1971 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1971.

May

 * 2 – The 5th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (May 2 – June 24).

July

 * 2 – The 18th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 2 – 5).

September

 * 17 – The 14th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 17 – 19).

Album releases

 * Art Ensemble of Chicago: Phase One
 * Derek Bailey: Solo Guitar
 * Gato Barbieri: Fenix
 * Carla Bley: Escalator Over The Hill
 * Willem Breuker: Instant Composers Pool 008
 * Gary Burton: Live in Tokyo
 * Alice Coltrane
 * Universal Consciousness
 * Journey in Satchidananda
 * Compost: Compost
 * Chick Corea
 * Circle 2: Gathering
 * Piano Improvisations
 * The Song of Singing
 * Don Ellis: Tears of Joy
 * Bill Evans
 * The Bill Evans Album
 * From Left to Right
 * Jan Garbarek: Sart
 * Freddie Hubbard
 * First Light
 * Sing Me a Song of Songmy
 * Straight Life
 * Keith Jarrett
 * Birth
 * Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett
 * The Mourning of a Star
 * Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame
 * Joe McPhee: Trinity
 * Oliver Nelson: Swiss Suite
 * Jean-Luc Ponty: Open Strings
 * Terje Rypdal: Terje Rypdal
 * Pharoah Sanders: Black Unity
 * Spontaneous Music Ensemble: So What Do You Think
 * Keith Tippett: Septober Energy
 * Stanley Turrentine: Salt Song
 * Weather Report: Weather Report
 * Tim Weisberg: Tim Weisberg
 * Mike Westbrook: Metropolis
 * Paul Winter
 * Icarus
 * Road
 * Joe Zawinul: Zawinul

Deaths

 * January
 * 10 – Ernie Caceres, American saxophonist (born 1911).
 * 19 – Harry Shields, American clarinetist (born 1899).


 * February
 * 1 – Harry Roy, British clarinettist and bandleader (born 1900).
 * 5 – Chas Remue, Belgian reedist (born 1903).
 * 11 – Harry Arnold, Swedish saxophonist and bandleader (born 1920).
 * 22 – Derek Humble, English alto saxophonist (born 1930).


 * March
 * 26 – Harold McNair, Jamaican-born saxophonist and flute player (lung cancer) (born 1931).
 * 28 – Morey Feld, American drummer (born 1915).


 * April
 * 1 – Baby Face Willette, American Hammond organist (born 1933).
 * 12 – Wynton Kelly, Jamaican pianist and composer (born 1931).
 * 28 – Sonny White, American pianist (born 1917).


 * May
 * 8 – Gus Deloof, Belgian trumpeter, composer, and arranger (born 1909).


 * June
 * 11 – Bert Ambrose, English bandleader and violinist (born 1896).


 * July
 * 2 – Bobby Donaldson, American drummer (born 1922).
 * 6 – Louis Armstrong, American singer and trumpeter (born 1901).
 * 8 – Charlie Shavers, American trumpeter (born 1920).


 * August
 * 13 – King Curtis, American saxophonist (born 1934).
 * 17 – Tab Smith, American saxophonist (born 1909).
 * 27 – Lil Hardin Armstrong, American pianist, singer, and band leader (born 1898).
 * 28 – Lou McGarity, American trombonist, violinist, and vocalist (born 1917).


 * November
 * 1 – Irene Daye, American singer (born 1918).
 * 3 – Gary McFarland, American composer, arranger, vibraphonist, and vocalist (born 1933).


 * Unknown date
 * Gregor or Krikor Kélékian, Armenian-French bandleader (born 1898).

Births



 * January
 * 1
 * Chris Potter, American saxophonist.
 * Kenya Hathaway, American singer.
 * 4 – Nigel Hitchcock, English saxophonist.
 * 5 – Stian Carstensen, Norwegian multi-instrumentalist.
 * 20 – Zoe Rahman, English pianist and composer.


 * February
 * 16 – Øyvind Brandtsegg, Norwegian percussionist.
 * 26 – Erykah Badu, American singer-songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, activist, and actress.


 * March
 * 23 – Leszek Możdżer, Polish pianist, music producer, and film music composer.


 * April
 * 2 – Solveig Slettahjell, Norwegian singer.
 * 10 – Joey Defrancesco, American organist, trumpeter, and vocalist.
 * 16 – Max Beesley, English actor, singer, and pianist.
 * 25 – Trygve Seim, Norwegian saxophonist.Arun Luthra Tramonto Festival 2018.jpg performing at the 2018 Tramonto Festival in Croatia]]
 * 26 – Christian Wallumrød, Norwegian pianist and composer.


 * May
 * 6 – Till Brönner, German trumpeter, singer, composer, arranger, and producer.
 * 12 – Kristin Asbjørnsen, Norwegian singer and composer.
 * 15 – Erland Dahlen, Norwegian drummer and percussionist.
 * 31 – Arun Luthra, Indo-Anglo-American saxophonist, konnakol artist, composer, arranger, and band leader.




 * June
 * 4 – Shoji Meguro, Japanese composer, guitarist, and director.
 * 7
 * Håvard Fossum, Norwegian saxophonistand flautist.
 * Jesse Green, American pianist, composer, arranger, and record producer.
 * 9 – Gerald Preinfalk, Austrian saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
 * 15 – Nasheet Waits, American drummer.
 * 29 – Ingar Zach, Norwegian percussionist.


 * July
 * 17 – Liberty Ellman, American guitarist.
 * 29 – Lisa Ekdahl, Swedish singer and songwriter.


 * August
 * 14 – Walter Blanding, American saxophonist and clarinetist.
 * 17 – Ed Motta, Brazilian singer and keyboardist.


 * September
 * 15 – Graham Wood, Australian jazz pianist (died 2017).
 * 20 – Sean J. Kennedy, American drummer.
 * 23 – Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Norwegian bassist.


 * October
 * 19 – Helén Eriksen, Norwegian saxophonist and singer.
 * 20 – Russell Gunn, American trumpeter.
 * 24 – Frode Berg, Norwegian bassist.
 * 26 – Vijay Iyer, American pianist and composer.


 * November
 * 1 – Antonio Sánchez, Mexican-American drummer and composer.
 * 4 – Gregory Porter, American vocalist.
 * 28 – Robert Mitchell, British pianist, composer, and teacher.


 * December
 * 1 – Mika Pohjola, Finnish pianist and composer.
 * 11 – Mattias Ståhl, Swedish vibraphonist, clarinetist, and composer.
 * 18 – Noriko Matsueda, Japanese pianist and composer.


 * Unknown date
 * Carla Kihlstedt, American composer, violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist.
 * Dominique Atkins, British singer, Grace.
 * Kasper Tranberg, Danish trumpeter and flugelhornist.
 * Marcus Johnson, American keyboardist.
 * Tom Norris, English musician, composer, ensemble leader, and songwriter.
 * Vellu Halkosalmi, Finnish trombonist and composer.