 1972 until 1996, Dorough wrote the sounds for the Schoolhouse Rock television show - an interesting departure for a hip, "devil may care" cult singer who was discovered by Blue Note Records when he was in his 70s.

ALSO ON TAP: Tenor saxophonist Keith Oxman follows Dorough at Dazzle for a Saturday-night party celebrating the release of the saxophonist's new CD, Doing All Right, at 7 and 9 p.m. The last time I caught Oxman at the club on Lincoln, he was joined by the famed trombonist Curtis Fuller, who had recorded with the Denver-based saxophonist and is lavish in his praise of him ($12).

* At 7 p.m. Sunday, saxophonist Wil Swindler brings his Elevenet to Dazzle ($10). Swindler is among a bright crop of talented jazz composers who call Denver home. Another young composer here, Tyler Gilmore, is off this week to Chicago to conduct his award-winning composition with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble led by trumpeter Jon Faddis. In case that's not enough, composer/arranger/conductor Chie Imaizumi has just completed a big-band work commissioned by drummer Jeff Hamilton to be premiered in April.

* On Monday, DU's Lamont School of Music honors trombonist Mark Patterson (who, among other things, works with the band Convergence). Patterson performs in the Newman Center's Hamilton Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. with guitarist Dale Bruning (who taught the trombonist), trumpeter Ron Miles, bassist Kent McLagan and drummer Paul Romaine ($16-$18, 303-871-6412).

* On Fat Tuesday, as Black History Month winds down, pianist Purnell Steen pays tribute to "The Music of Harlem" at Dazzle with his Le Jazz Machine group that includes talented trumpeter Hugh Ragin, bassist Fred Fuller and drummer Todd Reid. Steen and company play starting at 7 p.m. ($10).

* The piano remains at center stage in Dazzle on Wednesday when Billy Wallace visits town. When I moved to Denver, I quite naturally spent a lot of time hanging out at El Chapultepec, where Wallace was a regular. I knew Wallace from his work on Max Roach's 1957 album Jazz in 3/4 Time playing alongside Sonny Rollins and Kenny Dorham - and it was a treat to have him in town. He later relocated to Seattle - and it's great to have him visit. At Dazzle, Wallace performs with a quartet that has Mitch Chmara on guitar, Colin Gieg on bass and Don Grove on drums starting at 7 p.m. ($10).

* At 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday, the music continues at Dazzle with trumpeter Pete Olstad's tribute to the late Freddie Hubbard. Olstad is joined by fellow trumpeters Bob Montgomery, Brad Goode and Al Hood, pianist Dave Hanson, bassist Ken Walker and drummer Mike Marlier ($10). Hubbard was a monster player, and a brassy tribute here is certainly in order.

* At 8 p.m. Thursday, guitarist Charlie Hunter begins a swing through Colorado with a concert at the Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College in Fort Collins. The guitarist is hitting six cities in the state with an unusual quartet that has drums, baritone saxophone and trumpet in addition to his seven-string guitar ($15, 970-482-8300).

Normanprovizer@aol.com