1931 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1931.

Deaths

; June14 – Jimmy Blythe, jazz and boogie woogie pianist.
; July4 – Buddie Petit, jazz cornetist.23 – Jimmy Harrison, American jazz trombonist.
; August6 – Bix Beiderbecke, American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.
; November4 – Buddy Bolden, cornetist.

; January1 – Rose Brennan, Irish singer.2 – Frank Marocco, American piano-accordionist.3 – John Jenkins, American saxophonist.5

* Alfred Brendel, Austrian pianist, poet and author.
* Dizzy Reece, Jamaican trumpeter.6 – Keith Christie, English trombonist.9 – Carson Smith, American upright bassist.12 – Roland Alphonso, Jamaican tenor saxophonist.14 – Caterina Valente, Italian singer, guitarist, dancer, and actress.19 – Horace Parlan, American pianist and composer.20 – Hachidai Nakamura, Japanese songwriter and pianist.22 – Sam Cooke, American singer and songwriter.23 – Gianni Coscia, Italian accordionist.30 – Gene Gammage, American drummer.

; February6 – John Pisano, American guitarist.11

* Bobby Lamb, Irish trombonist.
* Lionel Batiste, American singer and drummer.12 – Walt Groller, American accordionist.

; March4 – Sonya Hedenbratt, Swedish singer and actress.11 – Allan Ganley, English drummer.15

* D. J. Fontana, American drummer.
* Theo Bophela, South African band leader, composer, pianist, arranger, and music educator.17 – Karel Velebný, Czech vibraphonist, pianist, and saxophonist.25 – Paul Motian, American drummer and percussionist.

; April4 – Jake Hanna, American drummer.17 – David Axelrod, American composer and producer.18 – Willie Pickens, American pianist.22 – Joe Cuba, Puerto Rican-American conga drummer.27 – Krzysztof Komeda, Polish film composer and pianist.29 – Lonnie Donegan, Scottish guitarist, singer, and songwriter.30 – Dick Twardzik, American pianist.
; May1 – Ira Sullivan, American trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, and saxophonist.2 – Richard Holmes, American organist.4

* Ed Cassidy, American drummer.
* Richard Williams, American trumpeter.7 – Teresa Brewer, American singer.9 – Raymond Berthiaume, Canadian singer.11 – Freddie Roach, American Hammond B3 organist.14 – Alvin Lucier, American composer of experimental music and sound installations.16 – Walt Dickerson, American vibraphonist.17
* Dewey Redman, American saxophonist.
* Jackie McLean, American alto saxophonist.20 – Louis Smith, American trumpeter 27 – Diz Disley, Anglo-Canadian guitarist.31 – Dick Garcia, American guitarist.

; June2 – Ronnie Bedford, American drummer.7 – Mike Pratt, English actor, musician, songwriter, and screenwriter.10 – João Gilberto, Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist.13 – Georges Arvanitas, French pianist and organist.14 – Junior Walker, American saxophonist.17 – Dominic Frontiere, American composer, arranger, and accordionist.19 – Phil Bates, English upright bassist.30 – Andrew Hill, American pianist and composer.
; July6 – Della Reese, American singer.11 – Tab Hunter, American actor, singer, and author.13 – Long John Hunter, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.21

* Plas Johnson, American tenor saxophonist.
* Sonny Clark, American pianist.26 – Patti Bown, American pianist and singer.31 – Kenny Burrell, American guitarist.

; August15 – Terry Pollard, American pianist and vibraphonist.17 – Derek Smith, British pianist.20

; September1 – Willie Ruff, American French hornist and upright bassist.2 – Clifford Jordan, American tenor saxophonist.5 – Richie Powell, American pianist.7 – Makanda Ken McIntyre, American saxophonist.8 – Marion Brown, American saxophonist and ethnomusicologist.10 – Franco Manzecchi, Italian drummer.16 – Jan Johansson, Swedish pianist.27 – Thandi Klaasen, South African singer.28 – John Gilmore, American saxophonist.
; October14 – Duško Gojković, Serbian trumpeter and composer.15 – Freddy Cole, American singer and pianist.27 – Sonny Dallas, American bassist and singer.28 – Harold Battiste, American saxophonist, pianist, and composer.
; November1 – Leon Spencer, American organist.2 – Phil Woods, American alto saxophonist and clarinetist.5 – Harold McNair, Jamaican saxophonist and flautist.17 – Wayne Andre, American trombonist.23 – Gloria Lynne, American singer.25 – Nat Adderley, American trumpeter.30 – Jack Sheldon, American trumpeter, singer, and actor.
; December1

* Jimmy Lyons, American saxophonist.
* Johnny Răducanu, Romanian pianist.2 – Wynton Kelly, Jamaican-American pianist and composer.14 – Phineas Newborn Jr., American pianist.21 – David Baker, American symphonic jazz composer.24 – Ray Bryant, American pianist and composer.27 – Walter Norris, American pianist and composer.31 – Gil Mellé, American saxophonist and film composer.