1978 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1978.

1978 in jazz
Pharoah Sanders, Reggie Workman, and unidentified drummer, c. 1978
Decade	1970s in jazz
Music	1978 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1977 in jazz – 1979 in jazz

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Events

Lester Bowie at moers festival 1978.

March

• 17 – The 5th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 17–19).^[1]

May

• 12 – The 7th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 12–15).^[2]
• 24 – The 6th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 24 – June 7).^[3]

July

• 1 – The 25th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 1–3).^[4]
• 7 – The 12th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 7–23).^[5]
• 14 – The 3rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 14–16).^[6]
• 28 – The very first Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 28 – August 17).^[7]

September

• 15 – The 21st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).^[8]

Album releases

• Chick Corea: The Mad Hatter
• Chick Corea: Secret Agent
• Chick Corea: Friends
• Air: Open Air Suit
• Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela
• Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Main Event Live
• Fred Anderson: Another Place
• Art Ensemble of Chicago: Nice Guys
• Kenny Barron: Innocence
• Carla Bley: Musique Mecanique
• Arthur Blythe: Bush Baby
• Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown
• Lester Bowie: African Children
• Anthony Braxton: For Four Orchestras
• Andrew Cyrille: Metamusicians' Stomp
• Anthony Davis: Of Blues and Dream
• Al Di Meola: Casino
• Joe Farrell: Night Dancing
• Michael Franks: Burchfield Nines
• Chico Freeman: The Outside Within
• Ganelin Trio: Concerto Grosso
• Egberto Gismonti: Solo
• Guenter Hampel: Freedom Of The Universe
• Guenter Hampel: Oasis
• Gerry Hemingway: Kwambe
• Ernie Krivda: The Alchemist
• Leroy Jenkins: The Legend of Ai Glatson
• Quincy Jones: Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!
• John Klemmer: Arabesque
• Oliver Lake: Life Dance of Is
• George Lewis: The Imaginary Suite
• David Liebman: Pendulum
• Chuck Mangione: Feels So Good
• John McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist
• Misha Mengelberg: Pech Onderweg
• Pat Metheny: Pat Metheny Group
• Roscoe Mitchell: L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples
• John Oswald: Improvised
• Evan Parker: Monoceros
• Marvin Peterson: The Light
• Jean-Luc Ponty: Cosmic Messenger
• Don Pullen: Warriors
• Dewey Redman: Soundsigns
• Sam Rivers: Waves
• Max Roach & Anthony Braxton: Birth and Rebirth
• Rova Saxophone Quartet: Cinema Rovate
• Leo Smith: The Mass on the World
• Peter Sprague: Dance of the Universe
• Spyro Gyra: Spyro Gyra
• Sun Ra: Lanquidity
• Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis
• Cecil Taylor: Cecil Taylor Unit
• Ralph Towner: Batik
• James Blood Ulmer: Tales of Captain Black
• Weather Report: Mr. Gone
• Paul Winter: Common Ground
• World Saxophone Quartet: Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet

Deaths

January

• 23 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and vocalist (unintentional self-inflicted gunshot), Chicago (born 1946).
• 31 – Gregory Herbert, American saxophonist and flautist, Blood, Sweat & Tears (born 1947).

February

• 26
  • Frances Wayne, American vocalist (born 1924).
  • Alix Combelle, French tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born 1912).

March

• 4 – Joe Marsala, Italian-American clarinetist and songwriter (born 1907).
• 21 – Louis Cottrell Jr., American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1911).
• 25 – Richard Plunket Greene, English musician and author, Bright Young Things (born 1901).
• 30 – Larry Young, American organist and occasional pianist (born 1940).

April

• 3 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, arranger, radio comedian, and actor (born 1903).

May

• 19 – Teddy Hill, American big band leader and multi-instrumentalist (born 1909).
• 28
  • Marlowe Morris, American jazz pianist and organist (born 1915).
  • Money Johnson, American jazz trumpeter (born 1918).

June

• Bud Brisbois, American trumpeter (born 1937).

July

• 4 – Arne Hülphers, Swedish pianist and bandleader (born 1904).
• 14 – Lennie Hastings, English drummer (born 1927).
• 20 – Teddy Bunn, American guitarist, Spirits of Rhythm (born 1909).

August

• 14 – Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist (born 1903).
• 15 – Irene Kral, American jazz singer (born 1932).
• 24 – Louis Prima, Italian-American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter (born 1910).

September

• 9 – Kaoru Abe, Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist (born 1949).
• 30 – Beryl Booker, American pianist (born 1922).

November

• 16 – Jimmy Nottingham, American jazz trumpeter (born 1925).
• 18 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1919).
• 26 – Frank Rosolino, American trombonist (born 1926).

December

• 17 – Don Ellis, American big-bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and film composer (born 1934).
• 29 – Happy Caldwell, American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1903).

Unknown date

• Bill Jennings, American guitarist and composer (born 1919).

Births

January

• 3 – Susana Santos Silva, Portuguese trumpeter, flugelhornist, and flautist.
• 9 – China Moses, American singer.
• 10
  • Kekko Fornarelli, Italian pianist and composer.
  • Soweto Kinch, British saxophonist.

February

• 9 – Clarice Assad, Brazilian-American composer, pianist, and singer.
• 12 – Masayuki Hiizumi, Japanese keyboardist and producer.
• 14 – Cem Tuncer, Turkish guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer.

March

• 5 – Søren Kjærgaard, Danish pianist, composer, and bandleader.
• 18 – Videlina Mircheva, Bulgarian singer and songwriter.
• 24 – Andrew McCormack, British pianist.

April

• 6 – Robert Glasper, American pianist and record producer.
• 11 – Jakob Bro, Danish guitarist.
• 15 – Susanne Alt, Dutch saxophonist and composer.

May

• 7 – Antal Pusztai, Hungarian guitarist.
• 10 – Nils Janson, Swedish composer and trumpeter.
• 25 – Michael Wollny, German pianist.
• 29 – Sean Jones, American trumpeter and composer.

June

• 10 – Jukka Eskola, Finnish trumpeter and flugelhornist.

August

• 6 – Andreas Öberg, Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and music producer.
• 12 – Chris Jennings, Canadian upright bassist, composer, arranger, and educator.
• 27 – Susy Kane, English actress, comedy writer and musician.
• 31
  • Morten Qvenild, Norwegian jazz pianist, band leader and producer, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.
  • Tineke Postma, Dutch saxophonist.

June

• 17 – Esben Selvig, Norwegian rapper and singer.

September

• 2 – Jonas Kullhammar, Swedish composer and saxophonist.
• 16
  • Ane Carmen Roggen, Norwegian singer, conductor, and arranger, Pitsj.
  • Ida Roggen, Norwegian singer, Pitsj.
• 23 – Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen, Finnish guitarist, pianist, composer, bandleader and producer.
• 29 – Luca Gianquitto, Italian guitarist and composer.

October

• 5 – Steinar Nickelsen, Norwegian Hammond organist, pianist, and composer.
• 8 – Mike Moreno, American guitarist and composer.
• 12 – Børge-Are Halvorsen, Norwegian saxophonist and flautist.
• 16 – Eva Kruse, German upright bassist and composer.

November

• 1 – Rozina Pátkai, Hungarian singer, songwriter, and visual artist.
• 3 – Jonas Howden Sjøvaag, Norwegian jazz drummer.
• 5 – Marita Røstad, Norwegian singer-songwriter.
• 9 – Even Ormestad, Norwegian bass guitarist and music producer, Jaga Jazzist.
• 19
  • Matt Dusk, Canadian vocalist.
  • Janek Gwizdala, English bassist.

December

• 28 – Terrace Martin, American saxophonist and producer.
• 30
  • Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Danish-Norwegian guitarist.
  • Julie Dahle Aagård, Norwegian vocalist, composer, and band leader.

Unknown date

• Marc Demuth, Luxembourgian upright bassist, bass guitarist, and composer.
• Mikkel Ploug, Danish guitarist and composer.
• Niels Klein, German saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
• Robi Botos, Hungarian-Canadian pianist and composer.

See also

• Jazz portal

• 1970s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1978 in music