1985 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1985.

1985 in jazz
Ornette Coleman's Prime Time at the Caravan of Dream in 1985
Decade	1980s in jazz
Music	1985 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1984 in jazz – 1986 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

March

• 29 – The 12th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 29 – 31).^[1]

May

• 24 – 14th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 24 – 27).^[2]
• 22 – 13th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 22 – June 5).^[3]

June

• 28 – The 6th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 28 – July 7).^[4]

July

• 4 – The 19th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 4 – 20).^[5]
• 12 – The 10th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 12 – 14).^[6]

August

• 16 – The 2nd Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 16 – 18).^[7]

September

• 20 – The 28th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 20 – 22).^[8]

Album releases

• Ornette Coleman and Prime Time: Opening the Caravan of Dreams
• Abdullah Ibrahim: Water From an Ancient Well
• Butch Morris: Current Trends In Racism
• Bobby Previte: Bump The Renaissance
• George Russell: The African Game
• Rova Saxophone Quartet: The Crowd
• Lyle Mays: Lyle Mays
• David Liebman: The Loneliness Of A Long-Distance Runner
• James Newton: Water Mystery
• Hank Robertson: Transparency
• David Torn: Best Laid Plans
• Borbetomagus: Borbeto Jam
• Mark Nauseef: Wun Wun
• Kip Hanrahan: Vertical Currency
• Patrick O'Hearn: Ancient Dreams
• Don Pullen: The Sixth Sense
• John Carter: Castles of Ghana
• Gerry Hemingway: Outerbridge Crossing
• Leni Stern: Clairvoyant
• Marc Johnson: Bass Desires
• Terje Rypdal: Chaser
• Tom Harrell: Moon Alley
• Wynton Marsalis: Black Codes (From the Underground)
• Wynton Marsalis: J Mood
• Paul Winter: Canyon
• Tony Williams: Civilization
• Michael Mantler: Alien
• Herbie Hancock: Village Life
• The Manhattan Transfer: Vocalese
• Michael Franks: Skin Dive
• Ben Sidran: On the Cool Side
• John Hicks Trio: Inc. 1
• Hugh Masekela: Waiting for the Rain

Deaths

January

• 7 – Johnny Guarnieri, American pianist (born 1917).
• 10 – Cie Frazier, American drummer (born 1904).
• 11 – Kenny Clare, English drummer (born 1929).
• 18 – Georgie Stoll, American musical director, conductor, composer, and violinist (born 1905).
• 26 – Kenny Clarke, American drummer and bandleader (born 1914).

February

• 22 – Frank Traynor, Australian trombonist and entrepreneur (born 1927).
• 27 – Ray Ellington, English singer, drummer, and bandleader (born 1916).

March

• 13 – Annette Hanshaw, American singer (born 1901).
• 23 – Zoot Sims, American saxophonist (born 1925).
• 30 – Shizuko Kasagi, Japanese singer (born 1914).

April

• 21 – Irving Mills, American music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz artist promoter (born 1894).

May

• 2 – Larry Clinton, American trumpeter, bandleader, and songwriter (born 1909).
• 24 – Joe Darensbourg, American clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1906).
• 27 – Skeeter Best, American guitarist (born 1914).

June

• 15 – David "Buck" Wheat, American bassist, songwriter and recording artist (born 1922).

July

• 1
  • Dick Vance, American trumpeter (born 1915).
  • Lonnie Hillyer, American trumpeter (born 1940).
• 4 – Chris Woods, American alto saxophonist (born 1925).
• 11 – George Duvivier, American upright bassist (born 1920).

August

• 1 – Sam Wooding, American pianist, arranger, and bandleader (born 1895).
• 11 – Nick Ceroli, American drummer (born 1939).
• 19 – Cedric Wallace, American upright bassist (born 1909).
• 30 – Philly Joe Jones, American drummer (born 1923).

September

• 3 – Jo Jones, American drummer (born 1911).
• 6
  • Johnny Desmond, American singer (born 1919).
  • Little Brother Montgomery, American pianist and singer (born 1906).
• 15 – Cootie Williams, American trumpeter (born 1911).
• 18 – Ed Lewis, American trumpeter (born 1909).
• 19 – Charlie Holmes, American alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era (born 1910).
• George Clarke, American tenor saxophonist (born 1911).

October

• 12 – Blind John Davis, African American, blues, jazz and boogie-woogie pianist and singer (born 1913).
• Nelson Boyd, American bassist (born 1928).

November

• 4 – Richard Williams, American trumpeter (born 1931).
• 12 – Dicky Wells, American trombonist (born 1907).
• 13 – Max Miller, American pianist and vibraphonist (born 1911).
• 24 – Big Joe Turner, American blues shouter (born 1911).

Marius Neset at Victoria during the 2015 Oslo Jazzfestival.

December

• 9
  • Calvin Jackson, American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1919).
  • Charlie Munro, American reedist and flautist (born 1917).
• 28 – Benny Morton, American trombonist most associated with the swing genre (born 1907).

Unknown date

• Leon Prima, American trumpeter (born 1907).

Births

Eyolf Dale 2017 at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo.

David Six at the 2014 Odessa Jazz Festival.

Alexa Ray Joel

January

• 2
  • André Roligheten, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.
  • Marius Neset, Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.
• 11 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and musician.
• 29 – Jon Rune Strøm, Norwegian upright bassist, and bass guitarist.

February

• 2 – Melody Gardot, American singer, writer and musician.
• 8 – Dario Chiazzolino, Italian guitarist and composer.
• 19 – Kristoffer Lo, Norwegian tubist, flugabonist, guitarist, and composer.

March

• 5 – Eyolf Dale, Norwegian pianist and composer.

May

• 3 – Louis Cato, American drummer, bassist, guitarist, singer, and composer.

• 14 – Tore Sandbakken, Norwegian drummer and composer.

June

• 12 – Olivia Trummer, German pianist, vocalist, and composer.
• 20 – Ellen Brekken, Norwegian upright bassist, guitar bassist, and tubist.

July

• 18 – Theo Croker, American trumpeter, singer, and bandleader from Leesburg, Florida.
• 22 – Camila Meza, Chilean singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 25 – Tom Harrison, British alto saxophonist and flautist.
• 31 – Aaron Weinstein, American violinist and mandolinist.

August

• 14 – David Six, Austrian pianist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.
• 22 – Kim Johannesen, Norwegian guitarist.
• 30 – Rachael Price, American vocalist from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

September

• 10 – Live Foyn Friis, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 22 – Aaron Diehl, American pianist.

October

• 7 – Alfredo Rodríguez, Cuban pianist and composer.
• 15 – Øystein Skar, Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 29 – Ximena Sariñana, Mexican singer-songwriter and actress

December

• 19 – Ine Hoem, Norwegian singer.
• 29 – Alexa Ray Joel, American singer, songwriter and pianist.

Unknown date

• Paul Carnegie-Jones, New Zealand pianist.
• Per Arne Ferner, Norwegian guitarist.

See also

• 1980s portal
• Jazz portal

• 1980s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1985 in music