1975 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1975.

March

 * 21 – The 2nd Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 21 – 23).

May

 * 16 – The 4th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 16 – 19).
 * 21 – The 3rd Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 21 – June 4).

June

 * 27 – The 22nd Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (June 27 – July 6).

July

 * 3 – The 9th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 3 – 20).

September

 * 19 – The 18th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 19 – 21).

Album releases

 * Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert
 * Revolutionary Ensemble: The People's Republic
 * Miles Davis: Agharta
 * Evan Parker: Saxophone Solos
 * Leroy Jenkins: For Players Only
 * Air: Air Song
 * Oliver Lake: Heavy Spirits
 * Kenny Wheeler: Gnu High
 * Om: Kirikuki
 * Terje Rypdal: Odyssey
 * Steve Lacy: Dreams
 * Anthony Braxton: Five Pieces 1975
 * Don Pullen: Solo Piano Album
 * Dexter Gordon: Bouncin' with Dex
 * Michael Mantler: Michael Mantler – Carla Bley
 * Sonny Sharrock: Paradise
 * Dudu Pukwana: Diamond Express
 * George Finola: No Words, Just George
 * Kenny Barron: Lucifer
 * Frank Lowe: The Flam
 * John Surman: S.O.S.
 * Don Pullen: Healing Force
 * Julius Hemphill: Coon Bid'ness
 * Gateway Trio: Gateway
 * Collin Walcott: Cloud Dance
 * Don Moye: Sun Percussion
 * Martial Solal: Nothing But Piano
 * Eberhard Weber: Yellow Fields
 * Don Pullen: Five to Go
 * Charles Tolliver: Impact
 * Lol Coxhill: Welfare State
 * David Liebman: Forgotten Fantasies
 * Joe McPhee: The Willisau Concert
 * Yōsuke Yamashita: Chiasma
 * Michael Mantler: The Hapless Child
 * Dollar Brand: Soweto
 * Don Pullen: Capricorn Rising
 * Stanley Clarke: Journey to Love
 * Enrico Rava: The Pilgrim and the Stars
 * The Manhattan Transfer: The Manhattan Transfer

Deaths



 * January
 * 3 – René Thomas, Belgian guitarist (born 1927).


 * February
 * 5 – Åke Persson, Swedish trombonist (born 1932).


 * March
 * 4 – Cornel Chiriac, Romanian radio producer, record producer, and drummer (born 1941).
 * 15 – Sandy Brown, Scottish clarinetist and band leader (born 1929).
 * 16 – T-Bone Walker, American guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (born 1910).
 * 27 – Pete Clarke, British saxophonist and clarinetist (died 1975).


 * April
 * 12 – Josephine Baker, French singer, entertainer, activist, and Resistance agent (born 1906).


 * May
 * 11 – Benny Harris, American trumpeter and composer (born 1919).
 * 13 – Tubby Hall, American drummer (born 1895).
 * June
 * 18 – Earl Washington, American pianist (born 1921).


 * July
 * 14 – Zutty Singleton, American drummer (born 1898).
 * 16 – Pippo Starnazza, Italian singer and actor (born 1909).
 * 21 – Theodore Carpenter, American trumpet player, singer, and band leader (born 1898).


 * August
 * 8 – Cannonball Adderley, American alto saxophonist (born 1928).


 * October
 * 28 – Oliver Nelson, American saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader (born 1932).


 * November
 * 14 – Artemi Ayvazyan, Soviet-Armenian composer, conductor, and founder of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra (born 1902).


 * December
 * 11 – Lee Wiley, American singer (born 1908).
 * 14 – Mongezi Feza, South African trumpeter and flautist (born 1945).
 * 17
 * Fess Williams, American clarinetist and alto saxophonist (born 1894).
 * Stan Wrightsman, American pianist (born 1910).


 * Unknown date
 * Trevor Koehler, American saxophonist (born 1935).

Births



 * January
 * 17 – Squarepusher or Tom Jenkinson, English electronic musician and composer.
 * 18 – Géraldine Laurent, French alto saxophonist.
 * 21 – Jason Moran, American pianist and composer.


 * February
 * 7 – Kellylee Evans, Canadian singer.


 * March
 * 4 – Mats Eilertsen, Norwegian upright bassist and composer, Food and Dingobats.
 * 9 – Øyvind Storesund, Norwegian upright bassist, Cloroform and Kaizers Orchestra.
 * 10 – Håvard Wiik, Norwegian pianist and composer, Atomic.
 * 14 – Gianluca Petrella, Italian trombonist.
 * 17 – Jairzinho Oliveira, Brazilian singer, songwriter, and composer.
 * 18 – Sondre Meisfjord, Norwegian bassist, cellist, and composer, Come Shine.
 * 22 – Steinar Raknes, Norwegian upright bassist, Urban Connection and The Core.
 * 25 – David Braid, Canadian pianist and composer.
 * 27 – Katja Toivola, Finnish trombonist.
 * 28 – Orrin Evans, American pianist.


 * April
 * 12 – Lars Andreas Haug, Norwegian tubist.
 * 13 – Jan Harbeck, Danish saxophonist and composer.
 * 23
 * Helge Lien, Norwegian pianist, composer, and band leader.
 * Rolf-Erik Nystrøm, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.
 * 27
 * Fabrizio Sotti, Italian guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer.
 * Jozef Dumoulin, Belgian keyboarder and composer.


 * May
 * 1 – Aslak Hartberg, Norwegian rapper and bassist.
 * 7 – Gunhild Carling, Swedish trombonist and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 15 – Frode Haltli, Norwegian accordionist.


 * June
 * 2 – Gisle Torvik, Norwegian guitarist, composer, and band leader.
 * 16 – Jannike Kruse, Norwegian singer, artist and actor.


 * July
 * 11 – Chris Gall, German pianist and composer.
 * 22 – Erik Johannessen, Norwegian trombonist and composer, Jaga Jazzist and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.
 * 23 – Céline Bonacina, French saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.


 * August
 * 1 – Håkon Mjåset Johansen, Norwegian drummer and composer, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.
 * 22 – Taylor Ho Bynum, American cornetist, flugelhornist, trumpeter, composer, educator, and writer.
 * 24 – Michael Magalon, Belgian bassist, guitarist, and composer.


 * October
 * 2 – Kåre Opheim, Norwegian drumMer, Real Ones.
 * 12 – Espen Aalberg, Norwegian drummer.
 * 26 – Ole Marius Sandberg, Norwegian bassist.


 * November
 * 26 – Arne Jansen, German guitarist, composer, and band leader.
 * 27 – Frode Nymo, Norwegian jazz musician (alto Saxophonist), Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Urban Connection.


 * December
 * 5 – Søren Bebe, Danish pianist and composer.


 * Unknown date
 * Jacob Anderskov, Danish pianist, composer and bandleader.
 * Lionel Friedli, Swiss percussionist.
 * Marcin Wasilewski, Polish pianist and composer.
 * Matana Roberts, American sound experimentalist, visual artist, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, and composer.
 * Niki King, Scottish singer.
 * Paul Harrison, English pianist, keyboarder, organist, and composer.