1917 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1917.
Musicians born in this year included Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk.

Events

February

26 – The Original Dixieland Jazz Band records the first jazz album, Livery Stable Blues. It was a success and paved the way for the first jazz records in US music shops.

Standards

In 1917 standards such as "Indiana" and "Tiger Rag" appeared.

Deaths

; April1 – Scott Joplin, American composer and pianist.

Births

; January9 – Jimmy Maxwell, American trumpeter.10 – Jerry Wexler, American music journalist and music producer.14 – Billy Butterfield, American band leader, trumpeter, flugelhornist and cornetist.16 – Sandy Block, American bassist.19

* Shep Shepherd, American drummer and trombonist.
* Streamline Ewing, American jazz trombonist.21 – Billy Maxted, American pianist.22 – Pud Brown, American reedist.23 – Fred Beckett, American trombonist.24 – Avery Parrish, American pianist and songwriter.25 – Floyd Smith, American guitarist and record producer.

; February21 – Tadd Dameron, American pianist and composer.23 – John Benson Brooks, American pianist, songwriter, arranger, and composer.28 – Max Jones, British jazz author, radio host, and journalist.
; March1 – Aimé Barelli, French trumpeter, vocalist, and band leader.14 – John Graas, American French horn player, composer, and arranger.16 – Junior Raglin, American upright bassist.19

* Buster Harding, Canadian-American pianist, composer, and arranger.
* Curley Russell, American upright bassist.23 – Johnny Guarnieri, American virtuoso jazz and stride pianist.27 – Dardanelle Hadley, American singer, vibraphonist, pianist, composer, and arranger.

; April3 – Bill Finegan, American bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer.7 – Mongo Santamaría, Afro-Cuban percussionist.10 – Morty Corb, American upright bassist.12 – Helen Forrest, American singer.21 – Joe Dixon, American reedist.25 – Ella Fitzgerald, American vocalist.27 – Denzil Best, American percussionist and composer.30

* Bea Wain, American singer.
* Frankie Lee Sims, American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

; May5 – Dalva de Oliveira, Brazilian singer .22 – Charlie Munro, New Zealand-Australian reedist and flautist.25 – Jimmy Hamilton, American clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, and composer.31 – Billie Rogers, American trumpeter and singer.
; June7 – Dean Martin, American singer, actor, comedian, and film producer.13 – Si Zentner, American trombonist and big band leader.19 – Dave Lambert, American lyricist and singer.
; July18

* Henri Salvador, French-Caribbean comedian and singer.
* Joe Comfort, American bassist.22 – Lou McGarity, American trombonist, violinist and vocalist.

; August3

* Charlie Shavers, American trumpeter.
* Les Elgart, American bandleader and trumpeter.7 – Mose Vinson, American pianist and singer.10 – J. C. Heard, American drummer.30 – Lena Horne, African-American singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist.

; September2

* Armando Trovajoli, Italian film composer and pianist.
* Laurindo Almeida, Brazilian virtuoso guitarist and composer.6 – Johnny Letman, American trumpeter.11 – John Adriano Acea, American pianist.24 – Jimmy Butts, American upright bassist.26 – Nelson Williams, American jazz trumpeter.30 – Buddy Rich, American jazz drummer and bandleader.

; October10 – Thelonious Monk, American pianist and composer.16 – Pat Flowers, American pianist and singer.21 – Dizzy Gillespie, trumpeter and bandleader.24 – Mike Pedicin, American saxophonist and bandleader.
; November7 – Howard Rumsey, American upright bassist.11 – Sonny White, American pianist.18 – Boots Mussulli, Italian-American saxophonist.
; December2 – Sylvia Syms (singer), American singer.4 – Russell Jacquet, American trumpeter.18 – Eddie Vinson, American alto saxophonist and blues shouter.
; Unknown date

Garnet Clark, American jazz pianist.