1956 in jazz


This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1956.

Events

July

5 – The 5th Newport [Jazz Festival] started in Newport, Rhode Island.7 – Duke Ellington and his band performs at the Newport Jazz Festival. The album Ellington at Newport devises a landmark performance which is capped by an amazing tenor saxophone solo by Paul Gonsalves on "Diminuendo" and "Crescendo in Blue".
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  • The guitarist Mundell Lowe brings pianist Bill Evans to the attention of Orin Keepnews and Bill Grauer of Riverside records.
  • Dizzy Gillespie meets Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin and is impressed. Dizzy continues to gravitate to the Latin rhythms.
  • Miles Davis and his quintet record four records for Prestige, spending only two days in the studio to complete. Miles also records 'Round about Midnight on the Columbia label.

Album releases

Deaths

May13 – Don Kirkpatrick, American pianist and arranger.15 – Adrian Rollini, American bass saxophonist.30 – Valaida Snow, African-American jazz musician and entertainer.
June11 – Frankie Trumbauer, American saxophonists.26
July7 – Alex Hyde, American bandleader and violinist.11 – Ernst Höllerhagen, German reedist.
September8 – Fred Rich, Polish-born American bandleader and composer.
October18 – Harry Parry, Welsh clarinetist and bandleader.
November5 – Art Tatum, American pianist and virtuoso.7 – Una Mae Carlisle, American singer, pianist, and songwriter.20 – Achille Baquet, American clarinetist and saxophonist.26 – Tommy Dorsey, American trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
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  • Joe Appleton, British saxophonist and clarinetist from the West Indies.

Births

January1 – Ziad Rahbani, Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright, and political commentator.4
February5 – Vinnie Colaiuta, American drummer.11
March2 – Danilo Terenzi, Italian trombonist and composer.4 – Kermit Driscoll, American bassist.
April2 – Károly Binder, Hungarian pianist.3 – Tessa Souter, English singer, songwriter, and writer.4 – Gary Smulyan, American baritone saxophonist.9 – Michael Hashim, American jazz alto saxophonist.16 – T Lavitz, American keyboardist, composer and producer.19 – Denardo Coleman, American drummer.27 – Anna Lyman, Canadian Jazz, Latin Vocalist composer, and recording artist of Mexican American extraction.
May5 – Mary Coughlan, Irish jazz and folk singer, and actress.8 – Jean-Marc Jafet, French bassist and guitarist.13 – Oskar Aichinger, Austrian pianist.14 – Bruce Forman, American guitarist.15 – Mathias Claus, German jazz pianist and composer.21 – Wolfgang Puschnig, Austrian saxophonist.26 – Quanti Bomani, Afro-Caribbean multi-instrumentalist and composer.
June5 – Kenny G, American saxophonist.8 – Uri Caine, American pianist and composer.11 – Jamaaladeen Tacuma, American bassist.19 – Aaron Scott, American composer and drummer.26 – Bill Cunliffe, American jazz pianist and composer.27 – Maria João, Portuguese singer.
July5 – Billy Jenkins, English guitarist, composer, and bandleader.6 – John Jorgenson, American guitarist and banjo player, Desert Rose Band and Hellecasters.17 – Lucien Barbarin, American trombonist.18 – Hein van de Geyn, Dutch upright bassist, composer and band leader.19 – Marit Sandvik, Norwegian singer.21 – Franklin Kiermyer, Canadian drummer, composer and bandleader.24 – Denis Colin, French bass clarinettist and composer.26 – Wayne Krantz, American guitarist.
August13 – Gast Waltzing, Luxembourgian trumpeter and composer.15 – Lorraine Desmarais, French-Canadian jazz pianist and composer.24 – Mimi Fox, American guitarist and educator.29 – Doug Raney, American guitarist.30 - Rodney Jones, American guitarist and educator.
September1 – Hilde Hefte, Norwegian singer.8 – Eivin One Pedersen, Norwegian accordionist and pianist.12 – Brian Lynch, American trumpeter.15 –
October9 – Geir Langslet, Norwegian pianist.10 – Johnny O'Neal, American pianist and vocalist.20 – Martin Taylor, British guitarist.22 – Jane Bunnett, Canadian soprano saxophonist, flautist, and bandleader.23
November1 – Tim Landers, American bass guitarist, composer and record producer.2 – Frank Kimbrough, American pianist.7
December3 – Rob Waring, American-Norwegian vibraphonist.5 – Randy Johnston, American guitarist.12 – Geir Holmsen, Norwegian bassist.18 – Chris Murrell, American singer.21 – Zeena Parkins, American harpist.24 – Ralph Moore, English saxophonist.27 – Karl Denson, American saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist.
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