1902 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1902.

Events

Jelly Roll Morton start to get attention in the New Orleans scene, at the age of 17 years, as a brothel piano player. He primarily plays Ragtime and a little Blues at this point. He is one of the first to play this mix that is a forerunner of Jazz. He later claimed to have invented Jazz in this year by combining Ragtime, Quadrilles and Blues.

Births

; January3 – Preston Jackson, American trombonist.9 – Mel Stitzel, German-American pianist, New Orleans Rhythm Kings.13 – Putney Dandridge, African-American bandleader, jazz pianist and vocalist.23 – Benny Waters, American saxophonist and clarinetist.
; February6 – George Brunies, American trombonist.
; March11 – Chauncey Morehouse, American drummer.16 – Leon Roppolo, American clarinetist.30 – Ted Heath, English musician and big band leader.
; April6 – Rosy McHargue, American clarinetist.24 – Rube Bloom, Jewish-American songwriter, pianist, arranger, band leader, singer, and author.
; June6 – Jimmie Lunceford, American alto saxophonist and bandleader.7 – Ed Cuffee, American trombonist.17 – Chris Columbus, American drummer.26 – Artemi Ayvazyan, Soviet-Armenian composer, conductor, and founder of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra.27 – Georg Malmstén, Finnish singer, musician, composer, orchestra conductor, and actor.
; July4 – Erik Tuxen, Danish big band leader, composer, and arranger.7 – Jim McCartney, English trumpeter and pianist.19

* Buster Bailey, American clarinet, but also well versed on saxophone.
* Cliff Jackson, American stride pianist.21 – Omer Simeon, American clarinetist and reedist.

; August21 – Lloyd Scott, American drummer and bandleader.
; September17 – Louis Nelson, American trombonist.
; October12 – Jimmy Archey, American trombonist.24 – Louis Barbarin, American drummer.25 – Eddie Lang, American guitarist.
; November29 – Danny Alvin, American drummer and bandleader.
; December7 – Cecil Irwin, American reedist and arranger.
; Unknown date

Barney Josephson, founder of Café Society in Greenwich Village.
Shirley Clay, American trumpeter.