This is a timeline documenting events of

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

in the year 1959.

Events

May

* 4 –

1st Annual Grammy Awards The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1959. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day; the first hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and the ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

awarded Best Vocal Performance, Female for the album ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book'' is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Paul Weston, focusing on the songs of Irving Berlin. It was part of the popu ...

'', and Best Jazz Performance, Individual for the album ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook Ella may refer to: * Ella (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Places United States * Ella, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Ella, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Ella, Pennsylvania, an unincorporat ...

''. **

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

awarded Best Jazz Performance, Group and Best Performance by a Dance Band for the album '' Basie''. ** Billy May awarded Best Performance by an Orchestra for the album ''Billy May's Big Fat Brass''.

July

* 2 – The 6th

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

started in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

(July 2 – 5).

August

* 7-9 -

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

Jazz Festival - First indoor Jazz Festival.

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. * 25 – Between sets at Birdland in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

is beaten by police and jailed.

November

* 29 – 2nd Annual Grammy Awards ** Frank Sinatra awarded Album Of The Year, Best Arrangement, and Best Vocal Performance, Male for the song " Come Dance With Me". **

awarded Best Vocal Performance, Female for the song " But Not for Me", and Best Jazz Performance – Soloist for the album ''

Ella Swings Lightly ''Ella Swings Lightly'' is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, recorded with the Marty Paich Dek-tette. Ella also worked with Marty Paich on her 1967 album '' Whisper Not''. The album features a typical selection of ...

''. **

Jonah Jones Jonah Jones (born Robert Elliott Jones; December 31, 1909 – April 29, 2000) was a jazz trumpeter who created concise versions of jazz and swing and jazz standards that appealed to a mass audience. In the jazz community, he is known for his wo ...

awarded Best Jazz Performance Solo or Small Group for the album ''I Dig Chicks''. ** Duke Ellington awarded Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1959 (more than 5 minutes duration), and Best Performance by a Dance Band, and Best Sound Track Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television for composition and soundtrack for the Motion Picture ''

Anatomy of a Murder ''Anatomy of a Murder'' is a 1959 American courtroom drama and crime film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Wendell Mayes was based on the 1958 novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Vo ...

''. **

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

awarded Best Performance by a "Top 40" Artist for "Midnight Flyer". ** Andre Previn,

Ken Darby Kenneth Lorin Darby (May 13, 1909 – January 24, 1992) was an American composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor. His film scores were recognized by the awarding of three Academy Awards and one Grammy Award. He provided vocals for ...

awarded Best Sound Track Album, Original Cast – Motion Picture or Television for the Motion Picture ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...

''.

Album releases

By Artist Name * Cannonball Adderley – ''

Cannonball Takes Charge ''Cannonball Takes Charge'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Riverside label featuring performances by Adderley with Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb with Percy and Albert Heath replacing Chambers a ...

'', '' In San Francisco'' (Riverside) * Cannonball Adderley & John Coltrane – '' Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago'' (Mercury) * Chet Baker – '' Chet'' (Riverside) *

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

– '' Holiday for Skins'' (Blue Note) * Dave Brubeck – ''

Time Out (album) ''Time Out'' is a studio album by the American jazz group the Dave Brubeck Quartet, released in 1959 on Columbia Records. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, it is based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual ...

'' (Columbia) * Donald Byrd – '' Fuego'', ''

Byrd in Hand ''Byrd in Hand'' is an album by Donald Byrd. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, it was recorded in May 1959 and was released in 1959 as catalogue BLP 4019 (mono) and BST 84019 (stereo). It was remastered in 2002 and released on CD as Blue Note 42305. ...

'' (Blue Note) *

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of Pi ...

– '' My Conception'' (Blue Note) * Ornette Coleman – '' Tomorrow Is the Question!'' (OJC) ''

The Shape of Jazz to Come ''The Shape of Jazz to Come'' is the third album by jazz musician Ornette Coleman. Released on Atlantic Records in 1959, it was his debut on the label and his first album featuring the working quartet including himself, trumpeter Don Cherry, bass ...

'' (Atlantic) *

– '' Kind of Blue'' (Columbia) * Walter Davis – ''

Davis Cup (album) ''Davis Cup'' is the debut album by American jazz pianist Walter Davis Jr. recorded on August 2, 1959 and released on Blue Note the following year—Davis's sole release for the label, and one of his few recordings as leader.Kenny Dorham – ''

Quiet Kenny ''Quiet Kenny'' is an album by the American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham of performances recorded in 1959 and released on the New Jazz label.

'' (New Jazz) * Duke Ellington – '' The Ellington Suites'' (OJC) ''

Jazz Party Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major f ...

'', '' Festival Session'', ''

'' (Columbia) * Bill Evans Trio – ''

Portrait in Jazz ''Portrait in Jazz'' is an album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, released in 1960. It is the first of only two studio albums to be recorded with his famous trio featuring bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. History Eight months a ...

'' (Riverside) *

Jimmy Giuffre James Peter Giuffre (, ; April 26, 1921 – April 24, 2008) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He is known for developing forms of jazz which allowed for free interplay between the musicians, anticipating f ...

– '' The Easy Way (album)'' (Verve) * Benny Golson – ''

Gone with Golson ''Gone with Golson'' is the fifth album by saxophonist Benny Golson featuring performances recorded in 1959 and originally released on the New Jazz label.

'', '' Groovin' with Golson'' (OJC) * Chico Hamilton – '' The Three Faces of Chico'' (Warner Bros.) '' Gongs East!'' (Discovery) *

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

– '' Hawk Eyes'', (OJC) '' Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio'' (Prestige) *

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

and Duke Ellington – '' Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues'', '' Side by Side'' (Verve) * Milt Jackson and

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

– ''

Bags & Trane ''Bags & Trane'' is an album credited to jazz musicians Milt Jackson and John Coltrane, released in 1961 on Atlantic Records, catalogue SD 1368. Taking its title from Jackson and Coltrane's nicknames, it is the only collaborative record by the ...

'' (Atlantic) *

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

– ''

Kelly Blue ''Kelly Blue'' is an album by American jazz pianist Wynton Kelly, released in 1959. History Coming off of his success as a sideman with Miles Davis's sextet, Riverside Records gave Kelly an opportunity to expand on his solo career. ''Kelly Blue ...

'' (Contemporary) *

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

– '' Standards in Silhouette'' (Capitol) *

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

– '' Cry! – Tender'' (Prestige) *

Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of deli ...

– ''

Abbey Is Blue ''Abbey Is Blue'' is the fourth album by American jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln featuring tracks recorded in 1959 for the Riverside label.

'' (Riverside/OJC) *

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

– '' New Soil'', '' Swing, Swang, Swingin''' (Blue Note) * Charles Mingus – ''

Mingus Ah Um ''Mingus Ah Um'' is a studio album by American jazz musician Charles Mingus which was released in October 1959 by Columbia Records. It was his first album recorded for Columbia. The cover features a painting by S. Neil Fujita. The title is a co ...

'', ''

Mingus Dynasty ''Mingus Dynasty'' is a jazz album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released on Columbia Records in May 1960. It is a companion album to his 1959 record, ''Mingus Ah Um'', and was inducted in the List of Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipie ...

'' (Columbia), ''

Blues and Roots ''Blues & Roots'' is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released on the Atlantic label in 1960. It has been reissued on CD by both Atlantic and Rhino. Inspiration Mingus explained the origins of this record in the album's liner no ...

'' (Atlantic) *

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and ...

– Blue Soul (Riverside) *

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

– ''

Thelonious Alone in San Francisco ''Thelonious Alone in San Francisco'' is jazz pianist Thelonious Monk's third solo album, recorded in 1959. ('' Piano Solo'', aka ''Solo 1954'', recorded in Paris, and '' Thelonious Himself'' (1957), were Monk's previous forays into this form.) I ...

'', ''

The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall ''The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall'' is an album by Thelonious Monk, released in 1959. The concert included Hall Overton’s arrangements on Monk’s tunes (including a transcription of Monk's piano solo on "Little Rootie Tootie"). The ...

'', '' 5 by Monk by 5'' (Riverside/OJC) *

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

– ''

The Wes Montgomery Trio ''The Wes Montgomery Trio'' (a.k.a. ''A Dynamic New Sound'') is an album by the American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, released in 1959. The track "Missile Blues" is named after the club in Indianapolis where Montgomery played before moving to Ne ...

'' (Riverside/OJC) *

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

– Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (Verve) *

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

– '' Meet Oliver Nelson'' (OJC) * Art Pepper – ''

Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics '' Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics'' is a 1960 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper and a group of other musicians performing arrangements by Marty Paich, who directed the ensemble. Background The recording is one of several dates ...

'' (Contemporary/OJC) *

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

and His Arkestra – '' Jazz in Silhouette'' (Saturn) *

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...

– '' The Many Sides of Max'' (Mercury) * George Russell – '' New York, N.Y. (album)'' (Impulse) *

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...

– ''

Blowin' the Blues Away ''Blowin' the Blues Away'' is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 1959, featuring performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Eugene Taylor, and Louis Hayes. Recording dates and location The ...

'', '' Finger Poppin''' (Blue Note) * Jimmy Smith – ''

The Sermon! ''The Sermon!'' is an album by jazz organist Jimmy Smith. It was produced by the Blue Note record label, and was Smith's fifteenth album in three years. AllMusic's Lindsay Planer described the album as "a prime example of Smith and company's ...

'' (Blue Note) *

Frank Strozier Frank R. Strozier Jr. (born June 13, 1937) is a jazz alto saxophonist. Strozier was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he learned to play piano. In 1954, he moved to Chicago, where he performed with Harold Mabern, George Coleman, and Booker Litt ...

– ''

Fantastic Frank Strozier ''Fantastic Frank Strozier'' is the debut album by American saxophonist Frank Strozier, recorded in 1959 and 1960 for Vee-Jay Records. The personnel includes the rhythm section from part of Miles Davis's ''Kind of Blue'', recorded earlier in 195 ...

'' (Vee Jay) *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

- ''

What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! ''What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!'' is a tenth studio album by Dinah Washington, arranged by Belford Hendricks, featuring her hit single of the same name. The title track won Washington the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 2nd Ann ...

'' (Mercury) *

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

– '' Ben Webster and Associates'' (Verve) *

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 1932. ...

- ''

Blues-ette ''Blues-ette'' is an album by American trombonist Curtis Fuller recorded in 1959 and released on the Savoy label.Ed Cuffee, American trombonist (born

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...

). * 30 – Boyce Brown, American dixieland alto saxophonist (born

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

). ; February * 14 –

Baby Dodds Warren "Baby" Dodds (December 24, 1898 – February 14, 1959) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is regarded as one of the best jazz drummers of the pre-big band era, and one of the most important ...

, American drummer (born 1898). ; March * 15 –

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

, American tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (born

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...

). ; May * 5 –

Hal McIntyre Hal McIntyre (born Harold William McIntyre; November 29, 1914, Cromwell, Connecticut – May 5, 1959 Los Angeles, California) was an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. McIntyre played extensively as a teenager and led his ow ...

, American saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

). * 14 –

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic tempe ...

, American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer (born 1897). ; June * 5 –

Lawrence Marrero Lawrence Henry Marrero (October 24, 1900 – June 6, 1959) was an American jazz banjoist. Early life Marrero was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 24, 1900. He grew up in a musical family: three brothers became musicians – Eddie (bass) ...

, American banjoist (born

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

). * 23 –

Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sull ...

, French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer (born 1920). ; July * 11 – Shadow Wilson, American drummer (born

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

). * 17 –

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

, American singer nicknamed "Lady Day" (born

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". * January ...

). ; September * 17 –

Omer Simeon Omer Victor Simeon (July 21, 1902 – September 17, 1959) was an American jazz clarinetist. He also played soprano, alto, and baritone saxophone and bass clarinet. Biography The son of a cigar maker, Omer Simeon was born in New Orleans, Louisian ...

, American clarinetist (born

). ; October * 14 –

Alphonse Trent Alphonse "Alphonso" Trent (October 24, 1902 – October 14, 1959) was an American jazz pianist and territory band leader. Early life Trent was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas on October 24, 1902. He played piano from childhood and worked in local ban ...

, American jazz pianist and territory band leader (born

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia ( Shostakovich's 11th Symphony ...

). * 16 –

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall,Sidney Desvigne, American trumpeter (born 1893). * 10 –

Avery Parrish James Avery Parrish (January 24, 1917 – December 10, 1959) was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He wrote and recorded " After Hours". Injuries from a bar fight in 1943 ended his career as a pianist. Early life Parrish was born ...

, American jazz pianist, composer and arranger (born

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Fo ...

). * 13 – Charlie Johnson, American bandleader and pianist (born 1891).

Births

; January * 11 – Simon Nabatov, Russian pianist. * 14 –

Nguyên Lê Nguyên Lê (Vietnamese: ''Lê Thành Nguyên''; born 14 January 1959) is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer. He has released albums ...

, French-Vietnamese guitarist. * 16 –

Sade Adu Helen Folasade Adu ( yo, Fọláṣadé Adú ; born 16 January 1959), known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade ( ), is a Nigerian-born British singer, known as the lead singer of her eponymous band. One of the most successful British fe ...

, British singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. * 20 – Antoine Hervé, French composer and pianist. * 24 – Nils Mathisen, Norwegian keyboardist. * 28 –

Bill Ware Bill Ware III born William Anthony Ware III (b. January 28, 1959, East Orange, New Jersey) is an American jazz vibraphonist. Musical career Ware played bass and piano early in his career, playing at the Harlem Jazzmobile. After spending several ...

, American vibraphonist. ; February * 1 –

Ottmar Liebert Ottmar Liebert (born 1 February 1959) is a German guitarist, songwriter and producer best known for his Spanish-influenced music. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, Liebert has received 38 Gold and Platinum certifications in the United States, as ...

, German guitarist, songwriter and producer * 9 –

Russel Walder Russel Walder (born February 9, 1959) is an American jazz oboist and the founder of Nomad Soul Records. Biography Russel Walder was born and raised in Deerfield, Illinois. Following his graduation from Deerfield High School, he briefly attended ...

, American oboist. * 12 –

Omar Hakim Omar Hakim (born February 12, 1959) is an American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has worked with Weather Report, David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Bryan Ferry, Journey, Kate ...

, American drummer. * 27 **

Akira Jimbo , is a Japanese jazz fusion drummer who combines electronic drum technology and acoustic drums. Aside from his solo work, he was the drummer for the Japanese jazz fusion band Casiopea and had participated in side projects with Keiko Matsui, Sh ...

, Japanese drummer,

Casiopea , now known in its fourth iteration as Casiopea-P4, is a Japanese jazz fusion band formed in 1976 by guitarist Issei Noro, bassist Tetsuo Sakurai, drummer Tohru "Rika" Suzuki, and keyboardist Hidehiko Koike. In 1977, keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya ...

. ** Clayton Cameron, American drummer. * 28 –

Phil Roy Phil Roy (born February 28, 1959) is an American singer and songwriter. Biography Early musical career Roy was born in Philadelphia and began playing the guitar at age nine. At age 17, attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Lo ...

, American singer. ; March * 10 –

Rita Marcotulli Rita Marcotulli (born 10 March 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Career Born in Rome, Marcotulli is the daughter of a sound engineer who collaborated with Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone, among others. She started playing piano a ...

, Italian pianist and composer. * 16 – John Lindberg, American upright bassist. * 18 – Joe Locke, American vibraphonist, composer, and educator. * 21 –

Renato D'Aiello Renato D'Aiello is an Italian saxophonist who lives in the United Kingdom. Albums ''Like Someone in Love'' was recorded with Damon Brown and features seven songs, among them well-known titles like Like Someone in Love and I Remember You (1941 s ...

, Italian saxophonist. * 25 – Per Hillestad, Norwegian drummer. * 30 – Nils Jansen, Norwegian saxophonist and clarinetist. ; April * 5 ** Elin Rosseland, Norwegian singer, bandleader, and composer. **

John Parricelli John Parricelli (born 5 April 1959 in Evesham, Wychavon, Worcestershire, England) is a jazz guitarist who has worked mainly in the United Kingdom. Parricelli began his career as a guitarist in 1982. He was one of the founding members of the Brit ...

, English guitarist. * 10 –

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. * 18 – Salman Gambarov, Azerbaijani pianist and composer. * 19 –

Rebecca Jenkins Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959) is a Canadian actress and singer. Acting She had starring roles in the 1990s CBC series '' Black Harbour'', and the films '' Bye Bye Blues'', '' Marion Bridge'', '' Wilby Wonderful'', ''Whole New Thing'', '' South o ...

, Canadian actress and singer. * 23 – Thilo Berg, German drummer. * 25 ** Burhan Öçal, Turkish percussionist and vocalist. * 27 ** Odd Magne Gridseth, Norwegian bassist. **

Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to: * Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician * Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player * Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...

, American saxophonist. ; May * 9 –

Dennis Chambers Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American drummer. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life Chambers was born on May 9, 1959. He began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Bal ...

, American drummer. * 14 – Virginia Mayhew, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. * 23 –

Ken Peplowski Ken Peplowski (born May 23, 1959) is an American jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and known primarily for playing swing music. For over a decade, Peplowski recorded for Concord Records. In ...

, American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist. * 28 – Eddie Parker, English flautist and composer. ; June * 9 –

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David ...

, American drummer. * 14 – Marcus Miller, American bassist. * 15 –

Vicki Genfan Vicki Genfan (born June 15, 1959) is an American singer and guitarist. Biography Genfan took up the guitar at age five. Her father played twelve-string guitar, mandolin and fiddle, and sang. Her older brother played guitar, too.Billy Drummond Willis Robert "Billy" Drummond Jr. (born June 19, 1959) is an American jazz drummer. Early life Billy Drummond was born in Newport News, Virginia, where he grew up listening to the extensive jazz record collection of his father, an amateur dr ...

, American drummer. ** Roberto Magris, Italian pianist and composer. * 29 –

Rene Van Verseveld Rene Van Verseveld (born 29 June 1959) is a Dutch musician, songwriter, recording engineer, composer and record producer. He lives in Santa Clarita and works in his own studio, Future Sound Studios, in Hollywood, California. Early years Rene ...

, Dutch musician, songwriter, recording engineer, composer, and record producer. ; July * 10 – Anjani, American singer-songwriter and pianist. * 16 –

Joanna MacGregor Joanna Clare MacGregor (born 16 July 1959) is a British concert pianist, conductor, composer, and festival curator. She is Head of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and a professor of the University of London. She is currently artistic direc ...

, British concert pianist, conductor, composer, and festival curator. * 23 – Alan Barnes, English clarinettist and saxophonist. * 27 – Jeff Harnar, American singer. * 31 –

Stanley Jordan Stanley Jordan (born July 31, 1959) is an American jazz guitarist noted for his playing technique, which involves tapping his fingers on the fretboard of the guitar with both hands. Music career Jordan was born in Chicago, Illinois, United St ...

, American guitarist and pianist. ; August * 1 –

Otomo Yoshihide is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables, and electronics. He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked i ...

, Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. * 6 –

Sigurd Køhn Sigurd Eystein Køhn (6 August 1959 – 26 December 2004) was a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer. Career Køhn was born in Kristiansand, Norway, and started playing the violin and the clarinet at the age of 9, and begun playing the ...

, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2004). * 7 – Patrick Defossez, Belgian composer, pianist and improviser. * 9 –

Frank Lacy Frank Lacy (born August 9, 1958, Houston, Texas) is an American jazz trombonist who has spent many years as a member of the Mingus Big Band. Career Lacy's father was a teacher who played guitar with Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet, and Eddie Clea ...

, American trombonist,

Mingus Big Band The Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Monda ...

. * 11 – Russ Gershon, American saxophonist and composer. * 14 –

Tony Monaco Anthony M. "Tony" Monaco (born August 14, 1959) is an American jazz organist. at The Hammond Jazz Inventory Biography Monaco played accordion from childhood and was heavily influenced by Jimmy Smith in his youth. In 1971, he switched to organ ...

, American organist. * 16 –

Ellery Eskelin Ellery Eskelin (born August 16, 1959) is an American tenor saxophonist raised in Baltimore, Maryland and residing in New York City. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were both professional musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, ...

, American tenor saxophonist. * 20 –

Gaute Storaas Gaute Storaas (born 20 August 1959 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician ( bass) and composer, and the older brother of jazz pianist Vigleik Storaas. Career Storaas grew out of the flowering musical environment in Bergen late 70es, e ...

, Norwegian bass guitarist and composer. * 27 –

Frode Fjellheim Frode Fjellheim (born 27 August 1959 in Mussere) is a Southern Saami yoiker and musician (piano and synthesizer) from Norway. He is best known for his band Transjoik and as the composer of the 2002 song "Eatnemen Vuelie", which was later adapted ...

, Norwegian keyboardist and joker. * 29 –

Ernesto Rodrigues Ernesto, form of the name Ernest in several Romance languages, may refer to: * ''Ernesto'' (novel) (1953), an unfinished autobiographical novel by Umberto Saba, published posthumously in 1975 ** ''Ernesto'' (film), a 1979 Italian drama loosely ba ...

, Portuguese composer, violinist, violist and electronic musician. ; September * 5 – Patrick Yandall, American guitarist. * 13 – Sheldon Reynolds, American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. * 21 –

Corinne Drewery Corinne Drewery (born 21 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and fashion designer, best known for being the lead vocalist of the band Swing Out Sister. Early life Drewery was born and grew up in Nottingham. She later moved to the Li ...

, English singer-songwriter. * 22 –

Tony Reedus Tony Reedus (22 September 1959 – 16 November 2008) was an American jazz drummer. Reedus first gained attention performing in Woody Shaw's band during the 1980s. He played with Dave Stryker, Mulgrew Miller, Art Blakey, Mike Nock, Kenny Gar ...

, American drummer (died

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

). * 26 – François Bourassa, Canadian pianist. ; October * 12 –

Michael Philip Mossman Michael Philip Mossman (born October 12, 1959) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Mossman's early career included a tour of Europe with Anthony Braxton in 1978 and tours with Roscoe Mitchell in the early 1980s. He also did session work in the ...

, trumpeter. * 15 – Erik Vermeulen, Belgian pianist. * 18 – Jimmy Bosch, Puerto Rican-American trombonist composer and bandleader. * 19 –

Ronnie Burrage Ronnie Burrage (born James Ronaldo Burrage October 19, 1959) is an American jazz drummer. His style draws from jazz, funk, and soul. Career He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Burrage sang in the St. Louis Cathedral boys' choir ...

, American drummer. * 20 – Ole Hamre, Norwegian drummer. * 21 –

Cleveland Watkiss Cleveland Watkiss, (born 21 October 1959), is a British vocalist, actor, and composer. Biography Cleveland Watkiss was born in Hackney, East London, to Jamaican parents, and was one of nine children. He is the older brother of pianist Trevo ...

, British virtuoso vocalist, actor, and composer. ; November * 1 – Conrad Herwig, American trombonist. * 3 – Mary Ann Redmond, American singer. * 18 –

Cindy Blackman Santana Cindy Blackman Santana (born November 18, 1959), sometimes known as Cindy Blackman, is an American jazz and rock drummer. Blackman has recorded several jazz albums as a bandleader and has performed with Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Simmons, Ron Cart ...

, American drummer. * 20 –

Drew Gress Drew Gress (born November 20, 1959) is an American jazz double-bassist and composer born in Trenton, New Jersey and raised in the Philadelphia area. Biography Gress studied at Towson State University and Manhattan School of Music. In the late ...

, American upright bassist and composer. * 30 –

Kris Defoort Kris Defoort is a Belgian avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. He was born on 30 November 1959 in Bruges. He also teaches at the Brussels conservatory. His brother is Bart Defoort (saxophonist and composer). He entered in 1978 the Antwerp ...

, Belgian pianist and composer. ; December * 13 –

Staffan William-Olsson Staffan William-Olsson (born 13 December 1959) is a Swedish jazz guitarist in the band The Real Thing who has worked with Bob Berg, Lee Konitz, and Palle Mikkelborg. Career He played piano, guitar and drums already at the age of 7, and stud ...

, Swedish guitarist and composer. * 16 – Graham Clark, English violinist. * 22 ** Del Rey, American singer and guitarist. **

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...

, American upright bassist. * 25 **

Dale Barlow Dale Barlow (born Sydney, Australia, 25 December 1959) is a jazz saxophonist, flute player and composer. He has a Masters of Music degree begun at City College New York under Ron Carter and completed at ANU Canberra. He has received ARIA Awards, ...

, Australian saxophonist, flautist, and composer. **

Zim Ngqawana Zim Ngqawana (25 December 1959 – 10 May 2011) was a South African flautist and saxophonist. He was later known as Zimology. Biography The youngest of five children, Ngqawana started playing flute at the age of 21, eventually becoming pro ...

, South African flautist and saxophonist (died 2011). * 30 ** Kåre Thomsen, Norwegian guitarist. ** Paul Jackson Jr., American guitarist. ; Unknown date *

Albert Beger Albert Beger (born 1959) is a saxophonist, flutist and an academy lecturer from Israel. Beger is a composer in genres that include post-bop, hard-bop, free-jazz and avant-garde music. Biography Albert Beger was born in the city of Istanbul, Tur ...

, Israeli saxophonist, flutist, and academy lecturer. *

Antonio Ciacca Antonio Ciacca is a jazz pianist. Early life Ciacca was born in Germany and brought up in Italy. He began playing the piano at the age of seven. He has been taught by Steve Grossman, Kenny Barron, Marcus Belgrave and Barry Harris. Later life an ...

, Italian pianist. *

Bjørn Jenssen Bjørn Jenssen (born 1959 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (drums), known from a number of recordings, and steady drummer in the band Dance With a Stranger. Career Jenssen started playing drums 1974 in local Bodø bands like ...

, Norwegian drummer * Dominique Di Piazza, French bassist. * Kevyn Lettau, Brazilian vocalist. * Sue Terry, American saxophonist and composer. * Sweet Baby J'ai, American singer. * Tahir Aydoğdu, Turkish virtuoso qanun (kanun) player *

Ted Rosenthal Ted Rosenthal (born 1959) is an American jazz pianist. He was featured on David Sanborn's series '' Night Music'', and has performed worldwide, both as a leader and as a sideman with many jazz greats, including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil ...

, American pianist.

Awards

Grammy Awards of 1959 The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1959. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day; the first hotel in Beverly Hills, California, and th ...

** Best Jazz Performance Solo or Small Group *** ** Best Jazz Performance Large Group *** ** Best Jazz Composition of More Than Five Minutes Duration ***

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * *

External links

History Of Jazz Timeline: 1959
at

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

{{Jazz

Jazz by year

Events

May

July

August

November

Album releases

Births

Awards

See also

References

Bibliography

External links