1977 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1977.

1977 in jazz
Ben Riley Heath Brothers concert Rockefeller Center, NYC June 1977
Decade	1970s in jazz
Music	1977 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1976 in jazz – 1978 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

April

• 1 – The 4th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 1 – 3).^[1]

May

• 25 – The 5th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 25 – June 8).^[2]
• 27 – The 6th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 27 – 30).^[3]

June

• 24 – The 24th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (June 24 – July 4).^[4]

July

• 1 – The 11th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 1 – 24).^[5]
• 15 – The 2nd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 15 – 17).^[6]

September

• 16 – The 20th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 16 – 18).^[7]

Album releases

• Muhal Richard Abrams: 1-OQA+19
• Air: Air Time
• Neil Ardley: Kaleidoscope of Rainbows
• Derek Bailey: Company 5
• Arthur Blythe: Metamorphosis
• Hamiet Bluiett: Birthright
• Hamiet Bluiett: SOS
• Joanne Brackeen: AFT
• Joanne Brackeen: Tring-a-Ling
• Al Di Meola: Elegant Gypsy
• Michael Franks: Sleeping Gypsy
• Chico Freeman: Chico
• Chico Freeman: Kings of Mali
• Chico Freeman: No Time Left
• David Friesen: Waterfall Rainbow
• Jan Garbarek: Places
• Gateway Trio: Gateway 2
• Vinny Golia: Spirits In Fellowship
• Globe Unity: Pearls
• Louis Hayes: The Real Thing
• Julius Hemphill: Blue Boyé
• Julius Hemphill: Raw Materials and Residuals
• Julius Hemphill: Roi Boyé & the Gotham Minstrels
• Dave Holland: Emerald Tears
• Keith Jarrett: My Song
• Leroy Jenkins: Lifelong Ambitions
• Leroy Jenkins: Solo Concert
• Sheila Jordan: Sheila
• Ernie Krivda: Satanic
• Steve Lacy: Raps
• Art Lande: Desert Marauders
• George Lewis: Chicago Slow Dance
• George Lewis: Shadowgraph
• Frank Lowe: Lowe and Behold
• Michael Mantler: Movies
• Chuck Mangione: Feels So Good
• Hugh Masekela: You Told Your Mama Not to Worry
• Cecil McBee: Music from the Source
• Joe McPhee: Graphics
• Pat Metheny: Watercolors
• Roscoe Mitchell: Nonaah
• Paul Motian: Dance
• Art Pepper: No Limit
• Jean-Luc Ponty: Enigmatic Ocean
• George Russell: Vertical Form 6
• Irene Schweizer: Hexensabbat
• John Scofield: East Meets West
• Woody Shaw: Rosewood
• John Tchicai: Real
• Radka Toneff: Fairytales
• Ralph Towner: Sound and Shadows
• McCoy Tyner: Supertrios
• James Ulmer: Revealing
• Michael Urbaniak: Urbaniak
• Abdul Wadud: By Myself
• Collin Walcott: Grazing Dreams
• Weather Report: Heavy Weather
• Kenny Wheeler: Deer Wan
• World Saxophone Quartet: Point Of No Return
• Tommy Turk: The-Truth!!!

Deaths

January

• 2 – Erroll Garner, American pianist and composer (born 1923).
• 22 – Maysa Matarazzo, Brazilian singer, composer, and actress (born 1936).

February

• 9 – Buddy Johnson, American pianist and bandleader (born 1915).
• Billy Taylor Jr., American upright bassist (born 1925).
• Julian Gould, American organist, pianist, and composer (born 1915).

March

• 23 – Bennie Green, American trombonist (born 1923).
• 27 – Benny Moten, American upright bassist (born 1916).

April

• 4 – Julius Watkins, American French hornist (born 1921).
• 7 – Moon Mullens, American trumpeter (born 1916).
• 21 – Joe Garland, American saxophonist, composer, and arranger, "In the Mood" (born 1903).

May

• 22 – Hampton Hawes, American pianist (born 1928).
• 30 – Paul Desmond, American alto saxophonist and composer (born 1924).

June

• 6 – Art Mardigan, American drummer (born 1923).

July

• 22 – Richie Kamuca, American jazz tenor saxophonist (born 1930).
• 27 – Milt Buckner, American jazz pianist and organist (born 1915).

September

• 3 – Paloma Efron, Argentine singer (born 1912).
• 5 – George Barnes, American guitarist (born 1921).

October

• 16 – Milt Raskin, American pianist (born 1916).

November

• 18 – Teddi King, American vocalist (born 1929).
• 19 – Sonny Criss, American alto saxophonist (born 1927).

December

• 5 – Rahsaan Roland Kirk, American saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1935).
• 27 – Sam Brown, American guitarist (born 1939).

Unknown date

• J. C. Moses, American drummer (born 1936).

Births

January

• 8 – Torun Eriksen, Norwegian singer.
• 10 – Rhian Benson, Ghanaian-British singer and songwriter.
• 13 – Elliot Mason, English trombonist.
• 28 – Sissel Vera Pettersen, Norwegian singer, saxophonist, and composer.
• 31 – Per Zanussi, Italians–Norwegian upright bassist, composer, and band leader, Wibutee.

February

• 2 – Evelina De Lain, Ukrainian-English pianist, composer, and arranger.
• 10 – Shahin Novrasli, Azerbaijani pianist.

March

• 4
  • Jason Marsalis, American drummer, vibraphonist, and composer.
  • Dan Weiss, American drummer and composer.
• 6 – Kirsti Huke, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 8 – Jef Neve, Belgian pianist and composer.
• 10 – Torstein Lofthus, Norwegian drummer and composer.
• 21 – Farnell Newton, American composer and trumpeter.
• 26 – Håvard Stubø, Norwegian guitarist.
• 30 – Tor Egil Kreken, Norwegian bass, banjo, and guitar player, Wibutee and Shining.

April

• 5 – Håkon Kornstad, Norwegian tenor saxophonist and operatic tenor.
• 21 – Andrea Veneziani, Italian upright bassist, composer, and arranger.
• 28 – Asbjørn Lerheim, Norwegian guitarist and music teacher.
• 30 – Ole Jørn Myklebust, Norwegian trumpeter, flugelhornist and vocalist.

May

• 10 – Jasper Høiby, Danish upright bassist, Phronesis.
• 11 – Nicolai Munch-Hansen, Danish bassist and composer (died 2017).
• 23 – Mads Berven, Norwegian guitarist.

June

• 8 – Frøy Aagre, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 9 – Atle Nymo, Norwegian saxophonist, Motif and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.
• 11 – Ozan Musluoğlu, Turkish upright bassist and bass guitarist, Athena.
• 30 – Brynjar Rasmussen, Norwegian clarinetist.

July

• 4 – Sevda Alekbarzadeh, Azerbaijani female singer.
• 11 – Will Vinson, English alto saxophonist and composer, OWL Trio.

August

• 18 – Even Kruse Skatrud, Norwegian trombonist, Funky Butt.
• 27 – Quincy Davis, American drummer.

September

• 1 – Sinne Eeg, Danish singer.
• 13 – Julius Lind, Norwegian upright bassist.
• 20
  • Dan Cray, American pianist.
  • Martin Horntveth, Norwegian drummer, composer and electronica artist, Jaga Jazzist.

October

• 2 – David Wallumrød, Norwegian pianist and organist, Needlepoint.
• 6 – Matthew Bourne, British pianist and cellist.

November

• 1 – Anine Kruse, Norwegian singer and choral conductor, Pitsj.
• 3 – Jane Monheit, American singer.
• 5 – Ida Sand, Swedish singer and pianist.
• 20 – Florian Weber, German pianist and composer.

December

• 12 – Lage Lund, Norwegian guitarist.
• 23
  • Tore Johansen, Norwegian trumpeter and composer.
  • Verneri Pohjola, Finnish trumpeter.

Unknown date

• Andreas Haddeland, Norwegian guitarist.
• Giuliano Modarelli, Italian guitarist.
• Tomeka Reid, American cellist and improvisational musician.

See also

• Jazz portal

• 1970s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1977 in music