1954 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1954.

Events

July

17 – The very first Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island.

* The 1st day featured Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Billie Holiday, and Oscar Peterson
* The 2nd day featured Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa Trio, and Erroll Garner

November

8 – Following the release of Jazz Goes to College, Dave Brubeck is featured on the cover of Time magazine, with the accompanying article describing Brubeck as "the most exciting new jazz artist at work today".

Album releases

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Jazz Goes to College
Sarah Vaughan: Sarah Vaughan
Chet Baker: Chet Baker Sings
Chet Baker: Sextet
Tal Farlow: The Tal Farlow Quartet
Tal Farlow: The Tal Farlow Album
John Serry Sr.: RCA Thesaurus
Stan Kenton: ''Kenton Showcase''

Deaths

; February7 – Alfred Burt, American composer and trumpeter.
; March11 – William Frank Newton, American trumpeter.
; April14 – Lil Green, American singer and songwriter.
; May31 – Garland Wilson, American pianist.
; September8 – Brad Gowans, American trombonist and reedist.
; November5 – Hot Lips Page, American trumpeter, singer, and bandleader.29 – Dink Johnson, dixieland pianist, clarinetist, and drummer.
; December7 – Austin Wylie, American bandleader.15 – Papa Celestin, American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, cornetist, and vocalist.16 – Lee Morse, American singer and songwriter.
; Unknown date

Rudy Williams, American jazz alto saxophonist.

Births

; January14 – Gunnar Andreas Berg, Norwegian guitarist, music teacher, and record label manager.18 – Tina Marsh, American vocalist and composer.20 – Steve Rochinski, American guitarist and teacher.23 – David Bloom, American guitarist, flautist, and composer.28 – Henry Johnson, American guitarist.
; February9 – Don Mumford, American drummer.13 – John Wolf Brennan, Irish pianist, organist, melodica player.16

* Jeff Clayton, American alto saxophonist and flautist.
* Torbjørn Sunde, Norwegian trombonist, composer, and band leader.

; March1 – Carles Benavent, Spanish bassist.4 – Ricky Ford, American tenor saxophonist.11

* Jon Jang, American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
* Judy Niemack, American vocalist.13 – Simon James, English guitarist, Acoustic Alchemy.14 – Nick Webb, English guitarist and composer, Acoustic Alchemy.16 – Brian Torff, American upright bassist and composer.18
* Andy Narell, American steelpan player and composer.
* Harry Sokal, Austrian jazz saxophonist.21 – Haakon Graf, Norwegian keyboardist.24
* Hank Roberts, American cellist and vocalist.
* Steve LaSpina, American bassist.
* Vince Jones, Australian singer, songwriter, trumpeter, and flugelhornist.27 – Paolo Vinaccia, Italian composer, drummer, and percussionist, living in Norway.28 – Donald Brown, American pianist.

; April 1 – Knut Værnes, Norwegian guitarist, composer and band leader.3 – Chuck Deardorf, American bassist.4 – Michel Camilo, Santo Domingan pianist and composer.9 – Steve Holt, Canadian musician.16 – Brian Rolland, American guitarist, composer, and songwriter.28 – Frank Jakobsen, Norwegian drummer, Bergen Big Band.
; May3 – Angela Bofill, American vocalist and songwriter.9 – Barb Jungr, Englist singer and songwriter.10 – Lorne Lofsky, Canadian guitarist, Oscar Peterson Quartet.21 – Marc Ribot, American guitarist and composer.24 – Catherine Whitney, American singer, composer, and lyricist.
; June4 – Scott Earl Holman, American pianist.5 – Peter Erskine, American drummer and composer.11 – John Bernard Riley, American drummer and educator.12 – Jesper Lundgaard, Danish bassist, bandleader, and composer.26 – Øystein Norvoll, Norwegian guitarist.27 – Madeline Eastman, American singer.30 – Eric Von Essen, American bassist, pianist, and composer.
; July7 – Pam Bricker, American singer.10 – Stu Goldberg, American keyboarder.13

* Bruno Råberg, Swedish-born bassist and composer.
* Ernst Ulrich Deuker, German bassist and bass clarinetist, Ideal.19 – Ivar Thomassen, Norwegian folk singer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.22
* Al Di Meola, American guitarist and composer.
* Johannes Bauer, German trombonist.25 – Svein Olav Blindheim, Norwegian upright bassist.28 – Nnenna Freelon, American singer.29 – Michel Benita, Algerian-French upright bass player.

; August11 – Steve Nelson, American vibraphonist.12 – Pat Metheny, American guitarist and composer, Pat Metheny Group.15 – Dennis González, American trumpeter, poet, visual artist, and music educator.19 – Tim Hagans, American trumpet player, arranger and composer.21 – Bodil Niska, Norwegian saxophonist.26 – Scott Henderson, American guitarist.29

* Enzo Nini, Italian saxophonist, flautist, composer, and arranger.
* Stephanie Nakasian, American vocalist.31 – Sergio Caputo, Italian singer, writer, composer, and guitarist.

; September2 – Steve Masakowski, American guitarist, educator, and inventor.12 – Scott Hamilton, American tenor saxophonist.18 – Jovino Santos-Neto, Brazilian-American pianist, flutist, composer, arranger, educator, and record producer.20 – Peter White, American guitarist.24 – Jay Hoggard, American vibraphonist.26

* Bill Milkowski, American jazz critic, journalist, and author.
* Craig Chaquico, Portuguese-American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and record producer.30
* Basia, Polish singer-songwriter and record producer.
* Patrice Rushen, American pianist vocalist and composer.

; October 4 – Paleka, Portuguese percussionist.9 – Eugenio Toussaint, Mexican composer, arranger and pianist.10 – Ondrej Havelka, Czech singer, actor and director.10 – Ed Cherry, American guitarist.16 – Tim Berne, American saxophone player.18 – Rick Vandivier, American guitarist, composer and educator.20 – Günter Müller, German drummer and sound artist.24

* Anthony Cox, American bassist and composer.
* Cindy Breakspeare, Canadian-Jamaican musician.27 – Wendell Brunious, American trumpeter and bandleader.30 – Tom Browne, American trumpeter.31 – Tim Sparks, American guitarist, singer, arranger, and composer.

; November1 – Carmen Lundy, American singer and composer.8 – Kåre Garnes, Norwegian bassist.23

* Bruce Hornsby, American singer and keyboardist.
* Pete Allen, English clarinettist, saxophonist, bandleader, and vocalist.29 – Michael White, American clarinetist.

; December4 – Michael Moore, American saxophonist.6

* Steve Swell, American trombonist.
* Wayne Peet, American pianist and organist.9
* Kip Hanrahan, American music impresario, record producer and percussionist.
* Steve Rodby, American bassist, Pat Metheny Group.10 – Edvard Askeland, Norwegian bassist.12 – Jeff Johnson, American bass player.16 – Joe Fonda, American bassist.22 – Warren Benbow, American drummer.26 – Noel Pointer, American violinist and record producer.

; Unknown date

J.T. Lewis, American drummer.
John Butcher, English tenor and soprano saxophonist.
John Russell, English guitarist.
Orhan Demir, Turkish-Canadian guitarist.
Tchavolo Schmitt, French guitarist.
Theresa Hightower, African-American singer.
Yuri Lemeshev, Russian-American accordionist.