1997 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1997.

Events

16 – The 26th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.21 – The 25th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.

7 – Blue Note – A Story of Modern Jazz, by jazz documentarist and filmmaker Julian Benedikt, an award-winning documentary film.

; January8 – George Handy, American arranger, composer, and pianist.12 – Wally Rose, American pianist.16 – Beverly Peer, American upright bassist.25 – Seldon Powell, American tenor saxophonist and flautist.
; February10 – Lou Bennett, American organist.14 – Charles Moffett, American drummer.20 – Zachary Breaux, American guitarist.23 – Tony Williams, American drummer.
; March11 – Hugh Lawson, American pianist.
; May10 – Bernard Anderson, American trumpeter.12 – Louis Barbarin, American drummer.14 – Thelma Carpenter, American singer and actress.15 – Tommy Turrentine, American trumpeter.18 – Horst Lippmann, German drummer, concert promoter, writer, and television director.31 – Eddie Jones, American upright bassist.
; June2 – Doc Cheatham, American trumpeter, singer and bandleader.4

* Anne Lenner, English singer.
* Johnny "Hammond" Smith, American organist.12 – Chuck Andrus, American upright bassist.14 – Arthur Prysock, American singer.16 – Rolf Ericson, Swedish trumpeter and flugelhornist.19 – Thurman Green, American trombonist.

; July2 – Stan Barker, American pianist.29 – Chuck Wayne, American guitarist.
; August2 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist.8

* Dardanelle Hadley, American singer, vibraphonist, pianist, composer, and arranger.
* Duncan Swift, British pianist.12 – Dick Marx, American pianist and arranger.14 – Eric Von Essen, American bassist, pianist, and composer.24 – Tete Montoliu, American pianist.

; September18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American singer.20 – Dick Shearer, American trombonist.
; October29 – Big Nick Nicholas, American saxophonist and vocalist.
; November2 – Carson Smith, American upright bassist.9 – Joe Roccisano, saxophonist and arranger.10 – Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist.11 – Shake Keane, American trumpeter and poet.12 – Carola Standertskjöld, Finnish singer.
; December1 – Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist.6 – George Chisholm, American trombonist.12 – Mouse Randolph, American trumpeter.21 – Johnny Coles, American trumpeter.30 – Ray Crawford, American guitarist.
; Unknown date

; Unknown date