1915 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1915.

Events

The exact year in which the musical style called jazz began is subject to debate, as are the origins of the word and what exactly qualifies as jazz. Certainly, the term had come to be used by 1915 for a form of music based on New Orleans Ragtime music. Some of the earliest standards first appeared in 1915, and some musicians who went on to become famous in the golden age of jazz were born in that year.
Tom Brown's band from New Orleans goes to Chicago, Illinois and start advertising themselves as a "Jas Band"

Standards

Some credit the first jazz recordings to Afro-Creole pianist Jelly Roll Morton. His "Jelly Roll Blues", which he composed around 1905, was published in 1915 as the first jazz arrangement in print, introducing more musicians to the New Orleans style.

Births

; January2 – Nick Fatool, American drummer.7

* Chano Pozo, Afro-Cuban percussionist and singer.
* Keg Purnell, American swing jazz drummer.10 – Buddy Johnson, American pianist and bandleader.21 – Julian Gould, American organist, pianist and composer.23 – Scoops Carry, American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.29 – John Serry Sr., American accordionist virtuoso.31 – Bobby Hackett, American trumpeter and guitarist.

; February3 – Bill Miller, American pianist.15 – Taft Jordan, American trumpeter.22 – Cee Pee Johnson, American drummer and vocalist.25 – Ray Perry, American violinist and saxophonist.28 – Lee Castle, American trumpeter and bandleader.
; March18 – Al Hall, American upright bassist.21 – Hank D'Amico, American clarinetist.25 – Linton Garner, American pianist.26 – Flip Phillips, American tenor saxophonist and clarinetist.29 – George Chisholm, Scottish trombonist.
; April7 – Billie Holiday, American singer.19 – Vi Burnside, American saxophonist and bandleader.29 – Donald Mills, American singer, The Mills Brothers.
; May2 – Van Alexander, American bandleader, arranger, and composer.15 – Gus Viseur, Belgian-French button accordionist.16 – Marlowe Morris, American pianist and organist.26

* Murray Kane, American Corporal, composer, and band manager.
* Vernon Alley, American bassist.27 – Midge Williams, African-American singer.

; June9 – Les Paul, American guitarist, songwriter, and inventor.12 – Zeke Zarchy, American lead trumpeter.15 – Allan Reuss, American guitarist.27 – Harry Gibson, pianist, singer, proto-rapper, and songwriter.28 – Henry Adler, American drummer and percussionist.
; July1 – Willie Dixon, American vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and record producer.10 – Milt Buckner, American pianist and organist.23 – Emmett Berry, American trumpeter.24 – Herbie Haymer, American reedist.31 – George Kelly, American tenor saxophonist and vocalist.
; August4 – Irving Fields, American pianist and lounge music artist.12 – Doc West, American drummer.15 – Morey Feld, American drummer.16

* Murray McEachern, Canadian trombonist and alto saxophonist.
* Al Hibbler, American baritone singer, Duke Ellington Orchestra.23 – Graciela, Afro-Cuban singer.24 – Wynonie Harris, American rhythm and blues singer.

; September15 – Al Casey, American guitarist.
; October4 – Chino Pozo, Cuban drummer.10 – Sweets Edison, American trumpeter.19 – Frances Klein, American trumpeter.31

* Chris Griffin, American trumpeter
* Jane Jarvis, American pianist and composer.

; November14

* Billy Bauer, American guitarist.
* Martha Tilton, American singer.17 – Shorty Sherock, American trumpeter.18 – Boots Mussulli, Italian-American jazz saxophonist.25 – Gus Bivona, American reedist.26 – Earl Wild, American pianist.28 – Dick Vance, American trumpeter and arranger.29 – Billy Strayhorn, American composer and pianist.

; December4 – Eddie Heywood, American pianist.5 – Kansas Fields, American drummer.12 – Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor.16 – Turk Murphy, American trombonist.26 – Una Mae Carlisle, American singer, pianist, and songwriter.