1939 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1939.

Events

 * The earliest formal books on jazz begin to appear, including Wilder Hobson's American Jazz Music and Frederick Ramsey and Charles Edward Smith's Jazzmen.
 * Fletcher Henderson becomes the first black musician who is a regular member of a white big band when he joins Benny Goodman, although he does not became a featured artist in the band.
 * Charlie Christian makes some revolutionary electric guitar records which allow to the guitar to play lead with the trumpet and the saxophone for the first time.
 * The Duke Ellington Band experiences major success. Django Reinhardt records "Montmartre", "Solid Old Man", "Low Cotton" and "Finesse" with the band.

Deaths

 * February
 * 9 – Herschel Evans, tenor saxophonist (born 1909).


 * May
 * 19 – Louis Douglas, American dancer, choreographer, and music businessman (born 1889).


 * June
 * 4 – Tommy Ladnier, American jazz trumpeter (born 1900).
 * 16 – Chick Webb, American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader (born 1905).


 * December
 * 22 – Ma Rainey, Blues singer (born 1882).


 * Unknown date
 * Charlie Irvis, American jazz trombonist (born 1899).
 * John Robichaux, American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist (born 1866).

Births



 * January
 * 3
 * Brian Smith, American saxophonist.
 * Dianne Brooks, American singer (died 2005).
 * 15 – Hartmut Geerken, German musician and composer (died 2021).
 * 19 – Sam Brown, guitarist (died 1977).
 * 22 – Alan Silva, American upright bassist and keyboarder.
 * 29 – Jeanne Lee, American singer (died 2000).


 * February
 * 1 – Joe Sample, American pianist, keyboarder and composer (died 2014).
 * 5 – Derek Wadsworth, English trombonist, composer, and arranger (died 2008).
 * 6 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (died 2014).
 * 11 – Okay Temiz, Turkish percussionist and drummer.
 * 14 – Chris Pyne, English trombonist (died 1995).
 * 15 – Csaba Deseo, Hungarian violinist.
 * 17 – Bruce Cale, Australian upright bassist and composer.
 * 24 – Abu Talib (musician), African-American guitarist, singer, and harmonica player (died 2009).
 * 26 – Trevor Watts, English alto and soprano saxophonist.
 * 28 – Charles Gayle, American saxophonist, pianist, bass clarinetist, bassist, and percussionist (died 2023).


 * March
 * 14 – Rosa King, American saxophonist/singer (died 2000).
 * 19 – Mike Longo, American pianist and composer (died 2020).
 * 20 – Larry Harlow, American pianist (died 2021).
 * 21 – Christer Boustedt, Swedish saxophonist and actor (died 1986).


 * April
 * 4 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, singer, and composer (died 2018).
 * 23 – Patrick Williams, American composer, arranger, and conductor (died 2018).


 * May
 * 19
 * Sonny Fortune, American saxophonist (died 2018).
 * Richard Teitelbaum, American keyboardist (died 2020).
 * 22 – Dick Berk, American drummer and bandleader (died 2014).
 * 23
 * Marvin Stamm, American trumpeter.
 * Michel Colombier, French keyboarder and composer (died 2004).
 * 25 – Phil Ranelin, American trombonist.
 * 28 – Wojciech Karolak, Polish-born organist (died 2021).


 * June
 * 8 – Bill Watrous, American trombonist (died 2018).
 * 14 – Kent Carter, American upright bassist.
 * 16
 * Albert Dailey, American pianist (died 1984).
 * Lou Gare, English saxophonist (died 2017).
 * 22 – Heikki Sarmanto, Finnish jazz pianist, composer
 * 26 – George Braith, American saxophonist.
 * 30 – Tony Hatch, English composer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and producer.


 * July
 * 13 – György Szabados, Hungarian pianist (died 2011).
 * 16 – Denise LaSalle, African-American blues and R&B/soul singer, songwriter and record producer (d. 2018)
 * 18 – Brian Auger, English keyboardist.
 * 21 – Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and music educator.
 * 22 – Mario Rivera, Dominican saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (died 2007).
 * 24 – Charles McPherson, American alto saxophonist.


 * August
 * 9
 * Butch Warren, American upright bassist (died 2013).
 * Ove Stokstad, Norwegian printmaker, clarinetist and saxophonist (died 2018).
 * 12 – Mike Cotton, English trumpeter.
 * 16 – Mary Stallings, American vocalist.
 * 18 – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., (lung cancer), Norwegian actor, comedian and jazz singer (died 2008).
 * 19 – Ginger Baker, English drummer, Cream (died 2019).
 * 20 – Enrico Rava, Italian trumpeter.
 * 31
 * Cleveland Eaton, American upright bassist (died 2020).
 * Paul Winter, American saxophonist.


 * September
 * 9 – Zbigniew Namyslowski, Polish saxophonist, flautist, cellist, trombonist, and pianist (died 2022).
 * 10 – Campbell Burnap, British trombonist and broadcaster (died 2008).
 * 13 – Elaine Delmar, English singer.
 * 18
 * Kate Westbrook, English singer, English-horn player, and flautist.
 * Steve Marcus, American saxophonist (died 2005).
 * 24 – Wayne Henderson, American trombonist (died 2014).


 * October
 * 8 – Aladár Pege, Hungarian upright bassist (died 2006).
 * 14 – Chris Karan, Australian percussionist.
 * 15 – Joe Roccisano, American saxophonist and arranger (died 1997).
 * 16 – Andrzej Jastrzebski, Polish tubist.
 * 18 – Jan Erik Vold, Norwegian jazz poet.
 * 19 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese pianist and composer (died 2015).
 * 28 – Andy Bey, American singer and pianist.
 * 31 – John Guerin, American percussionist (died 2004).


 * November
 * 1 – Roger Kellaway, American composer, arranger and pianist.
 * 3 – Joe McPhee, American multi-instrumentalist.
 * 6 – Carlos Emilio Morales, Cuban guitarist (died 2014).
 * 10
 * Andrew Cyrille, American drummer.
 * Hubert Laws, American flutist and saxophonist.
 * 13 – Idris Muhammad, American drummer (died 2014).
 * 16 – Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish composer and trumpeter (died 2013).
 * 19 – Tommy Stewart, American trumpeter.
 * 26
 * Art Themen, British saxophonist.
 * Greetje Kauffeld, Dutch singer.
 * 29
 * Claudio Fasoli, Italian tenor and soprano saxophonist, and composer
 * Meco, American record producer and musician.


 * December
 * 10 – Pekka Pöyry, Finnish saxophonist and flutist (died 1980).
 * 17 – James Booker, American keyboardist (died 1983).
 * 22 – Nick Ceroli, American drummer (died 1985).
 * 25
 * Bob James, American pianist, keyboardist, arranger, and record producer.
 * Don Alias, American percussionist (died 2006).