1941 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1941.

Events

Cab Calloway is struck by a spitball during a concert in Hartford, Connecticut. He then fights Dizzy Gillespie. Dizzy is consequently fired.

Deaths

; February24 – David Plunket Greene, English musician, Bright Young Things .
; March8 – Ken Snakehips Johnson, band leader and dancer, originally from British Guiana.9 – Casper Reardon, American harpist.
; July10 – Jelly Roll Morton, American pianist, bandleader and composer.
; September1 – Frank Melrose, American pianist.
; October25 – Nisse Lind, Swedish accordionist and pianist.30 – Chu Berry, American tenor saxophonist.
; November24 – Dick Wilson, American tenor saxophonist.
; Unknown date

Steve Lewis, New Orleans pianist and composer.

Births

; January3 – Roger Neumann, American saxophonist, flutist, and composer.12 – Olu Dara, American cornetist, guitarist and singer.13 – Frankie Armstrong, English singer and voice teacher, Feminist Improvising Group.15 – Captain Beefheart, American singer.16 – Aldo Romano, Italian drummer.19

* Putter Smith, American bassist.
* R. Winston Morris, American tubist.27 – Bobby Hutcherson, American vibraphone and marimba player.

; February5 – Rick Laird, American bassist.6 – Palle Mikkelborg, Danish trumpeter.11

* Louis Banks, Indian keyboardist, singer composer, and record producer.
* Sérgio Mendes, Brazilian musician.16 – Jim Richardson, British bassist and session musician.17 – Herbie Lewis, American upright bassist.18 – Lajos Dudas, German-Hungarian clarinetist and composer.23 – Barry Martyn, English born drummer and bandleader.

; March4 – Bobby Shew, American trumpet and flugelhorn player.6 – Peter Brötzmann, German saxophonist and clarinetist.8 – Franco D'Andrea, Italian pianist and composer.22 – Hugo Rasmussen, Danish upright bassist.23 – Carola Standertskjöld, Finnish singer.28 – Meredith D'Ambrosio, American singer.
; April5 – Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor and musician.17 – John C. Marshall, British guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.21

* Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, American saxophonist, composer, and arranger.
* Fredrik Norén, Swedish drummer.22 – Don Grusin, American songwriter, producer, and keyboardist.25 – Harry Miller, South African upright bassist.28 – Mickey Tucker, American pianist and organist.

; May2

* Connie Crothers, American pianist.
* Eddy Louiss, French Hammon organist and singer.5 – Stanley Cowell, American pianist and founder of Strata-East Records.7 – Lars Sjösten, Swedish pianist and composer.8 – Cornel Chiriac, Romanian journalist, producer, and drummer.11 – Eric Burdon, English singer.12 – Trevor Tomkins, English drummer.13
* John Von Ohlen, American drummer, Blue Wisp Big Band.
* Miles Kington, British journalist, musician, and broadcaster.20 – Gia Maione, American singer.24 – Charles Earland, American composer, organist, and saxophonist.27 – Teppo Hauta-aho, Finnish upright bassist and composer.

; June2

* Charlie Watts, English drummer, The Rolling Stones.
* Irène Schweizer, Swiss pianist, Feminist Improvising Group.3 – Janusz Muniak, Polish saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer.12 – Chick Corea, American pianist, keyboardist, and composer.18 – Jim Pepper, American saxophonist and singer.25 – David T. Walker, American guitarist.26 – Wayne Dockery, American upright bassist.

; July1 – Robertinho Silva, Brazilian drummer.18 – Pete Yellin, American saxophonist and educator.19 – Phil Upchurch, American guitarist and bassist.24 – Bobby Matos, American percussionist.28 – Jim Riggs, American saxophonist.
; August5

* Airto Moreira, Brazilian drummer and percussionist.
* Lenny Breau, American guitarist and music educator.6 – Svein Christiansen, Norwegian drummer.7 – Howard Johnson, American tubist and saxophonist.15 – Eddie Gale, American trumpeter.20 – Milford Graves, American drummer and percussionist.21 – Tom Coster, American keyboardist and composer.26 – Clifford Jarvis, American drummer.27
* Anders Linder, Swedish actor and musician.
* Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean singer.28 – John Marshall, English drummer, Nucleus.30 – Carmen Fanzone, American horn players.

; September8 – Phillip Wilson, American percussionist.13 - Knut Kiesewetter, German musician, singer, and songwriter.20 – Jim Cullum Jr., American cornetist.23 – Norma Winstone, British singer and lyricist.26 – Terry Rosen, American jazz guitarist, concert promoter, and radio DJ..27 – Uli Trepte, German bassist.28 – Mike Osborne, English alto saxophonist, pianist, and clarinetist.
; October1 – LaMont Johnson, American pianist.6 – Masahiko Satoh, Japanese pianist, composer, and arranger.9 – Chucho Valdés, Cuban pianist, bandleader, and composer.11 – Lester Bowie, American trumpet player and composer.19

* Eddie Daniels, American clarinetist, saxophonist, and composer.
* Jonas Gwangwa, South African trombone player.28
* Glen Moore, American bassist.
* Hank Marvin, English guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter.
* Jay Clayton, American vocalist and jazz educator.

; November7 – Gary Windo, American tenor saxophonist.22 – Ron McClure, American bassist.25 – Eleni Karaindrou, Greek pianist and composer.28

* Adelhard Roidinger, Austrian bassist, electronic musician, composer, and computer graphic designer.
* Jesper Thilo, Danish tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist, and clarinetist.

; December2 – P. J. Perry, Canadian saxophonist.19 – Franco Ambrosetti, Swiss trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer.11 – Rogier van Otterloo, Dutch composer and conductor.12

* Gary Barone, American trumpeter and flugelhornist.
* Tim Hauser, American singer.18 – Wadada Leo Smith, American trumpeter and composer.19
* Don Weller, British tenor saxophonist and composer.
* Maurice White, American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and bandleader, Earth, Wind & Fire.21 – John Hicks, American pianist and composer.25
* Don Pullen, American pianist and organist.
* Ronnie Cuber, American saxophonist.29 – Ray Thomas, British flautist and singer, The Moody Blues.31 – Elisa Gabbai, German-singing Israeli singer.

; Unknown date

Annette Peacock, American composer, singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and musician.
Lowell Davidson, American pianist.