1973 in jazz

Events

May

• 23 – The very first Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.

June

• 9 – The 2nd Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.
• 29
• * The 20th Newport [Jazz Festival] started in New [York, New York] for its second year there..
• * The 7th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.

September

• 21 – The 16th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

• Art Ensemble of Chicago: Fanfare For The Warriors
• Gato Barbieri: Chapter One: Latin America
• Paul Bley
• *Paul Bley & Scorpio
• *Paul Bley/NHØP
• Dollar Brand
• *African Portraits
• *African Space Program
• *Sangoma
• Marion Brown: Geechee Recollections
• Betty Carter: Album (Betty Carter album)
• Don Cherry: Relativity Suite
• Billy Cobham Spectrum
• Charles Earland: Charles III (album)
• Michael Franks: Michael Franks
• Hal Galper: Inner Journey
• Herbie Hancock
• *Head Hunters
• *Sextant
• Keith Jarrett: Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne
• Roland Kirk: Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle
• David Liebman: First Visit
• Frank Lowe: Black Beings
• Mahavishnu OrchestraBirds of Fire
• Michael Mantler: No Answer
• Paul Motian: Conception Vessel
• Oregon: Distant Hills
• Joe Pass: Virtuoso (Joe Pass album)
• Oscar Peterson: The Trio
• Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams
• Dewey Redman: The Ear of the Behearer
• Sam Rivers: Streams
• Roswell Rudd: Numatik Swing Band
• Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Mouthpiece
• John Surman: Morning Glory
• Cecil Taylor: Solo
• Cecil Taylor: Spring of Two Blue J's
• Ralph Towner: Diary
• McCoy Tyner: Enlightenment
• Mal Waldron: Up Popped the Devil
• Weather Report: Sweetnighter
• Eberhard Weber: The Colours of Chloë
• Frank Wright: ''Church Number Nine''

Deaths

• 2 – Joe Harriott, Jamaican saxophonist and composer.
• 3 – Wilbur de Paris, American trombonist and bandleader.
• 23 – Kid Ory, American trombonist and bandleader.

• 3 – Andy Razaf, African-American poet, composer, and lyricist.
• 19 – Leon Washington, American tenor saxophonist .

• 2 – Spanky DeBrest, American upright bassist.

• 18 – Willie "The Lion" Smith, American pianist.

• 14 – Elmer Snowden, American banjo and guitar player.
• 24 – Sid Phillips, English clarinettist, bandleader, and arranger.

• 8 – Tubby Hayes, English saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist.

• 4 – Eddie Condon, American banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader.
• 21 – Bill Harris, American trombonist.

• 20 – Ben Webster, American tenor saxophonist.
• 26 – Bernard Etté, German violinist and conductor.

• 16 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, band leader, actor, and composer.

• 3 – Emile Christian, American trombonist.

Births

• 4
• * Bartlomiej Oles, Polish drummer, composer, and record producer.
• * Marcin Oles, Polish bassist, composer and record producer.
• 12 – Brian Culbertson, American keyboardist and trombonist.
• 31 – Petr Kroutil, Czech clarinettist, saxophonist, bansuri player, vocalist, composer, and arranger.

• 3 – Timuçin Şahin, Turkish guitarist and composer.
• 11 – Ethan Iverson, American pianist, composer, and critic.
• 22 – Gustavo Assis-Brasil, Brazilian-American guitarist.

• 23 – Stefon Harris, American vibraphonist.

• 17 – Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, South African pianist.
• 30 – Frédéric Yonnet, French harmonica player and producer.

• 14 – Clare Teal, English singer.
• 23 – Nikki Yeoh, British pianist and composer.
• 24 – Hallgeir Pedersen, Norwegian guitarist and composer.

• 3 – Ebru Aydın, Turkish singer and songwriter.
• 4
• * Gunhild Seim, Norwegian trumpeter and composer.
• * Scott Hammond, English drummer, Jethro Tull.

• 2 – Teodross Avery, American tenor saxophonist.
• 8 – Magne Thormodsæter, Norwegian upright bassist and composer.
• 21 – Susheela Raman, British-Indian singer and songwriter.

• 9 – Meg Okura, American violinist, ehru player, and composer.
• 11 – Torbjørn Sletta Jacobsen, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.

• 3 – Norihiko Hibino, Japanese video game composer and saxophonist.
• 4 – Wetle Holte, Norwegian drummer and composer.
• 7 – Thomas T. Dahl, Norwegian guitarist and composer, Krøyt and Dingobats.
• 9 – John Blackwell American drummer, Prince.
• 12 – Dorota Miśkiewicz, Polish singer, songwriter, composer, and violinist.
• 21 – Fredrik Wallumrød, Norwegian drummer and composer.
• 26
• * Nelson Williams, American trumpeter.
• * Nicholas Payton, American trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.

• 3
• * Eirik Hegdal, Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and arranger.
• * Marius Reksjø, Norwegian upright bassist.

• 3 – Eivind Austad, Norwegian pianist, composer, and music teacher.
• 8 – Chris Dave, American drummer and composer.

• 18 – Christian Jaksjø, Norwegian trombone and euphonium player.
• 29 – Kalle Kalima, Finnish guitarist and composer.

• Ben Castle, British clarinettist and saxophonist.
• Eivind Opsvik, Norwegian upright bassist and composer.
• Janne Mark, Danish vocalist and composer.
• Kate Dimbleby, English cabaret singer and songwriter.
• Maria Markesini, Greek singer and pianist.
• Özay Fecht, Turkish-German actress and singer.
• Titilayo Adedokun, Nigerian-American singer.