1970 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1970.

Events

; January16 – Lem Davis, American alto saxophonist.17 – Billy Stewart, American singer, drummer, and pianist.
; March2 – Emile Barnes, American clarinetist.21 – Jack Sels, Belgian saxophonist and composer.
; April10 – Ralph Escudero, Puerto Rican bassist and tubist.20 – Perry Bradford, African-American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer.
; May10 – Frankie Lee Sims, American singer-songwriter and guitarist.11 – Johnny Hodges, American alto saxophonist.24 – Cliff Jackson, American pianist.
; June16 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer and guitarist.
; July26 – Fernando Arbello, Puerto Rican trombonist.31 – Booker Ervin, American saxophonist.
; August4 – Scoops Carry, American saxophonist and clarinetist.5 – Otto Hardwick, American saxophonist.
; September18 – Maxwell Davis, American saxophonist, arranger, and record producer.
; October11 – Phil Spitalny, American bandleader.12 – Barney Rapp, American drummer and orchestra leader.
; November20 – Don Stovall, American alto saxophonist.25 – Albert Ayler, American saxophonist and singer.
; December14 – Elmer Schoebel, American pianist and composer.

; January1 – Karen Souza, Argentin singer.4 – Michel Bisceglia, Belgian pianist.5 – Jesper Bodilsen, Danish upright bassist.19 – Iiro Rantala, Finnish pianist, Trio Töykeät.24 – Adam Pierończyk, Polish saxophonist and composer.
; February9 – Eldbjørg Raknes, Norwegian singer.13 – Adam Cruz, American drummer.20

* Craig Taborn, American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer.
* Éric Legnini, Belgian pianist and bandleader.27 – Lina Nyberg, Swedish singer and composer.

; March11 – Justin Hayford, American singer and pianist.19 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian upright bassist.22 – Live Maria Roggen, Norwegian singer and composer, Come Shine.
; April1 – Tone Lise Moberg, Norwegian singer.15 – Michael Schiefel, German singer.20 – Avishai Cohen, Israeli bassist, composer, singer and arranger.25 – Kjersti Stubø, Norwegian singer.
; May1 – Sacha Perry, American pianist and composer.4

* Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian pianist.
* Jeremy Davenport, American trumpeter and singer.6 – Juliet Kelly, British singer and songwriter.22 – Jimmy Bennington, American drummer.

; June2 – Matt Garrison, American bassist.10 – Dwayne Burno, American upright bassist.12 – Dave Maric, British composer and musician.13 – Ron Westray, American trombonist, composer and educator.16 – Gregory Hutchinson, American drummer.21 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer.22 – Goran Kajfeš, Swedish trumpeter.24 – Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese pianist and film composer.
; July6

* Médéric Collignon, French vocalist, cornettist and saxhorn player.
* Roger Cicero, German singer.13 – Glenn Corneille, Dutch pianist.14 – Jacob Young, Norwegian guitarist.15 – Frank McComb, American soul singer and pianist.16 – Yinka Davies, Nigerian vocalist, dancer, and lyricist.17 – Alvester Garnett, American drummer.25 – Brian Blade, American drummer, composer and singer-songwriter.30 – Susanne Abbuehl, Swiss-Dutch singer.

; August1 – Kishon Khan, Bangladeshi-British pianist, composer, arranger, and music producer.21

* Marlon Jordan, American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
* Simone Eriksrud, Norwegian singer and composer.22 – Erik van der Luijt, Dutch pianist, composer, and band leader.23 – Brad Mehldau, American pianist, composer, and arranger.24 – Chris Tarry, Canadian bass guitarist.

, September3 – Haydain Neale, Canadian singer-songwriter.24 – Ingrid Laubrock, German soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist.28 – Neil Yates, British trumpeter.
; October5 – Tord Gustavsen, Norwegian pianist and composer.8 – Maria Kannegaard, Danish-born Norwegian pianist.16 – Heine Totland, Norwegian singer.19 – Jacob Karlzon, Swedish pianist and composer.20 – Håvard Lund, Norwegian clarinetist and saxophonist.22 – Manuel Mota, Portuguese guitarist.23 – Tobias Sjögren, Swedish guitarist and composer.24 – Jesse Harris, American singer-songwriter.28 – Kurt Rosenwinkel, American guitarist, composer and keyboardist.29 – Toby Smith, British keyboardist and songwriter for Jamiroquai.
; November15 – Susie Ibarra, American composer and percussionist.20 – Geoffrey Keezer, American pianist.22 – Chris Fryar, American drummer.
; December14 – Anna Maria Jopek, Polish singer.18 – Norman Brown, American guitarist.24 – Marco Minnemann, German drummer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.
; Unknown date