This week’s musical birthday celebrants.

  1. Innovative jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, March 6, 1925

  2. Former New York Philharmonic Music Director Lorin Maazel, March 6, 1930

    Other March 6 birthdays:
    Blues singer/guitarist Walter “Furry” Lewis, 1893
    Western Swing singer/fiddler Bob Wills, 1905
    Russian conductor Kiril Kondrashin, 1914
    The Supremes singer Mary Wilson, 1944
    Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, 1946
    Karen & the Compulsives singer/bassist Karen “Caustic” Nicholls (now Karen Parent), 1962

  3. Country singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, March 7, 1944

  4. Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher, March 7, 1946; Procol Harum/Robin Trower Band guitarist Robin Trower, March 9, 1945

  5. Isley Brothers guitarist Ernie Isley, March 7, 1952

    Other March 7 birthdays:
    French composer Maurice Ravel, 1875
    The Zombies bassist/songwriter Chris White, 1943
    Love singer/guitarist Arthur Lee, 1945
    J.Giels Band frontman Peter Wolf (born Peter W. Blankfield), 1946
    Tower of Power bassist Francis “Rocco” Prestia, 1951
    Operatic mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, 1963

  6. Italian madrigalist Don Carlo Gesualdo, March 8, 1566

    Other March 8 birthdays:
    German composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, 1714
    Blues singer/guitarist Mississippi John Hurt, 1892
    Prolific symphonist Alan Hovhaness, 1911
    Spanish classical guitarist Pepe Romero, 1944
    The Monkees singer/drummer Micky Dolenz, 1945
    Poco/The Eagles bassist/singer Randy Meisner, 1946
    Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, 1947
    Salt-N-Pepa rapper Cheryl “Salt” James, 1964
    Supergrass singer Gaz Coombes, 1976
    Keane singer Tom Chaplin, 1979

  7. Innovative jazz saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman, March 9, 1930

    Other March 9 birthdays:
    Czech composer Josef Mysliveček, 1737
    Classical composer Samuel Barber, 1910
    Jazz singer Keely Smith, 1932
    R&B singer Lloyd Price, 1933
    Velvet Underground bassist/keyboardist/violist and solo singer John Cale, 1942
    Paul Revere & the Raiders singer Mark Lindsay, 1942
    Hawkwind singer Robert Calvert, 1945
    ABC singer Martin Fry, 1958
    Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, 1966

  8. Swedish singer/songwriter Neneh Cherry, March 10, 1964

    Spanish violinist/composer Pablo de Sarasate, 1844
    French-born Swiss composer Arthur Honegger, 1892
    Seminal jazz trumpeter/pianist Bix Beiderbecke, 1903
    Jan & Dean singer Dean Torrence, 1940
    Boston mastermind/guitarist Tom Scholz, 1947
    J-Pop singer Seiko Matsuda (born Noriko Kamachi), 1962
    Pearl Jam/Green River/Mother Love Bone bassist Jeff Ament, 1963
    Record producer Rick Rubin, 1963
    Pop singer Edie Brickell, 1966

  9. Tango innovator/composer/bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla, March 11, 1921

    Other March 11 birthdays:
    Modern classical composer Carl Ruggles, 1876
    Avant-garde composer Henry Cowell, 1897
    Turkish composer/producer İlhan Mimaroğlu, 1926
    Jazz violinist/composer Leroy Jenkins, 1932
    Avant-garde singer Patty Waters, 1946
    R&B singer Cheryl Lynn, 1957

  10. French film composer Georges Delerue, March 12, 1925

    Other March 12 birthdays:
    English composer (“Rule, Britannia!”) Thomas Arne, 1710
    Singer/songwriter James Taylor, 1948
    Jackson 5 singer Marlon Jackson, 1957
    Pizzicato Five singer Maki Nomiya, 1960
    Blur guitarist/solo artist Graham Coxon, 1967