1978 in jazz


This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1978.

Events

March

17 – The 5th Vossajazz started in Vossavangen, Norway.

May

12 – The 7th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.24 – The 6th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.

July

1 – The 25th Newport [Jazz Festival] started in Newport, Rhode Island.7 – The 12th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.14 – The 3rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands.28 – The very first Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France.

September

15 – The 21st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

Deaths

; January23 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and vocalist, Chicago.31 – Gregory Herbert, American saxophonist and flautist, Blood, Sweat & Tears.
; February26
; March4 – Joe Marsala, Italian-American clarinetist and songwriter.21 – Louis Cottrell Jr., American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist.25 – Richard Plunket Greene, English musician and author, Bright Young Things.30 – Larry Young, American organist and occasional pianist.
; April3 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, arranger, radio comedian, and actor.
; May19 – Teddy Hill, American big band leader and multi-instrumentalist.28
; June
; July4 – Arne Hülphers, Swedish pianist and bandleader.14 – Lennie Hastings, English drummer.20 – Teddy Bunn, American guitarist, Spirits of Rhythm.
; August14 – Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist.15 – Irene Kral, American jazz singer.24 – Louis Prima, Italian-American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter.
; September9 – Kaoru Abe, Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist.30 – Beryl Booker, American pianist.
; November16 – Jimmy Nottingham, American jazz trumpeter.18 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and arranger.26 – Frank Rosolino, American trombonist.
; December17 – Don Ellis, American big-bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and film composer.29 – Happy Caldwell, American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist.
; Unknown date

Births

; January3 – Susana Santos Silva, Portuguese trumpeter, flugelhornist, and flautist.9 – China Moses, American singer.10
; February9 – Clarice Assad, Brazilian-American composer, pianist, and singer.12 – Masayuki Hiizumi, Japanese keyboardist and producer.14 – Cem Tuncer, Turkish guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer.
; March5 – Søren Kjærgaard, Danish pianist, composer, and bandleader.18 – Videlina Mircheva, Bulgarian singer and songwriter.24 – Andrew McCormack, British pianist.
; April6 – Robert Glasper, American pianist and record producer.11 – Jakob Bro, Danish guitarist.15 – Susanne Alt, Dutch saxophonist and composer.
; May7 – Antal Pusztai, Hungarian guitarist.10 – Nils Janson, Swedish composer and trumpeter.25 – Michael Wollny, German pianist.29 – Sean Jones, American trumpeter and composer.
; June10 – Jukka Eskola, Finnish trumpeter and flugelhornist.
; August6 – Andreas Öberg, Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and music producer.12 – Chris Jennings, Canadian upright bassist, composer, arranger, and educator.27 – Susy Kane, English actress, comedy writer and musician.31
; June17 – Esben Selvig, Norwegian rapper and singer.
; September2 – Jonas Kullhammar, Swedish composer and saxophonist.16
; October5 – Steinar Nickelsen, Norwegian Hammond organist, pianist, and composer.8 – Mike Moreno, American guitarist and composer.12 – Børge-Are Halvorsen, Norwegian saxophonist and flautist.16 – Eva Kruse, German upright bassist and composer.
; November1 – Rozina Pátkai, Hungarian singer, songwriter, and visual artist.3 – Jonas Howden Sjøvaag, Norwegian jazz drummer.5 – Marita Røstad, Norwegian singer-songwriter.9 – Even Ormestad, Norwegian bass guitarist and music producer, Jaga Jazzist.19
; December28 – Terrace Martin, American saxophonist and producer.30
; Unknown date
  • Marc Demuth, Luxembourgian upright bassist, bass guitarist, and composer.
  • Mikkel Ploug, Danish guitarist and composer.
  • Niels Klein, German saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
  • Robi Botos, Hungarian-Canadian pianist and composer.