1981 in jazz


This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1981.

Events

April

10 – The 8th Vossajazz started in Vossavangen, Norway.

May

20 – 9th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.

June

2 – The 2nd Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.5 – 10th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.

July

3 – The 15th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.10 – The 6th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands.

September

18 – The 24th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

Deaths

; January9 – Cozy Cole, American drummer.21 – Russell Procope, American clarinettist and alto saxophonist.
; February23 – Shep Fields, American bandleader, clarinetist, and tenor saxophonist.28 – Jean Robert, Belgian saxophonist.
; March5 – Red Saunders, American drummer and bandleader.20 – Sonny Red, American alto saxophonist.
; April3 – Polo Barnes, American clarinetist and saxophonist.29 – Cat Anderson, American trumpeter.
; May12 – Frank Weir, British orchestra leader and saxophonist.25 – Georg Malmstén, Finnish singer, musician, composer, orchestra conductor, and actor.28 – Mary Lou Williams, African-American pianist and composer.
; July21 – Snub Mosley, American trombonist.
; August3 – Seymour Österwall, Swedish tenor saxophonist, bandleader, and composer.4 – Tommy Turk, American trombonist.24 – Bill Coleman, American trumpeter.
; September9
; December15 – Samuel Jones, American upright bassist, cellist and composer.17 – Roy McCloud, American cornetist.27 – Hoagy Carmichael, American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader.

Births

; January18 – Martin Taxt, Norwegian tubist.
; February18 – Kamasi Washington, American saxophonist, composer, producer, and bandleader.20 – Chris Thile, American mandolinist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio personality.24 – Gwilym Simcock, British pianist and composer.
; March10
; April3 – Erik Nylander, Swedish drummer, improviser, and composer, Magic Pocket.27 – Hilde Marie Kjersem, Norwegian singer and songwriter.
; May3 – Alexander Hawkins, British pianist, bandleader, and composer.19 – Dan Forshaw, English saxophonist and educator.20 – Carmen Souza, Portuguese singer and songwriter of Cape Verdean heritage.
; June3 – Sam Amidon, American singer and songwriter.16 – Ola Kvernberg, Norwegian violinist and composer.
; July13
; August8 – Maria Ylipää, Finnish singer and actress.14 – Thomas Morgan, American upright bassist and cellist.16 – Øystein Moen, Norwegian pianist and keyboarder.26 – Gwyneth Herbert, British singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.
; September3 – Jørgen Munkeby, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and singer.
; October18 – Sarah Buechi, Swiss singer.20 – Kaori Kobayashi, Japanese saxophonist and flautist. 24 – Fredrik Mikkelsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer.26 – Erlend Slettevoll, Norwegian pianist, Grand General.
; December17 – Kim Myhr, Norwegian guitarist and composer, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.18 – Maciej Obara, Polish saxophonist.
; Unknown date