1946 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events in Jazz in the year 1946.

Events

 * The Jazz Journal is established in London by Sinclair Traill, originally under the title Pick Up.
 * Armstrong wins the Esquire Gold award for Vocalist.

Album releases

 * Artistry in Rhythm – Stan Kenton

Births


January
 * 4 — Susannah McCorkle, American singer (died 2001).
 * 4 — André Ceccarelli, French drummer and composer.
 * 3 — James Mtume, American percussionist, keyboardist, songwriter and record producer, Mtume (died 2022).
 * 12 – George Duke, American keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer (died 2013).
 * 16 – Spike Wells, English drummer and priest.
 * 20 – John Sheridan, American pianist.
 * 24 – Marion Cowings, American singer and university teacher.
 * 30 – Michael S. Smith, American drummer and percussionist (died 2006).
 * 31 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and vocalist, Chicago (died 1978).

February
 * 20 – J. Geils, American jazz and blues guitarist in The J. Geils Band (died 2017).
 * 21 – Terry Bradds, American guitarist.
 * 22 – Tom Grant, American pianist and vocalist.
 * 24 – Tullio De Piscopo, Italian drummer and singer.
 * 28
 * Mike Renzi, American pianist, arranger and musical director.
 * Pierre Dørge, Danish guitarist, bandleader, and composer.

March
 * 1 — Vinny Golia, American composer and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 11 – Patty Waters, American singer.
 * 19 – Jack Schaeffer, American musician, recording artist, producer and arranger.
 * 22
 * Jerry Jemmott, American bass guitarist.
 * Melvin Sparks, American guitarist (died 2011).

April
 * 13 – Al Green, American singer.
 * 14 – Knut Kristiansen, Norwegian pianist and orchestra leader.
 * 16 – Ivar Antonsen, Norwegian pianist.
 * 24 – Stafford James, American bassist.
 * 25 – Digby Fairweather, British cornettist and broadcaster.
 * 29 – Humphrey Carpenter, English musician, biographer, and writer (died 2005).
 * 30 – Joel Futterman, American pianist and curved soprano saxophonist.

May
 * 2 — Joel Forrester, American composer and pianist.
 * 5 — Jack Walrath, American trumpeter and arranger.
 * 10 – Jimmy Ponder, American guitarist (died 2013).
 * 12 – Rudolf Tomsits, Hungarian trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer (died 2003).
 * 22 – Martin Kratochvíl, American jazz rock musician.
 * 23 – Don Moye, American percussionist and drummer.
 * 27 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish upright bassist (died 2005).
 * 28 – Claudio Roditi, Brazilian trumpeter (died 2020).

June
 * 7 — Zbigniew Seifert, Polish violinist (died 1979).
 * 16 – Tom Harrell, American trumpet and flugelhorn player.
 * 17 – B. J. Cole, English pedal steel guitarist.
 * 18 – William Hooker, American drummer and composer.
 * 24 – Clint Houston, American upright bassist (died 2000).
 * 29 – Ken Hyder, Scottish fusion drummer.

July
 * 3 — John Klemmer, American saxophonist, composer, songwriter, and arranger.
 * 6 — Toquinho, Brazilian singer and guitarist.
 * 11 – Kimiko Itoh, Japanese singer.
 * 17
 * Ellade Bandini, Italian drummer.
 * Per Henrik Wallin, Swedish pianist and composer (died 2005).
 * 20 – Bob McHugh, American pianist, composer, and educator.
 * 23 – Khan Jamal, American vibraphone and marimba player.
 * 24 – Al Lowe, American video game designer, programmer, and musician.

August
 * 6 — Allan Holdsworth, English guitarist (died 2017).
 * 14 – Bjørn Kruse, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.
 * 27 – Roland Prince, Antiguan guitarist (died 2016).
 * 31
 * Cooper-Moore, American pianist, composer, and instrument builder/designer.
 * Su Cruickshank, Australian singer (died 2009).

September
 * 4 — Dave Liebman, American saxophonist and flautist.
 * 18 – Benjamín Brea, Venezuelan woodwind player (died 2014).
 * 23 – Duster Bennett, British singer and guitarist, Fleetwood Mac (died 1976).
 * 26 – Ted Greene, American guitarist (died 2005).
 * 28 – Helen Shapiro, English singer.

October
 * 1 — Dave Holland, English upright bassist, composer, and bandleader.
 * 3 — Mike Clark, American drummer.
 * 11 – Daryl Hall, American singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer.
 * 12 – Daryl Runswick, English composer, arranger, musician, producer, and educationalist.
 * 15
 * Bo Stief, Danish bassist, composer and arranger.
 * Palle Danielsson, Swedish upright bassist.
 * 22 – Jac Berrocal, French trumpeter, singer, and composer.

November
 * 4 — Billy Hancock, American singer, guitarist, bassist, and multiinstrumentalist (died 2018).
 * 7 — Raymond Harry Brown, American composer, arranger, and trumpeter.
 * 18 – Bennie Wallace, American tenor saxophonist.
 * 20 – Bruno Tommaso, Italian upright bassist and composer.
 * 23 – Ray Drummond, American upright bassist and teacher.
 * 25 – Guilherme Franco, Brazilian percussionist (died 2016).

December
 * 7
 * Phil Treloar, Australian drummer, percussionist and composer.
 * Trent Kynaston, American saxophonist, music educator and composer.
 * 12
 * Bruce Ditmas, American drummer and percussionist.
 * Denny Dias, American musician.
 * 14 – Jerome Cooper, American drummer (died 2015).
 * 16 – René McLean, American saxophonist and flutist.

Unknown date
 * Atilla Engin, Turkish-American drummer.
 * Carter Jefferson, American tenor saxophonist (died 1993).
 * Douglas Ewart, Jamaican multi-instrumentalist and instrument builder.
 * Frank Gibson, Jr., New Zealand drummer and drum tutor.
 * Peter Langston, American guitarist and computer programmer.
 * Riccardo Zegna, Italian pianist.
 * Roger Turner, English percussionist.

Deaths
January
 * 30 – Fred Beckett, American trombonist (born 1917).

February
 * 15 Putney Dandridge, American bandleader, jazz pianist and vocalist (born 1902).

July
 * 20 – Tricky Sam Nanton, American trombonist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (born 1904).

September
 * 16 Mamie Smith, American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist and actress (born 1883).

October
 * 3 – James Tim Brymn, American conductor, arranger, composer, and pianist (born 1881).


 * Unknown date
 * Joseph Petit, American jazz trombonist (born 1873).
 * Manuel Perez, New Orleans jazz cornetist and bandleader (born 1871).