1976 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1976.

April

 * 9 – The 3rd Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 9 – 11).

May

 * 19 – The 4th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 19 – June 2).

June

 * 4 – The 5th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 4 – 7).
 * 25
 * The 23rd Newport Jazz Festival started in New York, New York (June 25 – July 5).
 * The 10th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 25 – July 11).

July

 * 16 – The very first North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 16 – 18).

September

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

Album releases

 * Keith Jarrett: The Survivors' Suite
 * George Lewis: Solo Trombone Record
 * Air: Air Raid
 * David Murray: Flowers for Albert
 * Derek Bailey: Company 1
 * Jan Garbarek: Dis
 * Irene Schweizer: Wilde Señoritas
 * Toshiko Akiyoshi: Road Time
 * Albert Mangelsdorff: Tromboneliness
 * Leo Smith: Song of Humanity
 * Tony Coe: Zeitgeist
 * Ornette Coleman: Dancing in Your Head
 * Jaco Pastorius: Jaco Pastorius
 * Martial Solal: Movability
 * George Finola: New Orleans After Hours
 * Hamiet Bluiett: Endangered Species
 * Art Lande: Rubisa Patrol
 * Return to Forever: Romantic Warrior
 * George Adams: Suite For Swingers
 * Jean-Luc Ponty: Imaginary Voyage
 * David Friesen: Star Dance
 * Dexter Gordon: Biting the Apple
 * Joachim Kuhn: Springfever
 * Eberhard Weber: The Following Morning
 * Lew Tabackin: Dual Nature
 * Chico Freeman: Morning Prayer
 * Weather Report: Black Market
 * Charles Tyler: Saga of the Outlaws
 * Al Di Meola: Land of The Midnight Sun
 * Woody Shaw: Little Red's Fantasy
 * Stanley Clarke: School Days
 * Yosuke Yamashita: Banslikana
 * Ran Blake: Wende
 * Guenter Christmann: Solomusiken Fuer Posaune und Kontrabasse
 * Egberto Gismondi: Dança Das Cabeças
 * Michael Franks: The Art of Tea
 * Hugh Masekela: Colonial Man
 * Hugh Masekela: Melody Maker
 * Ryo Fukui: Scenery

Deaths

 * January
 * 14 – Juan d'Arienzo, Argentine tango violinist, band leader, and composer (born 1900).
 * 24 – Gösta Theselius, Swedish arranger, composer, film scorer, pianist, and saxophonist (born 1922).
 * 28 – Ray Nance, American trumpeter, violinist and singer (born 1913).


 * February
 * 5 – Rudy Pompilli, American tenor saxophonist, Bill Haley and His Comets (born 1924).
 * 6 – Vince Guaraldi, American pianist (born 1928).
 * 12 – Skip Martin, American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and music arranger (born 1916).


 * March
 * 14 – Junior Collins, American French horn player (born 1927).
 * 18 – Jim McCartney, English trumpeter and pianist (born 1902).
 * 19 – Paul Kossoff, English guitarist (cerebral and pulmonary oedema), Free (born 1950).
 * 26 – Duster Bennett, British singer and guitarist (car accident), Fleetwood Mac (born 1946).


 * May
 * 14 – Keith Relf, English singer (cardiac arrest due to electrocution), The Yardbirds (born 1940).
 * 17 – Lars Gullin, Swedish saxophonist (born 1928).
 * 29 – Willie Maiden, American saxophonist and arranger (born 1928).
 * 30 – Rube Bloom, Jewish-American songwriter, pianist, arranger, band leader, singer, and author (born 1902).


 * April
 * 7 – Jimmy Garrison, American upright bassist (born 1934).
 * 12 – Ted Buckner, American saxophonist (born 1913).


 * June
 * 7 – Bobby Hackett, American trumpeter, cornetist, and guitarist (born 1915).


 * July
 * 10 – Mike Pratt, English actor, musician, songwriter, and screenwriter (born 1931).
 * 12 – Buddy Featherstonhaugh, English saxophonist (born 1909).


 * September
 * 8 – August Agbola O'Browne, Nigerian-Polish drummer (born 1895).


 * October
 * 3
 * Victoria Spivey, American singer and songwriter (born 1906).
 * Herb Flemming, American trombonist and vocalist (born 1898).
 * 11 – Connee Boswell, American singer (born 1907).


 * December
 * 4 – Tommy Bolin, American guitarist (drug-induced suffocation), Deep Purple (born 1951).
 * 28 – Freddie King, American guitarist and singer (born 1934).

Births



 * January
 * 10 – Freddy Wike, Norwegian drummer.
 * 23 – Harmen Fraanje, Dutch pianist and composer.


 * February
 * 11 – Gretchen Parlato, American singer.
 * 20 – Ben Wendel, Canadian-American saxophonist, composer, bassoonist, and pianist, Kneebody.
 * 22 – Julia Biel, British singer, songwriter, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 26 – Karl Strømme, Norwegian trumpeter.


 * March
 * 1 – Andreas Mjøs, Norwegian vibraphonist, percussionist, guitarist, record producer, and composer, Jaga Jazzist.
 * 10 – Ane Brun, singer and songwriter.
 * 16 – Erlend Jentoft, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.
 * 27 – Tia Fuller, American saxophonist, composer, and educator.


 * April
 * 10 – Jan Werner Danielsen, Norwegian singer (died 2006).
 * 17 – Kjetil Steensnæs, Norwegian guitarist.
 * 30 – Radek Nowicki, Polish saxophonist.


 * May
 * 10 – Torbjörn Zetterberg, Swedish upright bassist and composer.
 * 20 – Ferenc Nemeth, Hungarian drummer and composer.


 * June
 * 3
 * Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen, Norwegian singer, songwriter, cabaret artist.
 * Roger Arntzen, Norwegian upright bassist, In The Country.
 * 6 – Emilie-Claire Barlow, Canadian singer and voice actress.
 * 10 – Kinan Azmeh, Syrian clarinetist.
 * 17 – Kjetil Møster, Norwegian reedist and composer, The Core and Ultralyd.
 * 21 – Jarle Bernhoft, Norwegian singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and lyricist.


 * July
 * 7
 * Erja Lyytinen, Finnish guitarist and singer-songwriter.
 * Orlando le Fleming, English upright bassist, composer and former cricketer, OWL Trio.


 * August
 * 6 – Jonas Westergaard, Danish upright bassist.


 * September
 * 4 – Alex Pangman, Canadian singer.
 * 15 – Femi Temowo, Nigerian-born British jazz guitarist, musical director, producer and broadcaster.


 * October
 * 1 – Ivar Grydeland, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
 * 7 – Pekka Kuusisto, Finnish violinist.
 * 19 – Jostein Gulbrandsen, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
 * 28 – Emma Salokoski, Finnish singer, composer, and writer.


 * November
 * 8 – Eric Harland, American drummer.


 * December
 * 6 – Ole Børud, Norwegian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
 * 7 – Kresten Osgood, Danish drummer.
 * 17 – Andreas Schaerer, Swiss vocalist and composer.
 * 30 – Miguel Zenón, Puerto Rican alto saxophonist, composer, band leader, music producer, and educator.


 * Unknown date
 * Daniel Fredriksson, Swedish drummer.
 * Jakob Høyer, Danish drummer.
 * Tamar Halperin, Israeli harpsichordist, pianist, and musicologist.
 * Yasuyuki "Yaz" Takagi, Japanese saxophonist.