1930 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1930.
Musicians born that year included Ornette Coleman, Herbie Mann, Helen Merrill, Sonny Rollins, Ray Charles and Clifford Brown.

Events

The Great Depression had started. Unemployment rates had risen to 25% of the workforce, and up to 60% of African American men were out of work. Cities were crowded with workseekers. Black musicians were not allowed to play in studios or on radio. However, jazz music was resilient. While businesses, including the record industry, were down, the dance halls were packed with people dancing the jitterbug to the music of big bands, which would come to be called swing music.

Standards

In 1930 standards published included "Body and Soul", "But Not for Me" and "Embraceable You".

Births

; January1 – Ack van Rooyen, Dutch trumpeter and flugelhornist.5 – Oscar Klein, Austrian trumpeter.11

* Jack Nimitz, American baritone saxophonist.
* Johnny Varro, American pianist.14 – Kenny Wheeler, Canadian composer and trumpeter.16 – Spike Robinson, British tenor saxophonist.23 – Erich Kleinschuster, Austrian trombonist and bandleader.29
* Derek Bailey, English guitarist.
* John Neely, American saxophonist.30 – Buddy Montgomery, American vibraphonist and pianist.

; February5 – Don Goldie, American trumpeter.8 – Joe Maini, American alto saxophonist.10 – Shungo Sawada, Japanese guitarist.24 – Richard B. Boone, American musician and scat singer.28 – Marty Grosz, American guitarist, banjoist, singer, and composer.
; March1 – Benny Powell, American trombonist.3 – Bob Hammer, American jazz pianist, composer and arranger.9

* Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist, violinist, and trumpeter.
* Vic Ash, English saxophonist and clarinetist.13 – Blue Mitchell, American trumpeter and composer.14 – Ed Wiley Jr., American tenor saxophonist.16 – Tommy Flanagan, American jazz pianist and composer.17
* Grover Mitchell, American trombonist.
* Paul Horn, American flautist and saxophonist.18 – Pat Halcox, English trumpeter.26 – Sivuca, Brazilian accordionist and guitarist.28
* Bill Hughes, American trombonist and bandleader.
* Eric Dixon, American saxophonist.

; April10 – Claude Bolling, French pianist and composer.15

* Herb Pomeroy, American trumpeter.
* Richard Davis, American upright bassist.16 – Herbie Mann, American flutist.17
* Chris Barber, English bandleader and trombonist.
* Sam Noto, American trumpeter.23 – Mikkel Flagstad, Norwegian saxophonist.24 – Frank Strazzeri, American pianist.29 – Joe Porcaro, American drummer.

; May1 – Little Walter, American singer and harmonica player.3 – Bob Havens, American trombonist.4 – Bill Eyden, English drummer.5 – Joyce Collins, American pianist and singer.8 – Papa Bue, Danish trombonist.13 – Erik Moseholm, Danish bassist.16 – Friedrich Gulda, Austrian pianist and composer.18 – Mike Zwerin, American trombonist and author.21 – Tommy Bryant, American upright bassist.22 – Kenny Ball, English trumpeter, bandleader, and vocalist.30 – Dave McKenna, American pianist.
; June3 – Dakota Staton, American singer.4 – Morgana King, American singer and actress.11 – Roy Fisher, British poet and pianist.16 – Marilyn Moore, American singer.26 – Jimmy Deuchar, Scottish trumpeter.
; July2 – Ahmad Jamal, American jazz pianist and composer.3

* Pete Fountain, American jazz clarinetist.
* Ron Collier, Canadian jazz trombonist.
* Ronnell Bright, American jazz pianist.
* Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist.7 – Hank Mobley, American saxophonist and composer.9 – Buddy Bregman, American arranger, producer, and composer.14 – Sabu Martinez, American conguero and percussionist.23 – Richie Kamuca, American jazz tenor saxophonist.25 – Annie Ross, British-American singer and actress.27
* Andy White, Scottish drummer.
* Einar Iversen, Norwegian pianist and composer.

; August2 – Eddie Locke, American drummer.6 – Abbey Lincoln, American singer and songwriter.11 – John Fischer, American pianist.12 – Stan Greig, Scottish pianist, drummer, and bandleader.14 – Eddie Costa, American pianist.19 – Jack Sharpe, English saxophonist and bandleader.21 – Christiane Legrand, French soprano, The Swingle Singers.22 – Rolf Billberg, Swedish alto saxophonist.31 – Big Tiny Little, American pianist.
; September7

* Francis Coppieters, Belgian pianist.
* Sonny Rollins, American tenor saxophonist.8 – Walter Benton, American tenor saxophonist.14 – Bill Berry, American trumpeter, Duke Ellington Orchestra.19 – Muhal Richard Abrams, American clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist.20 – Eddie Bo, American singer and pianist.23
* Irene Reid, American singer.
* Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter.27 – Gerhard Aspheim, Norwegian trombonist.

; October3 – Nancy Harrow, American jazz singer and songwriter.7 – George Girard, American trumpeter.8 – Pepper Adams, American baritone saxophonist and composer.28 – John Mayer, Indian composer.30 – Clifford Brown, American trumpeter. 31 – Booker Ervin, American saxophonist.
; November2 – Maxine Daniels, English singer.11 – Hank Garland, American guitarist.14 – Jay Migliori, American saxophonist.17 – David Amram, American composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist.
; December4 – Jim Hall, American guitarist.13 – Ben Tucker, American upright bassist .16 – Sam Most, American jazz flautist, clarinetist and saxophonist.28 – Ed Thigpen, American drummer.
; Unknown date

Derek Humble, English alto saxophonist.
Donald Washington Sr., American saxophonist.
Jackie Dougan, British drummer.