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 major ...

in the year 1977.

Events

April

* 1 – The 4th

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

started in

Voss, Norway Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, Opphe ...

(April 1 – 3).

May

* 25 – The 5th

Nattjazz Bergen International Jazz Festival or Nattjazz, is one of the largest jazz festivals of Norway. The festival has a musical profile with an emphasis on ethnic and contemporary jazz. It is held annually in late May, coinciding with Festspillene ...

started in

Bergen, Norway Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

(May 25 – June 8). * 27 – The 6th

Moers Festival The Moers Festival is an annual international music festival in Moers, Germany. The festival has changed from concentrating on free jazz to including world and pop music, though it still invites many avant-garde jazz musicians. Performers at Moers ...

started in

Moers, Germany Moers (; older form: ''Mörs''; archaic Dutch: ''Murse'', ''Murs'' or ''Meurs'') is a German city on the western bank of the Rhine, close to Duisburg. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel. History Known earliest from 1186, the county of Moe ...

(May 27 – 30).

June

* 24 – The 24th

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 hire ...

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, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

(June 24 – July 4).

July

* 1 – The 11th

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

started in

Montreux, Switzerland Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...

(July 1 – 24). * 15 – The 2nd

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival w ...

started in

The Hague, Netherlands The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

(July 15 – 17).

September

* 16 – The 20th

Monterey Jazz Festival The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jaz ...

started in

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

(September 16 – 18).

Album releases

Muhal Richard Abrams Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...

: ''

1-OQA+19 ''1-OQA+19'' is an album by Muhal Richard Abrams released on the Italian Black Saint label in 1977 which features performances by Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall and Leonard Jones. Reception The Allmusic review states "Th ...

'' *

Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

: '' Air Time'' *

Neil Ardley Neil Richard Ardley (26 May 1937 – 23 February 2004) was a prominent English jazz pianist and composer, who also made his name as the author of more than 100 popular books on science and technology, and on music. Early years Neil Ardley ...

: ''Kaleidoscope of Rainbows'' * Derek Bailey: ''Company 5'' *

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (May 7, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a f ...

: ''

Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...

'' *

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A membe ...

: ''Birthright'' *Hamiet Bluiett: ''SOS'' *

Joanne Brackeen Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) is an American jazz pianist and music educator. Music career Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was a fan of pop p ...

: ''

AFT "Aft", in nautical terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning towards the stern (rear) of the ship, aircraft or spacecraft, when the frame of reference is within the ship, headed at the fore. For example, "Able Seaman Smith; lie aft!" or "Wh ...

'' *Joanne Brackeen: '' Tring-a-Ling'' *

Al Di Meola Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his works in jazz fusion and world music, he began his career as a guitarist of the group Return to Forever in 1974. Between the 1970s and 1980s, albums such as ' ...

: ''

Elegant Gypsy ''Elegant Gypsy'' is the second album by American jazz fusion guitarist Al Di Meola. It was released in 1977 by Columbia Records. Background ''Elegant Gypsy'' was a follow-up album to Di Meola's debut release, '' Land of the Midnight Sun''. The ...

'' * Michael Franks: '' Sleeping Gypsy'' *

Chico Freeman Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with ''Morning Prayer'', won the New York Jazz Award ...

: '' Chico'' *Chico Freeman: ''

Kings of Mali ''Kings Of Mali'' is a post-bop/avant-garde jazz LP by Chico Freeman on India Navigation Records IN 1035 in September 1977 and released in 1978. The lp, like many others recorded and produced by India Navigation in New York city, featured many of ...

'' *Chico Freeman: ''

No Time Left ''No Time Left'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman recorded in 1979 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' *

David Friesen David Friesen (born May 6, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American jazz bassist. He plays double bass and electric upright bass. Career Friesen began playing bass while serving in the United States Army in Germany. He played with John Hand ...

: ''Waterfall Rainbow'' *

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław ...

: ''

Places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government * "Place", a type of street or road name ** Often ...

'' * Gateway Trio: ''2'' *

Vinny Golia Vinny Golia (born March 1, 1946) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation. Career As a composer, Golia fuse ...

: ''Spirits In Fellowship'' * Globe Unity: ''Pearls'' *

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He i ...

: ''

The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to: Film and television * The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film * ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...

'' *

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

: ''Blue Boye'' *Julius Hemphill: ''

Raw Materials and Residuals ''Raw Materials and Residuals'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Julius Hemphill featuring cellist Abdul Wadud and percussionist Don Moye recorded in 1977 for the Italian Black Saint/Soul Note, Black Saint label.Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

: ''

Emerald Tears ''Emerald Tears'' is a solo album by bassist Dave Holland recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM label.Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

: '' My Song'' * Leroy Jenkins: ''

Lifelong Ambitions ''Lifelong Ambitions'' is a live album by American jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins recorded in 1977 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' *Leroy Jenkins: '' Solo Concert'' *

Sheila Jordan Sheila Jordan (born Sheila Jeanette Dawson; November 18, 1928) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a session musician with an array of critically acclaimed artists in addition to recording her own albums. Jordan pionee ...

: ''Sheila'' *

Ernie Krivda Ernie Krivda (born February 6, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio as Krvda Ernö) is a jazz saxophone player. Ernie Krivda began his professional career in 1963 with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. During the 1960s he played in bands of two Cleveland legends, ...

: ''Satanic'' * Steve Lacy: ''Raps'' *

Art Lande Art Lande is an American musician who was born in New York City, United States, on 5 February 1947. Born in New York, Lande began piano at age 4. He attended Williams College and moved to San Francisco in 1969. In 1973 he recorded '' Red Lanta,' ...

: ''

Desert Marauders ''Desert Marauders'' is an album by American jazz pianist Art Lande and the band Rubisa Patrol recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM Records, ECM label.

'' *

George Lewis George Lewis may refer to: Entertainment and art * George B. W. Lewis (1818–1906), circus rider and theatre manager in Australia * George E. Lewis (born 1952), American composer and free jazz trombonist * George J. Lewis (1903–1995), Mexican ...

: ''Chicago Slow Dance'' *George Lewis: ''Shadowgraph'' *

Frank Lowe Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Born and brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Fra ...

: ''Lowe and Behold'' *

Michael Mantler Michael Mantler (born August 10, 1943) is an Austrian avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer of contemporary music. Career: United States Mantler was born in Vienna, Austria. In the early 1960s, he was a student at the Academy of Music and V ...

: ''Movies'' *

Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione ( ; born November 29, 1940) is an American flugelhorn player, voice actor, trumpeter and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother, ...

: '' Feels So Good'' *

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...

: '' You Told Your Mama Not to Worry'' *

Cecil McBee Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of jazz albums. Biography Early life and career McBee was born in Tu ...

: ''

Music from the Source ''Music from the Source'' is a live album by bassist Cecil McBee's Sextet recorded at Sweet Basil in 1977 and released on the Enja label.

'' *

Joe McPhee Joe McPhee (born November 3, 1939) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist born in Miami, Florida, a player of tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, the trumpet, flugelhorn and valve trombone. McPhee grew up in Poughkeepsie, New York, and is ...

: ''

Graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture ...

'' *

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

: ''

Watercolors Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

'' *

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

: ''

Nonaah ''Nonaah'' is a double album recorded in 1976-77 by Roscoe Mitchell. It was originally released on the Nessa label in 1977 and features solo, duo, trio and quartet performances by Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Malachi Favors, Muhal Richard Abrams ...

'' *

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. He first came to prominence in the l ...

: ''

Dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

'' *

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

: ''

No Limit No Limit may refer to: Music Record labels *No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P *No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P Albums * ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977 * ''No Limit'' ...

'' *

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

: ''

Enigmatic Ocean ''Enigmatic Ocean'' is a studio album by French jazz fusion artist Jean-Luc Ponty, released in 1977. It features guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Daryl Stuermer, keyboardist Allan Zavod, bassist Ralphe Armstrong (with whom Ponty had played in M ...

'' * George Russell: '' Vertical Form 6'' *

Irene Schweizer Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United Stat ...

: ''

Hexensabbat ''Hexensabbat'' (''Witches' Sabbath'') is a solo piano album by Irène Schweizer. Two tracks were recorded live at the Townhall Charlottenburg in Berlin on October 8, 1977, and the remaining tracks were recorded at the FMP-Studio in Berlin on Octob ...

'' *

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in the ...

: '' East Meets West'' *

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

: ''

Rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...

'' *

John Tchicai John Martin Tchicai ( ; 28 April 1936 – 8 October 2012) was a Danish free jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Tchicai was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father. The family moved to Aarhus, where he st ...

: ''Real'' *

Radka Toneff Ellen Radka Toneff (25 June 1952 – 21 October 1982) was a Norwegian jazz singer, daughter of the Bulgarian folk singer, pilot and radio technician Toni Toneff, she was born in Oslo and grew up in Lambertseter and Kolbotn. She is still conside ...

: ''Fairytales'' *

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

: ''

Sound and Shadows In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

'' *

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

: '' Supertrios'' *

James Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "ragg ...

: '' Revealing'' *

Michael Urbaniak Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

: ''Urbaniak'' * Abdul Wadud: ''By Myself'' *

Collin Walcott Collin Walcott (April 24, 1945 – November 8, 1984) was an American musician who worked in jazz and world music. Early life Walcott was born in New York City, United States. He studied violin and tympani in his youth, and was a percussion stud ...

: ''

Grazing Dreams ''Grazing Dreams'' is the second album by American sitarist and composer Collin Walcott. It was recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM label later that year.

'' *

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and vocali ...

: '' Heavy Weather'' *

Kenny Wheeler Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active ...

: ''

Deer Wan ''Deer Wan'' is an album by Kenny Wheeler featuring performances by Wheeler with Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette with Ralph Towner appearing on one track. The album was recorded in 1977 and released on the ECM ...

'' *

World Saxophone Quartet The World Saxophone Quartet is an American jazz ensemble founded in 1977, incorporating elements of free jazz, R&B, funk and South African jazz into their music. The original members were Julius Hemphill (alto and soprano saxophone, flute), ...

: ''

Point Of No Return The point of no return (PNR or PONR) is the point beyond which one must continue on one's current course of action because turning back is dangerous, physically impossible or difficult, or prohibitively expensive. The point of no return can be a ...

'' *

Tommy Turk Thomas Eugene Turk (1927 – August 4, 1981) was an American jazz trombonist. Early life Tommy Turk was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1927. His father, Joseph, was a coal miner and self-taught trumpeter.Leonard, Vince, "Trombonist Turk Slai ...

: ''

The-Truth!!! Personnel Band *Flo Cassinelli – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone *Harry Bush – bass *John Schmidt – drums *Reid Jaynes – electric piano *Tommy Turk – trombone Production *Ralph Cominio – engineer *Dave O’Leary – engineer Refe ...

Deaths

; January * 2 –

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first rec ...

, American pianist and composer (born

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

). * 22 –

Maysa Matarazzo Maysa Figueira Monjardim (June 6, 1936 – January 22, 1977), better known as Maysa Matarazzo, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter, performer and actress. She is also associated with Bossa nova music but is widely known as a torch song (''fossa' ...

, Brazilian singer, composer, and actress (born

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

). ; February * 9 –

Buddy Johnson Woodrow Wilson "Buddy" Johnson (January 10, 1915 – February 9, 1977) was an American jump blues pianist and bandleader active from the 1930s through the 1960s. His songs were often performed by his sister Ella Johnson, most notably "Since I F ...

, American pianist and bandleader (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 1 ...

). * Billy Taylor Jr., American upright bassist (born

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

). * Julian Gould, American organist, pianist, and composer (born

). ; March * 23 –

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

, American trombonist (born

). * 27 –

Benny Moten Benny Moten (November 30, 1916 – March 27, 1977) was an American jazz bassist. Moten had a long career as a sideman from the early 1940s, including with Hot Lips Page, Jerry Jerome, Red Allen (1942–49, 1955–65 intermittently), Eddie ...

, American upright bassist (born

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

). ; April * 4 –

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mi ...

, American French hornist (born

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

). * 7 – Moon Mullens, American trumpeter (born

). * 21 –

Joe Garland Joseph Copeland Garland (August 15, 1903, Norfolk, Virginia – April 21, 1977, Teaneck, New Jersey) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger, best known for writing "In the Mood". Garland studied music at Shaw University and ...

, American saxophonist, composer, and arranger, "

In the Mood "In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...

" (born

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

). ; May * 22 –

Hampton Hawes Hampton Barnett Hawes Jr. (November 13, 1928 – May 22, 1977) was an American jazz pianist. He was the author of the memoir ''Raise Up Off Me'', which won the Deems-Taylor Award for music writing in 1975. Early life Hampton Hawes was born on N ...

, American pianist (born

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

). * 30 –

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " ...

, American alto saxophonist and composer (born

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

). ; June * 6 –

Art Mardigan Art Mardigian (February 12, 1923 - June 6, 1977), better known as Art Mardigan, was an American jazz drummer. Mardigan played with Tommy Reynolds in 1942 and served in the Army in 1943-44. After his discharge he worked extensively on the New Yo ...

, American drummer (born

). ; July * 22 –

Richie Kamuca Richie Kamuca (July 23, 1930 – July 22, 1977) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Musical career Kamuca was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and, like many players associated with West Coast jazz, grew up in the East befo ...

, American jazz tenor saxophonist (born

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

). * 27 –

Milt Buckner Milton Brent Buckner (July 10, 1915 – July 27, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, who in the early 1950s popularized the Hammond organ.Arwulf ArwulfMilt Buckner biography All Music. He pioneered the parallel chords styleFeathe ...

, American jazz pianist and organist (born

). ; September * 3 – Paloma Efron, Argentine singer (born

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

). * 5 – George Barnes, American guitarist (born

). October * 16 –

Milt Raskin Milt Raskin (January 27, 1916 – October 16, 1977) was an American swing jazz pianist. Born in Boston, Mass., Raskin played saxophone as a child before switching to piano at age 11. In the 1930s he attended the New England Conservatory of Mu ...

, American pianist (born

). ; November * 18 –

Teddi King Teddi King (September 18, 1929 – November 18, 1977) was an American jazz and pop vocalist. Born Theodora King in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, she won a singing competition hosted by Dinah Shore at Boston's Tributary Theatre, later beg ...

, American vocalist (born

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

). * 19 –

Sonny Criss William "Sonny" Criss (23 October 1927 – 19 November 1977) was an American jazz musician. An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker. Biography William Criss wa ...

, American alto saxophonist (born

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

). ; December * 5 –

Rahsaan Roland Kirk Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935Kernfeld, Barry.Kirk, Roland" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd ed. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. ''Grove Music Online''. ''Oxford Music Online''. Retrieved February 1, 2009-. "The year ...

, American saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

). * 27 – Sam Brown, American guitarist (born

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

). ; Unknown date *

J. C. Moses J.C. Moses (October 18, 1936 – 1977) was an American jazz drummer. He was born John Curtis Moses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, and first began playing around Pittsburgh in the 1950s with Stanley Turrentine and brother Tommy T ...

, American drummer (born

Births

; January * 8 –

Torun Eriksen Torun Eriksen (born 8 January 1977 in Lunde, Telemark) is a Norwegian jazz singer, whose musical talents first came to prominence as a music student at high school in Norway. Eriksen was born in Lunde, Telemark. From the age of six, she sang i ...

, Norwegian singer. * 10 –

Rhian Benson Rhiannon Afua "Rhian" Benson (born 10 January 1977 in Accra, Ghana) is a Ghanaian-British soul and jazz singer and songwriter. Early life Benson was born in Accra, Ghana, to a Welsh mother, who was a singer, and an Ashanti father, who was a gui ...

, Ghanaian-British singer and songwriter. * 13 –

Elliot Mason Elliot Mason (born 13 January 1977) is an English jazz trombonist. He also plays the keyboard and the bass trumpet. He has been praised by such musicians as Michael Brecker for his technical facility and innovative harmonically complex improvisa ...

, English trombonist. * 28 –

Sissel Vera Pettersen Sissel Vera Pettersen (born January 28, 1977, in Oslo, Norway is a Norwegian jazz vocalist, saxophonist and composer, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is known for her extended and experimental vocal techniques, often mixed with the use of live e ...

, Norwegian singer, saxophonist, and composer. * 31 –

Per Zanussi Per Zanussi (born 1977) is an Italian–Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, known from several bands and releases such as with Hamid Drake, Louis Moholo, Paal Nilssen-Love, Bobby Bradford, Sabir Mateen, Franklin Kiermyer, Stephe ...

, Italians–Norwegian upright bassist, composer, and band leader,

Wibutee Wibutee (initiated 1998 in Trondheim, originally a trio named Triangle 1996–98) is a jazz band from Norway, mixing influences from current electronic (dance) music, jazz rock and improvisation. Biography Wibutee was originally formed as the ...

. ; February * 2 – Evelina De Lain, Ukrain-English pianist, composer, and arranger. * 10 –

Shahin Novrasli Shahin Novrasli (born February 10, 1977) is an Azerbaijani jazz and classical pianist, and composer Early years Childhood Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 10 February 1977, Shahin is a descendant of celebrated 19th century Azerbaijani poet Mirza Ales ...

, Azerbaijani pianist. ; March * 4 –

Jason Marsalis Jason Marsalis (born March 4, 1977) is an American jazz drummer, vibraphone player, composer, producer, band leader, and member of the Marsalis family of musicians. He is the youngest son of Dolores Ferdinand Marsalis and the late Ellis Marsalis ...

, American drummer. * 6 –

Kirsti Huke Kirsti Huke (born March 6, 1977 in Melhus, Norway) is a Norwegian singer, and composer. Huke was best recognized as the lead singer for Norwegian doom metal/experimental band The 3rd and the Mortal in the final line-up. She is also known from c ...

, Norwegian singer and composer. * 8 –

Jef Neve Jef Neve (born 8 March 1977) is a Belgian jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Life and career Neve was born in Turnhout, Belgium.Hope, Alan (22 July 2014"Face of Flanders: Jef Neve" Flanders Today. By the age of 14 he was composing mu ...

, Belgian pianist and composer. * 10 –

Torstein Lofthus Torstein Lofthus (born 10 March 1977) is a Norwegian drummer and composer who has been a member of the bands Shining, Elephant9, the Mathias Eick Band, D'Sound, and Ebersson/Zanussi/Lofthus. He is married to Hege Lofthus. Career Lofthus has ...

, Norwegian drummer and composer. * 21 – Farnell Newton, American composer and trumpeter. * 26 –

Håvard Stubø Håvard Aasan Stubø (born 26 March 1977 in Narvik, Northern Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) and composer, son and musical successor of Jazz guitarist Thorgeir Stubø (1943–1986) and Grete Karin Aasan Stubø (b. 1943), and brothe ...

, Norwegian guitarist. * 30 –

Tor Egil Kreken Tor Egil Kreken (born 30 March 1977 in Norway) is a Norwegian musician (bass, banjo, guitars). Biography Kreken plays within the bands Eivind Aarset Trio (bass), Faircastle Four (guitar, banjo), Shining (bass), The Holstein United Bluegrass B ...

, Norwegian bass, banjo, and guitar player,

and Shining. ; April * 5 –

Håkon Kornstad Håkon Games Kornstad (born 5 April 1977 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, flute and live looping) and classically trained singer (tenor), known from bands such as Wibutee and Kornstad Trio, and col ...

, Norwegian tenor saxophonist and operatic tenor. * 21 – Andrea Veneziani, Italian upright bassist, composer, and arranger. * 28 –

Asbjørn Lerheim Asbjørn Erlend Lerheim (born 28 April 1977 in Ålesund, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz guitarist and music educater. Career Lerheim was raised in Langevåg, Sula, Møre og Romsdal, but has been based in Oslo since 1996. He is a graduate of music ...

, Norwegian guitarist and music teacher. * 30 –

Ole Jørn Myklebust Ole Jørn Myklebust (born 30 April 1977 in Eidsdal, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian Jazz musician (trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals), educated at the Norges Musikkhøgskole. Known for performing in Subtonic (band), Subtonic, Sigurd Køhn, Køhn ...

, Norwegian trumpeter, flugelhornist and vocalist. ; May * 10 –

Jasper Høiby Jasper Høiby (born 10 May 1977 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish Jazz musician (double bass) known for his virtuosity and high-energy eloquence. Career Høiby started to play the double bass in Denmark before he moved to the U.K. in 2001 to ...

, Danish upright bassist,

Phronesis ''Phronesis'' ( grc, φρόνησῐς, phrónēsis), translated into English by terms such as prudence, practical virtue and practical wisdom, or, colloquially, sense (as in "good sense", "horse sense") is an ancient Greek word for a type of w ...

. * 11 – Nicolai Munch-Hansen, Danish bassist and composer (died

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

). * 23 –

Mads Berven Mads Falck Berven (born 23 May 1977 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) and law graduate from University of Bergen, known from a series of albums and cooperations with the like of Øystein Moen, Eirik Hegdal, Mag ...

, Norwegian guitarist. ; June * 8 –

Frøy Aagre Frøy Aagre (born 8 June 1977 in Tønsberg, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist. Career Aagre is one of the leading saxophonists of Norway, playing tenor and soprano saxophone with an individual sound that builds on inspirations by such s ...

, Norwegian saxophonist. * 9 –

Atle Nymo Atle Nymo (born 9 June 1977) is a Norwegian jazz musician (tenor saxophone and bass clarinet), and the younger brother of Jazz saxophonist Frode Nymo. He is known for his contributions with the orchestras Motif, one of his main projects, and Tr ...

, Norwegian saxophonist, Motif and

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (TJO) (established 1999 in Trondheim, Norway) is an orchestral project based in Trondheim, and closely related to both the Midtnorsk Jazzsenter (MNJ - Mid Norwegian Jazz Center) and Jazz Line at the Trøndelag Conservator ...

. * 11 –

Ozan Musluoğlu Ozan Musluoğlu is a Turkish musician best known as a former member of the Turkish ska-punk band Athena. Musluoğlu was born in Germany in 1977 and started playing bass guitar at the age of 16. In 2000, he won a full scholarship to the Bilgi Un ...

, Turkish upright bassist and bass guitarist,

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

. * 30 – Brynjar Rasmussen, Norwegian clarinetist. ; July * 4 –

Sevda Alekbarzadeh Sevda Alekperzadeh ( az, Sevda Ələkbərzadə; born July 4, 1977) is an Azerbaijani singer. Sevda's grandfather, Abulgasan Alekperzade, is a national writer of Azerbaijan and author of the first Azerbaijani novel written in the Soviet period ...

, Azerbaijani female singer. * 11 – Will Vinson, English alto saxophonist and composer,

OWL Trio Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vi ...

. ; August * 18 –

Even Kruse Skatrud Even Kruse Skatrud (born 18 August 1977) lecturer at the University of Oslo, a Norwegian Jazz musician, composer, Music arranger and Orchestra leader. He is the son of musician Harry Andersen and Marit Skatrud Andersen, married to singer-artist ...

, Norwegian trombonist, Funky Butt. * 27 – Quincy Davis, American drummer. ; September * 1 –

Sinne Eeg Sinne Eeg (born 1 September 1977 in Lemvig, Denmark) is a Danish jazz vocalist and composer. Eeg has received a number of recognitions and positive reviews both nationally and internationally, and is considered among the best female jazz voca ...

, Danish singer. * 13 –

Julius Lind Julius Lind (born 13 September 1977) is a Norwegian jazz and rock bassist. Career Lind took his education at the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonsevatorium, and play within the bands "The Gin and tonic youth", "Ape club", "Action&Tension&S ...

, Norwegian upright bassist. * 17 – Jeff Ballard, American drummer. * 20 **

Dan Cray Dan Cray (born 20 September 1977) is an American jazz pianist most associated with Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = ...

, American pianist. **

Martin Horntveth Martin Horntveth (born 20 September 1977) is a Norwegian musician (primarily drummer), composer and electronica artist. He was born in Tønsberg, and is the younger brother of tubaist Line Horntveth, but is best known as the drummer and key me ...

, Norwegian drummer, composer and electronica artist,

Jaga Jazzist Jaga Jazzist (also known as Jaga) is a Norwegian experimental jazz band, that rose to prominence when the BBC named their second album, ''A Livingroom Hush'' (Smalltown Supersound/Ninja Tune), the best jazz album of 2002. (in Norwegian) Biograph ...

. ; October * 2 –

David Wallumrød David Wallumrød (born 2 October 1977 in Kongsberg, Norway) is a Norwegian pianist, known from cooperations with artists such as Knut Reiersrud, Torun Eriksen, Jarle Bernhoft, Marit Larsen, Maria Solheim, Vidar Busk, Bigbang, Maria Mena, Thomas ...

, Norwegian pianist and organist,

Needlepoint Needlepoint is a type of canvas work, a form of embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Traditionally needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas. Although needlepoint may be worked in a variety of stitches, m ...

. * 6 –

Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is an English choreographer whose work includes contemporary dance and dance theatre. Choreographer In 2007, Bourne contemplated a gay version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. Despite the succ ...

, British pianist and cellist. ; November * 1 –

Anine Kruse Anine Susanne Kruse Skatrud (born 1 November 1977 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian musician and choral conductor, the daughter of Professor of Music Gro Shetelig and the composer Bjørn Kruse, sister of actress and singers Jannike and Benedikte ...

, Norwegian singer and choral conductor,

Pitsj Pitsj (founded 1999 in Oslo, Norway) is a female Norwegians, Norwegian a cappella quintet. The band consists of Anine Kruse, Anine and Benedikte Shetelig Kruse, Benedikte Kruse, the twin sisters Ane Carmen Roggen, Ane Carmen and Ida Roggen, and An ...

. * 3 –

Jane Monheit Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977"Jane Monheit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 33. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-05-07.) is an American jazz and pop singer. Early life Monheit was b ...

, American singer. * 5 –

Ida Sand Ida Kristina Sand (born 5 November 1977) is a Swedish jazz singer and pianist. Ida Sand was born in Stockholm, and studied music at Högskolan för scen och musik in University of Gothenburg The University of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs univ ...

, Swedish singer and pianist. * 20 –

Florian Weber Florian Weber (born 11 November 1977) is a German pianist and composer of modern jazz. Early life and education Weber was born on 11 November 1977 in Detmold. His family was musical: "his father was a music professor and his mother an opera singe ...

, German pianist and composer. ; December * 23 **

Tore Johansen Tore Johansen (born 23 December 1977) is a Norwegian jazz trumpeter and the younger brother of drummer Roger Johansen. He has worked with Chick Corea, Karin Krog, Kenny Wheeler, Steve Swallow, Lars Jansson, Hal Galper, Siri Gellein, and Jan Gunn ...

, Norwegian trumpeter and composer. ** Verneri Pohjola, Finnish trumpeter. ; Unknown date * Andreas Haddeland, Norwegian guitarist. * Giuliano Modarelli, Italian guitarist. *

Tomeka Reid Tomeka Reid (born 1977) is an American composer, improviser, cellist, curator, and teacher. Reid has performed and recorded with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, the AACM Great Black Music Ensemble, Mike Reed's ...

, American cellist and improvisational musician.

References

External links

History Of Jazz Timeline: 1977
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

April

May

June

July

September

Album releases

Deaths

Births

See also

References

External links