1938 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1938.

Events

Benny Goodman performs The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.

Deaths

; May25 – Dick McDonough, American guitarist and composer.
; April10 – Joe "King" Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader.
; August16 – Robert Johnson, American guitarist, singer, and composer.
; Unknown date

Garnet Clark, American pianist.

Births

; January13 – Daevid Allen, Australian poet, guitarist, singer, and composer, Soft Machine and Gong.17 – Alf Kjellman, Norwegian saxophonist.24 – Julius Hemphill, American composer and saxophonist.25

* Etta James, American singer.27 – Jimmie Smith, American drummer.

; February1 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer of The Mothers of Invention.11 – Slim Richey, American jazz guitarist.17 – John Coates Jr., American pianist.23 – Wilson Simonal, Brazilian singer.24 – Louie Ramirez, American percussionist and vibraphonist.28 – Mike Wofford, American pianist.
; March7 – Petr Skoumal, Czech pianist and composer.9

* Lill-Babs or Barbro Svensson, Swedish singer and actress.
* Marzette Watts, American saxophonist.
* Roy Brooks, American drummer.15 – Charles Lloyd, American tenor saxophonist and flautist.23 – Dave Pike, American vibraphone and marimba player.24 – Steve Kuhn, American pianist and composer.29 – Laco Déczi, Slovak-American trumpeter and composer.

; April2

* Booker Little, American trumpeter and composer.
* Sal Nistico, American tenor saxophonist.7
* Alexander von Schlippenbach, German pianist and composer.
* Freddie Hubbard, American trumpeter.
* Pete La Roca, American drummer.10 – Denny Zeitlin, American pianist and composer.13 – Eddie Marshall, American drummer.14 – Monty Waters, American saxophonist, flautist, and singer.18
* Bob Parlocha, American jazz expert and radio host.
* Hal Galper, American pianist and composer.27 – Ruth Price, American singer.

; May2 – Fred Braceful, American-German drummer.12 – Jimmy Hastings, British saxophonist, Canterbury scene.13 – Ross Tompkins, American pianist.23 – Daniel Humair, Swiss drummer and composer.26 – Jaki Liebezeit, German drummer.
; June6 – Luigi Trussardi, French upright bassist.9 – Eje Thelin, Swedist trombonist.11 – Stu Martin, American drummer.15 – Tony Oxley, English drummer.18 – Don "Sugarcane" Harris, American violinist.20 – Dennis Budimir, American guitarist.
; July1 – Robert Schulz, American cornetist.3 – Rhoda Scott, African-American organist.4 – Mike Mainieri, American vibraphonist.10

* Arnie Lawrence, American saxophonist.
* Lee Morgan, American trumpeter.14 – Tommy Vig, Portuguese vibraharpist, drummer, percussionist, big band leader, and composer.18
* Buschi Niebergall, German musician.
* Dudu Pukwana, South African saxophonist.26 – Joanne Brackeen, American pianist.31 – Gap Mangione, American pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader.

; August13 – Michael Joseph Smith, American composer and pianist.14 – Don Moore, American upright bassist.15 – Stix Hooper, American drummer.
; September7 – Jon Mayer, American pianist and composer.17 – Perry Robinson, American clarinetist and composer.20 – Eric Gale, American guitarist.28

* Gerd Dudek, German saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist.
* Ray Warleigh, Australian-born saxophonist and flautist.

; October2

* Kjell Bartholdsen, Norwegian saxophonist.
* Gugge Hedrenius, Swedish pianist and bandleader.4 – Mark Levine, American jazz pianist, trombonist, and composer.15 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, saxophonist, and composer.22 – Harrison Ridley Jr., American jazz presenter.24 – Odean Pope, American tenor saxophonist.26 – John "Jabo" Starks, American drummer.

; November12 – Warren Bernhardt, American pianist.
; December9 – William Thomas McKinley, American composer and pianist.11 – McCoy Tyner, American pianist.19 – Pete Strange, English trombonist.28

* Charles Neville, American R&B saxophonist, The Neville Brothers.
* Dick Sudhalter, American trumpeter and criti.

; Unknown date

Barry Buckley, Australian upright bassist.
Pat LaCroix, Canadian musician and photographer.