1971 in jazz

Events

May

• 2 – The 5th Montreux [Jazz Festival] started in Montreux, Switzerland.

July

• 2 – The 18th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island.

September

• 17 – The 14th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

• Art Ensemble of Chicago: Phase One
• Derek Bailey: Solo Guitar
• Gato Barbieri: Fenix
• Carla Bley: Escalator Over The Hill
• Willem Breuker: Instant Composers Pool 008
• Gary Burton: Live in Tokyo
• Alice Coltrane
• *Universal Consciousness
• *Journey in Satchidananda
• Compost: Compost
• Chick Corea
• *Circle 2: Gathering
• *Piano Improvisations
• *The Song of Singing
• Don Ellis: Tears of Joy
• Bill Evans
• *The [Bill Evans Album]
• *From Left to Right
• Jan Garbarek: Sart
• Freddie Hubbard
• *First Light
• *Sing Me a Song of Songmy
• *Straight Life
• Keith Jarrett
• *Birth
• *Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett
• *The Mourning of a Star
• Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame
• Joe McPhee: Trinity (Harold E. Smith, Mike Krull and [Joe McPhee album)|Trinity]
• Oliver Nelson: Swiss Suite
• Jean-Luc Ponty: Open Strings
• Terje Rypdal: Terje Rypdal
• Pharoah Sanders: Black Unity
• Spontaneous Music Ensemble: So What Do You Think
• Keith Tippett: Septober Energy
• Stanley Turrentine: Salt Song
• Weather Report: Weather Report
• Tim Weisberg: Tim Weisberg
• Mike Westbrook: Metropolis
• Paul Winter
• *Icarus
• *Road
• Joe Zawinul: ''Zawinul''

Deaths

• 10 – Ernie Caceres, American saxophonist.
• 19 – Harry Shields, American clarinetist.

• 1 – Harry Roy, British clarinettist and bandleader.
• 5 – Chas Remue, Belgian reedist.
• 11 – Harry Arnold, Swedish saxophonist and bandleader.
• 22 – Derek Humble, English alto saxophonist.

• 26 – Harold McNair, Jamaican-born saxophonist and flute player .
• 28 – Morey Feld, American drummer.

• 1 – Baby Face Willette, American Hammond organist.
• 12 – Wynton Kelly, Jamaican pianist and composer.
• 28 – Sonny White, American pianist.

• 8 – Gus Deloof, Belgian trumpeter, composer, and arranger.

• 11 – Bert Ambrose, English bandleader and violinist.

• 2 – Bobby Donaldson, American drummer.
• 6 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpeter.
• 8 – Charlie Shavers, American trumpeter.

• 13 – King Curtis, American saxophonist.
• 17 – Tab Smith, American saxophonist.
• 27 – Lil Hardin Armstrong, American pianist, singer, and band leader.
• 28 – Lou McGarity, American trombonist, violinist, and vocalist.

• 1 – Irene Daye, American singer.
• 3 – Gary McFarland, American composer, arranger, vibraphonist, and vocalist.

• Gregor or Krikor Kélékian, Armenian-French bandleader.

Births

• 1
• * Chris Potter, American saxophonist.
• * Kenya Hathaway, American singer.
• 4 – Nigel Hitchcock, English saxophonist.
• 5 – Stian Carstensen, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist.
• 20 – Zoe Rahman, English pianist and composer.

• 16 – Øyvind Brandtsegg, Norwegian percussionist.
• 26 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, activist, and actress.

• 23 – Leszek Możdżer, Polish pianist, music producer, and film music composer.

• 2 – Solveig Slettahjell, Norwegian singer.
• 10 – Joey Defrancesco, American organist, trumpeter, and vocalist.
• 16 – Max Beesley, English actor, singer, and pianist.
• 25 – Trygve Seim, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 26 – Christian Wallumrød, Norwegian pianist and composer.

• 6 – Till Brönner, German trumpeter, singer, composer, arranger, and producer.
• 12 – Kristin Asbjørnsen, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 15 – Erland Dahlen, Norwegian drummer and percussionist.
• 31 – Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, arranger, and band leader.

• 4 – Shoji Meguro, Japanese composer, guitarist, and director.
• 7
• * Håvard Fossum, Norwegian saxophonistand flautist.
• * Jesse Green, American pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer.
• 9 – Gerald Preinfalk, Austrian saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
• 15 – Nasheet Waits, American drummer.
• 29 – Ingar Zach, Norwegian percussionist.

• 17 – Liberty Ellman, American guitarist.
• 29 – Lisa Ekdahl, Swedish singer and songwriter.

• 14 – Walter Blanding, American saxophonist and clarinetist.
• 17 – Ed Motta, Brazilian singer and keyboardist.

• 15 – Graham Wood, Australian jazz pianist.
• 20 – Sean J. Kennedy, American drummer.
• 23 – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Norwegian bassist.

• 19 – Helén Eriksen, Norwegian saxophonist and singer.
• 20 – Russell Gunn, American trumpeter.
• 24 – Frode Berg, Norwegian bassist.
• 26 – Vijay Iyer, American pianist and composer.

• 1 – Antonio Sánchez, Mexican-American drummer and composer.
• 4 – Gregory Porter, American vocalist.
• 28 – Robert Mitchell, British pianist, composer, and teacher.

• 1 – Mika Pohjola, Finnish pianist and composer.
• 11 – Mattias Ståhl, Swedish vibraphonist, clarinetist, and composer.
• 18 – Noriko Matsueda, Japanese pianist and composer.

• Carla Kihlstedt, American composer, violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist.
• Dominique Atkins, British singer, Grace.
• Kasper Tranberg, Danish trumpeter and flugelhornist.
• Marcus Johnson, American keyboardist.
• Tom Norris, English musician, composer, ensemble leader, and songwriter.
• Vellu Halkosalmi, Finnish trombonist and composer.