1973 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1973.

May

 * 23 – The very first Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 23 – June 6).

June

 * 9 – The 2nd Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 9 – 11).
 * 29
 * The 20th Newport Jazz Festival started in New York, New York for its second year there. (June 29 – July 8).
 * The 7th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 29 – July 15).

September

 * 21 – The 16th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 21 – 23).

Album releases

 * Art Ensemble of Chicago: Fanfare For The Warriors
 * Gato Barbieri: Chapter One: Latin America
 * Paul Bley
 * Paul Bley & Scorpio
 * Paul Bley/NHØP
 * Dollar Brand
 * African Portraits
 * African Space Program
 * Sangoma
 * Marion Brown: Geechee Recollections
 * Betty Carter: Album (Betty Carter album)
 * Don Cherry: Relativity Suite
 * Billy Cobham Spectrum
 * Charles Earland: Charles III (album)
 * Michael Franks: Michael Franks
 * Hal Galper: Inner Journey
 * Herbie Hancock
 * Head Hunters
 * Sextant
 * Keith Jarrett: Solo Concerts: Bremen/Lausanne
 * Roland Kirk: Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle
 * David Liebman: First Visit
 * Frank Lowe: Black Beings
 * Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire
 * Michael Mantler: No Answer
 * Paul Motian: Conception Vessel
 * Oregon: Distant Hills
 * Joe Pass: Virtuoso (Joe Pass album)
 * Oscar Peterson: The Trio
 * Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams
 * Dewey Redman: The Ear of the Behearer
 * Sam Rivers: Streams
 * Roswell Rudd: Numatik Swing Band
 * Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Mouthpiece
 * John Surman: Morning Glory
 * Cecil Taylor: Solo
 * Cecil Taylor: Spring of Two Blue J's
 * Ralph Towner: Diary
 * McCoy Tyner: Enlightenment
 * Mal Waldron: Up Popped the Devil
 * Weather Report: Sweetnighter
 * Eberhard Weber: The Colours of Chloë
 * Frank Wright: Church Number Nine

Deaths

 * January
 * 2 – Joe Harriott, Jamaican saxophonist and composer (born 1928).
 * 3 – Wilbur de Paris, American trombonist and bandleader (born 1900).
 * 23 – Kid Ory, American trombonist and bandleader(born 1886).


 * February
 * 3 – Andy Razaf, African-American poet, composer, and lyricist (born 1895).
 * 19 – Leon Washington, American tenor saxophonist (leukemia) (born 1909).


 * March
 * 2 – Spanky DeBrest, American upright bassist (born 1937).


 * April
 * 18 – Willie "The Lion" Smith, American pianist (born 1897).


 * May
 * 14 – Elmer Snowden, American banjo and guitar player (born 1900).
 * 24 – Sid Phillips, English clarinettist, bandleader, and arranger (born 1907).


 * June
 * 8 – Tubby Hayes, English saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1935).


 * August
 * 4 – Eddie Condon, American banjoist, guitarist, and bandleader (born 1905).


 * September
 * 20 – Ben Webster, American tenor saxophonist (born 1909).
 * 26 – Bernard Etté, German violinist and conductor (born 1898).


 * October
 * 16 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, band leader, actor, and composer (born 1909).
 * 21 – Bill Harris, American trombonist (born 1916).


 * December
 * 3 – Emile Christian, American trombonist (born 1895).

Births

 * January
 * 4
 * Bartlomiej Oles, Polish drummer, composer, and record producer.
 * Marcin Oles, Polish bassist, composer and record producer.
 * 12 – Brian Culbertson, American keyboardist and trombonist.
 * 31 – Petr Kroutil, Czech clarinettist, saxophonist, bansuri player, vocalist, composer, and arranger.


 * February
 * 3 – Timuçin Şahin, Turkish guitarist and composer.
 * 11 – Ethan Iverson, American pianist, composer, and critic.
 * 22 – Gustavo Assis-Brasil, Brazilian-American guitarist.


 * March
 * 23 – Stefon Harris, American vibraphonist.


 * April
 * 17 – Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, South African pianist (died 2001).
 * 30 – Frédéric Yonnet, French harmonica player and producer.


 * May
 * 14 – Clare Teal, English singer.
 * 23 – Nikki Yeoh, British pianist and composer.
 * 24 – Hallgeir Pedersen, Norwegian guitarist and composer.


 * June
 * 3 – Ebru Aydın, Turkish singer and songwriter.
 * 4
 * Gunhild Seim, Norwegian trumpeter and composer.
 * Scott Hammond, English drummer, Jethro Tull.


 * July
 * 2 – Teodross Avery, American tenor saxophonist.
 * 8 – Magne Thormodsæter, Norwegian upright bassist and composer.
 * 21 – Susheela Raman, British-Indian singer and songwriter.


 * August
 * 9 – Meg Okura, American violinist, ehru player, and composer.
 * 11 – Torbjørn Sletta Jacobsen, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.


 * September
 * 3 – Norihiko Hibino, Japanese video game composer and saxophonist.
 * 4 – Wetle Holte, Norwegian drummer and composer.
 * 7 – Thomas T. Dahl, Norwegian guitarist and composer, Krøyt and Dingobats.
 * 9 – John Blackwell American drummer, Prince (died 2017).
 * 12 – Dorota Miśkiewicz, Polish singer, songwriter, composer, and violinist.
 * 21 – Fredrik Wallumrød, Norwegian drummer and composer.
 * 26
 * Nelson Williams, American trumpeter.
 * Nicholas Payton, American trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.


 * October
 * 3
 * Eirik Hegdal, Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and arranger.
 * Marius Reksjø, Norwegian upright bassist.


 * November
 * 3 – Eivind Austad, Norwegian pianist, composer, and music teacher.


 * December
 * 18 – Christian Jaksjø, Norwegian trombone and euphonium player.
 * 29 – Kalle Kalima, Finnish guitarist and composer.


 * Unknown date
 * Ben Castle, British clarinettist and saxophonist.
 * Eivind Opsvik, Norwegian upright bassist and composer.
 * Janne Mark, Danish vocalist and composer.
 * Kate Dimbleby, English cabaret singer and songwriter.
 * Maria Markesini, Greek singer and pianist.
 * Özay Fecht, Turkish-German actress and singer.
 * Titilayo Adedokun, Nigerian-American singer.