1938 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1938.

Events

 * Benny Goodman performs The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.

Deaths



 * May
 * 25 – Dick McDonough, American guitarist and composer (born 1904).


 * April
 * 10 – Joe "King" Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader (born 1885).


 * August
 * 16 – Robert Johnson, American guitarist, singer, and composer (born 1911).


 * Unknown date
 * Garnet Clark, American pianist (born 1917).

Births

 * January
 * 13 – Daevid Allen, Australian poet, guitarist, singer, and composer, Soft Machine and Gong (died 2015).
 * 17 – Alf Kjellman, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2010).
 * 24 – Julius Hemphill, American composer and saxophonist (died 1995).
 * 25
 * Etta James, American singer (died 2012).
 * 27 – Jimmie Smith, American drummer.


 * February
 * 1 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer of The Mothers of Invention (died 2008).
 * 11 – Slim Richey, American jazz guitarist (died 2015).
 * 17 – John Coates Jr., American pianist (died 2017).
 * 23 – Wilson Simonal, Brazilian singer (died 2000).
 * 24 – Louie Ramirez, American percussionist and vibraphonist (died 1993).
 * 28 – Mike Wofford, American pianist.


 * March
 * 7 – Petr Skoumal, Czech pianist and composer (died 2014).
 * 9
 * Lill-Babs or Barbro Svensson, Swedish singer and actress (died 2018).
 * Marzette Watts, American saxophonist (died 1998).
 * Roy Brooks, American drummer (died 2005).
 * 15 – Charles Lloyd, American tenor saxophonist and flautist.
 * 23 – Dave Pike, American vibraphone and marimba player (died 2015).
 * 24 – Steve Kuhn, American pianist and composer.
 * 29 – Laco Déczi, Slovak-American trumpeter and composer.


 * April
 * 2
 * Booker Little, American trumpeter and composer (died 1961).
 * Sal Nistico, American tenor saxophonist (died 1991).
 * 7
 * Alexander von Schlippenbach, German pianist and composer.
 * Freddie Hubbard, American trumpeter (died 2008).
 * Pete La Roca, American drummer (died 2012).
 * 10 – Denny Zeitlin, American pianist and composer.
 * 13 – Eddie Marshall, American drummer (died 2011).
 * 14 – Monty Waters, American saxophonist, flautist, and singer (died 2008).
 * 18
 * Bob Parlocha, American jazz expert and radio host (died 2015).
 * Hal Galper, American pianist and composer.
 * 27 – Ruth Price, American singer.


 * May
 * 2 – Fred Braceful, American-German drummer (died 1995).
 * 12 – Jimmy Hastings, British saxophonist, Canterbury scene.
 * 13 – Ross Tompkins, American pianist (died 2006).
 * 23 – Daniel Humair, Swiss drummer and composer.
 * 26 – Jaki Liebezeit, German drummer (died 2017).


 * June
 * 6 – Luigi Trussardi, French upright bassist (died 2010).
 * 9 – Eje Thelin, Swedist trombonist (died 1990).
 * 11 – Stu Martin, American drummer (died 1980).
 * 15 – Tony Oxley, English drummer.
 * 18 – Don "Sugarcane" Harris, American violinist (died 1999).
 * 20 – Dennis Budimir, American guitarist (died 2023).


 * July
 * 1 – Robert Schulz, American cornetist.
 * 3 – Rhoda Scott, African-American organist.
 * 4 – Mike Mainieri, American vibraphonist.
 * 10
 * Arnie Lawrence, American saxophonist (died 2005).
 * Lee Morgan, American trumpeter (died 1972).
 * 14 – Tommy Vig, Portuguese vibraharpist, drummer, percussionist, big band leader, and composer.
 * 18
 * Buschi Niebergall, German musician (died 1990).
 * Dudu Pukwana, South African saxophonist (died 1990).
 * 26 – Joanne Brackeen, American pianist.
 * 31 – Gap Mangione, American pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader.


 * August
 * 13 – Michael Joseph Smith, American composer and pianist.
 * 15 – Stix Hooper, American drummer.


 * September
 * 7 – Jon Mayer, American pianist and composer.
 * 17 – Perry Robinson, American clarinetist and composer (died 2018).
 * 20 – Eric Gale, American guitarist (died 1994).
 * 28
 * Gerd Dudek, German saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist (died 2022).
 * Ray Warleigh, Australian-born saxophonist and flautist (died 2015).


 * October
 * 2
 * Kjell Bartholdsen, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2009).
 * Gugge Hedrenius, Swedish pianist and bandleader (died 2009).
 * 4 – Mark Levine, American jazz pianist, trombonist, and composer (died 2022).
 * 15 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, saxophonist, and composer (died 1997).
 * 22 – Harrison Ridley Jr., American jazz presenter (died 2009).
 * 24 – Odean Pope, American tenor saxophonist.
 * 26 – John "Jabo" Starks, American drummer (died 2018).


 * November
 * 12 – Warren Bernhardt, American pianist (died 2022).


 * December
 * 9 – William Thomas McKinley, American composer and pianist (died 2015).
 * 11 – McCoy Tyner, American pianist (died 2020).
 * 19 – Pete Strange, English trombonist (died 2004).
 * 28
 * Charles Neville, American R&B saxophonist, The Neville Brothers (died 2018).
 * Dick Sudhalter, American trumpeter and criti (died 2008).


 * Unknown date
 * Barry Buckley, Australian upright bassist (died 2006).
 * Pat LaCroix, Canadian musician and photographer.