1951 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1951.

Events

The first American Jazz festival takes place at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in the autumn. This festival precedes the first Newport Jazz Festival.
The tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, a Coleman Hawkins influenced player, joins the group of Miles Davis.

Album releases

Deaths

; January21 – R.Q. Dickerson, American trumpeter.
; February7 – Shirley Clay, American trumpeter.
; March25 – Sid Catlett, American swinging drummer.
; May4 – Doc West, American drummer.
; August17 – Ray Wetzel, American trumpeter.
; October26 – Charlie Creath, American trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader.
; December3 – Cyril Blake, Trinidadian trumpeter.12 – Mildred Bailey, American singer.23 – Enrique Santos Discépolo, Argentine tango and milonga pianist, bandoneónist, and singer.26 – Vic Berton, American jazz drummer.
; Unknown date

Valentin Parnakh, Russian poet, translator, historian, explorer, musician, choreographer, ballet master, best remembered as a founding father of Soviet jazz.

Births

; January1 – Ashwin Batish, Indian sitar and tabla player.4 – Håkan Rydin, Swedish pianist.9 – Idris Ackamoor, American multi-instrumentalist.12 – Earl Howard, American saxophonist, synthesizer player and multi-instrumentalist.14 – Mark Egan, American bass guitarist and trumpeter.18 – Steve Grossman, American saxophonist.30

* Phil Collins, English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor.
* Ralph Lalama, American saxophonist.

; February2 – Alphonso Johnson, American bassist.20 – Anthony Davis, American pianist and composer.21

* Herb Robertson, American trumpeter and flugelhornist.
* Warren Vache, American trumpeter, cornetist, and flugelhornist.28 – Roseanna Vitro, American singer.

; March3 – Lindsay Cooper, English bassoon and oboe player, composer, and political activist.7 – Rocco Prestia, American bassist, Tower of Power.8 – James Williams, American pianist.13

* Geoff Eales, Welsh pianist, improviser, and composer.
* Michael Jefry Stevens, American pianist.18 – Bill Frisell, American guitarist and composer.21 – Fred Sturm, American composer, arranger, and teacher.24 – Gregory B. Johnson, American pianist, Cameo.

; April 3 – Mitch Woods, American pianist and singer.7 – Bob Berg, American saxophonist.9 – Hugh Ragin, American trumpeter.10 – Steve Lodder, British keyboardist, composer, and organist.15 – Bill MacCormick, English bassist and vocalist.26 – Billy Newton-Davis, Canadian singer-songwriter.29 – Vinicius Cantuária, Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer, and percussionist.30 – Alexander Zonjic, Canadian flutist.
; May3 – Krister Andersson, Swedish saxophonist and composer.14 – Jay Beckenstein, American saxophonist, composer, and producer, Spyro Gyra.28 – Richard Niles, American guitarist, composer, and record producer.31 – Jimmy Nalls, American guitarist and singer, Sea Level.
; June15 – Mark Hennen, American pianist.19 – Karen Young, Canadian singer, lyricist, and composer.20 – Peter Gordon, American composer and musician.30 – Stanley Clarke, American bassist, Return to Forever.
; July7 – Sue Evans, American American percussionist and drummer.16 – Bobby Previte, American drummer, composer, and bandleader.21 – Pino Minafra, Italian trumpeter and flugelhornist.22 – Richard Bennett, American guitarist and record producer.29 – Charles Loos, Belgian pianist and composer.31 – Howard Levy, American harmonica player and multi-instrumentalist.
; August1 – Tommy Bolin, American guitarist, Deep Purple.5 – Jemeel Moondoc, American saxophonist.15

* António Pinho Vargas, Portuguese composer and pianist.
* Bobby Caldwell, American singer and songwriter.19 – Roland Batik, Austrian pianist and composer.22 – Edwin Birdsong, American keyboard/organ player.

; September3 – Todd Cochran, American pianist, keyboard and synthesizer player, Fuse One.7 – Mark Isham, American trumpeter and synthesist.12 – Joëlle Léandre, French upright bassist, vocalist, and composer.15 – Carla White, American vocalist.17 – Theryl DeClouet, American singer, Galactic.18 – Steve Slagle, American saxophonist, flautist, and composer.23 – Steven Springer, American guitarist, Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band.
; October2 – Sting, American singer, bassist, and guitarist, the Police.17 – Jukka Gustavson, Finnish organist, keyboarder, and composer.30

* Poncho Sanchez, Mexican-American conguero.
* Trilok Gurtu, Indian percussionist and composer.

; November17 – Lisle Ellis, Canadian upright bassist and composer.19 – Kenny Werner, American pianist and composer.28

* Dennis Irwin, American upright bassist.
* Diedre Murray, American cellist and composer.
* Peter Malick, American guitarist and record producer.

; December1 – Jaco Pastorius, American bassist, Weather Report.3 – Barry Finnerty, American guitarist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and arranger.14 – Nükhet Ruacan, Turkish singer and educator in musicology.16 – Robben Ford, American guitarist, L.A. Express.20 – Brynjulf Blix, Norwegian pianist.21 – Alex Blake, American upright bassist and bass guitarist.26

* Brooks Kerr, American pianist.
* John Scofield, American guitarist and composer.28 – Rebecca Parris, American singer.31 – Jimmy Haslip, American bass guitarist, Yellowjackets.

; Unknown date

Jon Rose, British-Australian violinist.
Judi Silvano, American singer and composer.
Kit McClure, American trombonist, saxophonist, and bandleader.
La Palabra, Cuban bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist.
Lars Jansson, Swedish pianist and composer.
Tom Kubis, American saxophonist, flautist, and pianist.