1934 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1934.

Events

 * Louis Armstrong is in Europe, recording with French Polydor.
 * Trumpeter Rex Stewart joins the Duke Ellington Band.

Deaths



 * February
 * 27 – Gene Rodemich, pianist and orchestra leader (born 1890).


 * September
 * 2
 * Alcide Nunez, United States jazz clarinetist (born 1884).
 * Russ Columbo, American singer, violinist and actor, most famous for his signature tune, "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love" (born 1908).


 * Unknown date
 * Eddie Anthony, American country blues and jazz musician. He played the violin (born 1890).
 * Jack Carey, trombonist, the leader of the Crescent City Orchestra (born 1889).

Births

 * January
 * 5 – Phil Ramone, South African-American record producer, violinist, and composer (died 2013).
 * 8 – Georg Riedel, Swedish upright bassist.
 * 10
 * Joe Licari, American clarinetist.
 * Sheila Tracy, British broadcaster, writer, trombonist, and singer (died 2014).
 * 11 – Egil "Bop" Johansen, Norwegian-Swedish drummer (died 1998).
 * 17 – Cedar Walton, American pianist (died 2013).
 * 21 – Eva Olmerová, Czech singer (died 1993).


 * February
 * 4 – Wade Legge, American pianist and bassist (died 1963).
 * 7 – King Curtis, American saxophonist (died 1971).
 * 8 – Art Porter Sr., American pianist (died 1993).
 * 14 – Merl Saunders, American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards (died 2008).
 * 17 – Hacke Björksten, Finnish-Swedish bandleader and saxophonist (died 2020).
 * 20 – Selçuk Sun, Turkish upright bassist and composer (died 2016).
 * 23 – Inger Berggren, Swedish singer (died 2019).
 * 28 – Willie Bobo, American percussionist (died 1983).


 * March
 * 2 – Doug Watkins, American upright bassist (died 1962).
 * 14 – Shirley Scott, American organist (died 2002).
 * 26 – Don Bailey, American drummer (died 2013).
 * 30 – Lanny Morgan, American alto saxophonist.


 * April
 * 5 – Stanley Turrentine, American tenor saxophonist (died 2000).
 * 6 – Horace Tapscott, American pianist and composer (died 1999).
 * 7 – Victor Feldman, British pianist (died 1987).
 * 8 – Bảo Vàng, Vietnamese trumpeter and composer (died 2016).
 * 13 – Kirk Stuart, American pianist (died 1982).
 * 17 – Warren Chiasson, Canadian vibraphonist.
 * 29 – Norman Edge, American upright bassist (died 2018).


 * May
 * 1 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (died 2005).
 * 14 – Warren Smith, American percussionist.
 * 17 – John Picard, English trombonist.
 * 19 – Bobby Bryant, American trumpeter and flugelhornist (died 1998).
 * 21 – Bob Northern, American French hornist (died 2020).


 * June
 * 3 – Bob Wallis, British musician (died 1991).
 * 6 – Raymond Premru, American trombonist (died 1998).
 * 22 – Ray Mantilla, American drummer (died 2020).
 * 24 – Terry Cryer, British jazz and blues photographer (died 2017).
 * 26 – Dave Grusin, American composer, arranger, and pianist.


 * July
 * 9 – Vinko Globokar, Slovene-French avant-garde composer and trombonist.
 * 9 – Colin Bailey, British-American drummer (died 2021).
 * 19 – Bobby Bradford, American trumpeter and cornetist.
 * 22 – Junior Cook, American tenor saxophonist (died 1992).
 * 23
 * Steve Lacy, American saxophonist and composer (died 2004).
 * Tony Lee, British pianist (died 2004).
 * 24
 * Ahmad Alaadeen, American saxophonist (died 2010).
 * Rudy Collins, American drummer (died 1988).
 * 25 – Don Ellis, American trumpeter, and drummer (died 1978).


 * August
 * 15 – Georgy Garanian, Russian saxophonist (died 2010).
 * 27 – Sylvia Telles, Brazilian singer (died 1966).
 * 28 – Ethel Azama, American singer (died 1984).


 * September
 * 1 – Teri Thornton, American singer (died 2000).
 * 3 – Freddie King, American guitarist and singer (died 1976).
 * 23 – Gino Paoli, Italian singer-songwriter.
 * 26 – Dick Heckstall-Smith, English saxophonist (died 2004).
 * 27 – Ib Glindemann, Danish trumpeter and orchestra leader (died 2019).


 * October
 * 7 – Amiri Baraka, African-American writer and music critic (died 2014).
 * 9 – Abdullah Ibrahim, South African pianist and composer.
 * 20
 * Bill Chase, American trumpeter (died 1974).
 * Eddie Harris, American saxophonist (died 1996).
 * 26 – Jacques Loussier, French pianist and composer (died 2019).
 * 27
 * Barre Phillips, American upright bassist.
 * Ivan Jullien, French trumpeter (died 2015).
 * 29
 * Jimmy Woods, American alto saxophonist (died 2018).
 * Pim Jacobs, Dutch pianist (died 1996).


 * November
 * 7 – Jan Allan, Swedish trumpeter and composer.
 * 10 – Houston Person, American tenor saxophonist.
 * 14 – Ellis Marsalis Jr., American pianist (died 2020).
 * 17 – Marion Montgomery, American-born singer (died 2002).
 * 20 – Colin Smith, English trumpeter (died 2004).
 * 23 – Victor Gaskin, American upright bassist (died 2012).
 * 29 – Tony Coe, English clarinettist and tenor saxophonist (died 2023).


 * December
 * 5 – Art Davis, American upright bassist (died 2007).
 * 6 – Norio Maeda, Japanese composer and pianist (died 2018).


 * 21 – Hank Crawford, American alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter (died 2009).
 * 24 – John Critchinson, English pianist (died 2017).
 * 28 – Bob Cunningham, American bassist (died 2017).


 * Unknown date
 * Delisa Newton, American vocalist (died 2004).
 * Pat Moran McCoy, American pianist.