1953 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1953.

Events

 * The musical Porgy and Bess was revived, playing in many European cities.

Album releases

 * Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie: Jazz at Massey Hall
 * Duke Ellington: Piano Reflections
 * Ben Webster: King of the Tenors
 * Modern Jazz Quartet: Django
 * Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy
 * Jay Jay Johnson: Four Trombones
 * Stan Kenton: Sketches on Standards
 * Miles Davis: Blue Period
 * Miles Davis: Young Man with a Horn (also known as Miles Davis, Vol. 1)
 * Thelonious Monk: Thelonious
 * Oscar Pettiford: The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet

Deaths



 * April
 * 23 – Peter DeRose, American Hall of Fame composer of jazz and pop music during the Tin Pan Alley era (born 1900).


 * May
 * 16 – Django Reinhardt, French virtuoso guitarist and composer (born 1910).


 * June
 * 3 – Mike Mosiello, Italian-born American trumpeter (born 1896).
 * 26 – Julius Foss, Danish composer, organist, and guitarist (born 1879).


 * August
 * 19 – Tiny Kahn, American drummer, arranger, and composer (born 1923).


 * November
 * 21 – Larry Shields, American clarinetist (born 1893).


 * Unknown date
 * Jimmy "Jammin'" Smith, American trumpet player (born 1926).

Births



 * January
 * 1 – Greg Carmichael, American guitarist, Acoustic Alchemy.
 * 5 – Paul Wertico, American drummer.
 * 6 – Jon Eberson, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
 * 10 – Mike Stern, American guitarist.
 * 17 – Jeff Berlin, American bassist.
 * 20 – Andrew Bisset, Australian author, music educator, and singer (died 2005).
 * 27 – Bob Mintzer, American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader.
 * 31 – Big Time Sarah, American singer (died 2015).


 * February
 * 2 – Louis Sclavis, French clarinetist, bass clarinetist, and soprano saxophonist.
 * 7 – T. K. Blue, American saxophonist.
 * 18 – Erling Aksdal, Norwegian pianist.
 * 24 – Rob Burns, English-New Zealand bass guitarist, author, and academic.
 * 25 – Reggie Lucas, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2018).


 * March
 * 1 – Gary Braith, French guitarist and composer.
 * 4 – John Esposito, American pianist.
 * 11 – Andy Dickens, English jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader.
 * 16 – Kei Akagi, Japanese-American pianist.
 * 19 – Michele Rosewoman, American pianist.
 * 21 – Taborah Johnson, Canadian singer and actor.
 * 22 – John Shifflett, American bassist (died 2017).
 * 23 – Chaka Khan, American singer-songwriter.
 * 27 – Masayoshi Takanaka, Japanese guitarist.
 * 29 – Jørgen Emborg, Danish pianist.


 * April
 * 1 – Randy Crouch, American fiddle player and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 2
 * Dick Oatts, American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.
 * 13
 * Charles Foster Johnson, American blogger, software developer, and guitarist.
 * Grant Geissman, American guitarist and composer.
 * Tom Olstad, Norwegian drummer.
 * 16 – Kurt Maloo, Swiss singer-songwriter, composer and record producer.
 * 18 – Danny Gottlieb, American drummer, Lt. Dan Band and Pat Metheny Group.
 * 20 – James Chance, American saxophonist, keyboard player, songwriter, and singer.
 * 24 – Trudy Silver, American pianist and composer.
 * 25 – Per Kolstad, Norwegian pianist, Lava.


 * May
 * 1
 * James Newton, American flautist.
 * Randy Halberstadt, American pianist, composer, recording artist, author, and teacher.
 * 2 – James Chirillo, American guitarist, banjoist, and composer.
 * 4
 * Michael Di Pasqua, American drummer and percussionist (died 2016).
 * Oleta Adams, American singer and pianist.
 * 6 – Paul Dunmall, British saxophonist.
 * 8 – Mike Miller, American guitarist.
 * 10 – Alex Foster, American saxophonist.
 * 12 – Odd Riisnæs, Norwegian saxophonist.
 * 21 – Joanie Bartels, American singer.
 * 22 – Jon Burr, American upright bassist and author.
 * 26 – David Torn, American guitarist, composer, and producer.


 * June
 * 2 – Vidar Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist.
 * 9 – Ken Navarro, Italian-American guitarist and composer
 * 26 – Gary Valente, American trombonist


 * July
 * 3 – Bruce Kapler, American saxophonist, singer and multi-instrumentalist, CBS Orchestra.
 * 8 – Ignacio Berroa, Cuban drummer.
 * 10 – Attila László, Hungarian guitarist and composer.
 * 13 – Sigurd Ulveseth, Norwegian upright bassist.
 * 22 – Jimmy Bruno, American guitarist.
 * 24 – Jon Faddis, American trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator.
 * 27 – Edward Wilkerson, American composer, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, and clarinetist.


 * August
 * 4 – Jeff Hamilton, American drummer, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
 * 10 – Jennifer Leitham or Lefty, American upright bassist.
 * 18 – David Benoit, American pianist, composer and producer.
 * 23 – Bobby Watson, American saxophonist, composer, and educator.
 * 28 – Michael Gregory, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.


 * September
 * 1 – Don Blackman, American pianist, singer, and songwriter (died 2013).
 * 2 – John Zorn, American composer, arranger, producer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 10 – Craig S. Harris, American trombonist.
 * 11 – Renée Geyer, Australian singer (died 2023).
 * 14 – Tom Cora, American cellist and composer (died 1998).
 * 16 – Earl Klugh, American guitarist and composer.
 * 26
 * Dan Knight, American pianist, composer, educator, and author.
 * Vic Juris, American guitarist (died 2019).
 * 28 – Keni Burke, American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.


 * October
 * 2
 * Big Al Carson, American singer.
 * Stein Erik Tafjord, Norwegian tubist.
 * 7 – Yoshiaki Miyanoue, Japanese guitarist.
 * 14 – Kazumi Watanabe, Japanese guitarist.
 * 17 – Joseph Bowie, American trombonist.
 * 21 – Marc Johnson American upright bassist.
 * 27 – Robert Irving III, American pianist, composer, arranger and music educator.


 * November
 * 2 – Ernest Dawkins, American saxophonist, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
 * 3 – Azar Lawrence, American saxophonist.
 * 7 – Erik Balke, Norwegian saxophonist.
 * 11 – Kahil El'Zabar, American percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.
 * 13
 * Alex Coke, American saxophonist and flutist.
 * Dennis Taylor, American saxophonist and clarinetist (died 2010).
 * 17 – Federico Ramos, Uruguayan guitarist, arranger, producer, and composer.
 * 18 – Alan Murphy, English guitarist (died 1989).
 * 27 – Lyle Mays, American pianist and composer.


 * December
 * 5 – John Molo, American drummer and percussionist.
 * 9 – Jill Saward, British singer, musician, and composer, Shakatak.
 * 10
 * Diane Schuur, American singer and pianist.
 * Eugenio Colombo, Italian saxophonist and flautist, Italian Instabile Orchestra.
 * 17
 * Ikue Mori, American drummer, composer, and graphic designer.
 * John Doheny, American tenor saxophonist and band leader.
 * 25 – Steve Barta, American-Brazilian jazz pianist.
 * 28 – Gilberto "Pulpo" Colón Jr., American pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and band leader.


 * Unknown date
 * Darol Anger, American violinist.
 * Hilario Durán, Cuban pianist.
 * Kevin Toney, American pianist and composer.
 * Paolo Rustichelli, Italian-American pianist, composer, and producer.
 * Suzanne Davis, American pianist.