2023 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2023.

Events

April 14 - First day of Coachella 2023, a two weekend event, occurs. Jazz musicians in attendance are The Comet is Coming and Domi and JD Beck
April 15 - After 8 years, British band GoGo Penguin's contract with Blue Note Records ends, and the band switches to XXIM Records, a record label more typically associated with neoclassical music and progressive electronic music.

May 17 - The Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards are presented. Charles Lloyd wins Lifetime Achievement in Jazz award. Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington wins Musician of The Year. Singer Samara Joy wins Up & Coming Musician of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Ashley Kahn wins Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism award.
May 19 - Lionel Loueke and Gretchen Parlato released their collaborative album Lean In (Lionel Loueke and [Gretchen Parlato album)|Lean In].
May 31 - The tapes for a long lost, unreleased John Coltrane live album with Eric Dolphy are found at the New [York Public Library for the Performing Arts].

June 7 - The San Francisco Jazz Festival takes place in the United States. Jacob Collier and Samara Joy are in attendance.
June 13 - The Grammys announce a new award category: Best Alternative Jazz Album
June 21 - The 37th Annual Syracuse Jazz Fest takes place in the United States. Herbie Hancock and Gladys Knight are in attendance
June 30 - The 36th annual Saskatchewan Jazz Festival kicked off in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

August 4 - The Newport Jazz Festival opens in the United States. Notable attendees include Kamasi Washington, Domi and JD Beck, Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Herbie Hancock, Samara Joy, Lakecia Benjamin and Thundercat
August 25 - A 3 episode Amazon Prime biographical documentary miniseries about the life of Wayne Shorter through several decades releases, titled Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity

September 22 - The 65th Monterey Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place in the United States, with Lakecia Benjamin as the artist in residence. Notable attendees include Herbie Hancock, Snarky Puppy, Samara Joy, and Thundercat

December 5 - NPR Music ranks Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book and Yussef Dayes's Black Classical Music among the 50 best albums of 2023.
December 7 - The New York Times ranks Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah's Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning as the best jazz album of 2023, followed by Jaimie Branch's Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ) in #2
December 13 - Stereogum ranks Matana Roberts' Coin Coin Chapter 5: In The Garden as the best jazz album of 2023, followed by Jaimie Branch's Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ) in #2
December 19 - NPR Music ranks Meshell Ndegeocello's The Omnichord Real Book as the best jazz album of 2023
December 26 - The Guardian ranks Tyshawn Sorey's Continuing as the best jazz album of 2023The Guardian: , accessdate: January 18, 2024
December 31 - Ed Cherry's Are We There Yet? ends off the year with the most radio airplay as documented by JazzWeek

March 1 – Wally Fawkes, 98, Canadian-British clarinettist and satirical cartoonist
March 2 – Wayne Shorter, 89, tenor saxophonist
March 3 – Carlos Garnett, 84, Panamanian-born jazz saxophonist
March 9 – Robin Lumley, 74, British jazz keyboardist
March 13 – Simon Emmerson, 67, English jazz and worldbeat guitarist
March 14 – Gloria Bosman, 50, South African jazz singer
March 15 – Théo de Barros, 80, Brazilian jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer
March 16 – Tony Coe, 88, English jazz clarinetist and saxophonist

May 14 – Bernt Rosengren, 85, Swedish jazz tenor saxophonist
May 24 – Bill Lee, 94, American bassist
May 28 - George Cassidy, 86, Northern Irish tenor saxophonist and music teacher to Van Morrison

November 4 – Michel Pilz, 78, German jazz clarinetist
November 8 – Dino Piana, 93, Italian jazz musician
November 20 – Mars Williams, 68, American jazz and rock saxophonist
November 21 – Horacio Malvicino, 94, Argentine jazz and tango guitarist and composer