1989 in jazz

Events

February

• 27 – Woody Shaw was struck by a subway car in Brooklyn, NY, which severed his left arm. By the late 1980s Shaw was suffering from an incurable degenerative eye disease and was losing his eyesight. Details of the accident are unclear.

March

• 17 – The 16th Vossajazz started in Vossavangen, Norway.

May

• 12 – The 18th Moers Festival.
• 24 – The 17th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.

June

• 2 – The 12th Atlanta [Jazz Festival] started in Atlanta, Georgia.

July

• 1 – The 33rd Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island.
• 6 – The 23rd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.
• 14 – The 14th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands.
• 28 – The 12th Jazz in Marciac started in France.

August

• 17 – The 6th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales.

September

• 15 – The 32nd Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.

Album releases

• Abdullah Ibrahim: Blues for a Hip King
• Abdullah Ibrahim: African River
• Marty Ehrlich: Traveller's Tale
• Tim Berne: Fractured Fairy Tales
• Joe Maneri: Kalavinka
• Henry Threadgill: Rag, Bush and All
• 16-17: When All Else Fails... (1989 [16-17 album)|When All Else Fails]
• Joe Lovano: Worlds
• Nimal: Nimal
• John Oswald: Plunderphonics
• Michael Shrieve: Stiletto
• Dave Holland: Extensions
• Andrew Hill: Eternal Spirit
• Christy Doran: Phoenix
• Henry Kaiser: Re-Marrying For Money
• Michael Shrieve: Big Picture
• Muhal Richard Abrams: Hearinga Suite
• Don Pullen: Song Everlasting
• Fred Hersh: Heartsongs
• Geri Allen: Twylight
• Leni Stern: Closer to the Light
• Ganelin Trio: Cantabile
• Marty Fogel: Many Bobbing Heads
• London Jazz Composers Orchestra:Harmos
• Montreaux: Let Them Say
• No Safety: This Lost Leg
• Carol Sloane: Love You Madly
• John Carter: Shadows on a Wall
• Ralph Peterson: Triangular
• Ray Anderson: Blues Bred
• King Ubu Orchestru: Binaurality
• Evan Parker: Conic Sections
• Dewey Redman: Living on the Edge
• Charles Earland: Third Degree Burn
• John Scofield: Time on My Hands
• Roy Hargrove: Diamond in the Rough
• Tom Harrell: Sail Away
• Tommy Flanagan: Jazz Poet
• Larry Carlton: On Solid Ground
• Neal Schon:Late Nite
• Egberto Gismonti: Dança Dos Escravos
• Chick Corea Akoustic Band: Chick Corea Akoustic Band
• Joe Sample: Spellbound
• Eliane Elias: So Far So Close
• Pat Metheny Group: Letter From Home
• Hugh Masekela: ''Uptownship''

Deaths

• 26 – Roy Eldridge, American trumpeter.

• 24 – Arnett Cobb, American tenor saxophonist.

• 4 – Roberto Nicolosi, Italian upright bassist and leader.
• 12 – Herbert Mills, American singer, Mills Brothers.

• 10 – Woody Shaw, American trumpeter .
• 26 – Phineas Newborn, Jr., American pianist.

• 15 – Will Bradley, American trombonist and bandleader.

• 19 – Alan Murphy, English guitarist.

• 5 – Lu Watters, American trumpeter and band leader, Yerba Buena Jazz Band.
• 9 – Kenny Hagood, American singer.
• 18 – Freddie Waits, American drummer.

• 28 – Fred Lange-Nielsen, Norwegian bassist and vocalist.

Births

• 4 – Trond Bersu, Norwegian drummer and vocalist.

• 5 – Kris Bowers, American composer and pianist.

• 8 – Christian Skår Winther, Norwegian guitarist.
• 22 – Christian Sands, American pianist and composer.
• 24 – Francesco Cafiso, Italian alto saxophonist.

• 6 – Kristoffer Eikrem, Norwegian trumpeter, composer and photographer.

• 14 – Isaiah Sharkey, American guitarist and singer.

• 28 – Cécile McLorin Salvant, American singer.

• 27 – Jakob Terjesønn Rypdal, Norwegian guitarist.

• 2 – Isfar Sarabski, Azerbaijani pianist and composer.
• 20 – Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard, Norwegian upright bassist.

• 11 – KeyLiza or Kesita Elizabeth Massamba, German singer, dancer, DJ, composer and beatmaker.

• James Mainwaring, English composer, saxophonist, and bandleader.