1972 in jazz


This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1972.

Events

April

21

June

10 – The very first Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.16 – The 6th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.29The 19th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island.

September

15The 15th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

Deaths

; January27Mahalia Jackson, American singer.
; February19Lee Morgan, American trumpeter, shot dead.
; March13Clancy Hayes, American vocalist, banjoist and guitarist.27Sharkey Bonano, American trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist.
; April3Ferde Grofé, American composer, arranger, and pianist.
; May5Reverend Gary Davis, American singer, banjoist, guitarist, and harmonica player.
; June8Jimmy Rushing, American blues shouter, balladeer, singer, and pianist.
; July3Marty Flax, American saxophonist.10Lovie Austin, 84, American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
; August5Mezz Mezzrow, American clarinetist and saxophonist.9André Ekyan, French reedist.20Mike Bryan, American guitarist.24Don Byas, American tenor saxophonist.31
; October13Phil Seamen, English drummer.25Cal Massey, American trumpeter and composer.
; November24Hall Overton, American composer and pianist.
; December3Bill Johnson, African-American upright bassist.5Kenny Dorham, American trumpeter, singer, and composer.25Dud Bascomb, American trumpeter.29Hayes Alvis, American upright bassist and tubist.

Births

; January6Mina Agossi, French singer-songwriter.
; February1Siri Gjære, Norwegian singer.14Daniela Schaechter, Italian singer and pianist.
; March7Katrine Madsen, Danish singer.12Lisa Werlinder, Swedish actress and singer.14Noriko Ueda, Japanese upright bassist, pianist, singer, composer, and arranger.21Jesse van Ruller, Dutch guitarist and composer.25Mimi Jones, American bassist, vocalist, composer, bandleader, and label director.
; April9Christos Rafalides, Greek vibraphonist, composer, and educator.15Christer Fredriksen, Norwegian guitarist.16Øyvind Nypan, Norwegian guitarist.
; May31Christian McBride, American bassist.
; July1Alex Machacek, Austrian guitarist.4Ketil Gutvik, Norwegian guitarist.29Roger Johansen, Norwegian drummer.
; August13Oscar Peñas, Catalan-American guitarist and composer.21Nino Katamadze, Georgian singer.
; September12Gerard Presencer, English trumpeter.27Lindha Kallerdahl, Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.
; October2John Daversa, American trumpeter and composer.11Federico Ughi, Italian drummer and composer.12Eugene Ball, Australian composer and trumpeter.22Doug Wamble, American guitarist and vocalist.
; November5Neil Cowley, English pianist.
; December2Pasquale Stafano, Italian pianist, composer, and arranger.5Stefano Bollani, Italian composer, pianist, and singer.7Thomas Strønen, Norwegian drummer.28Terreon Gully, American drummer.
; Unknown date