1978 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1978.

March

 * 17 – The 5th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 17–19).

May

 * 12 – The 7th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 12–15).
 * 24 – The 6th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 24 – June 7).

July

 * 1 – The 25th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 1–3).
 * 7 – The 12th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 7–23).
 * 14 – The 3rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 14–16).
 * 28 – The very first Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 28 – August 17).

September

 * 15 – The 21st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).

Album releases

 * Chick Corea: The Mad Hatter
 * Chick Corea: Secret Agent
 * Chick Corea: Friends
 * Air: Open Air Suit
 * Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela
 * Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Main Event Live
 * Fred Anderson: Another Place
 * Art Ensemble of Chicago: Nice Guys
 * Kenny Barron: Innocence
 * Carla Bley: Musique Mecanique
 * Arthur Blythe: Bush Baby
 * Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown
 * Lester Bowie: African Children
 * Anthony Braxton: For Four Orchestras
 * Andrew Cyrille: Metamusicians' Stomp
 * Anthony Davis: Of Blues and Dream
 * Al Di Meola: Casino
 * Joe Farrell: Night Dancing
 * Michael Franks: Burchfield Nines
 * Chico Freeman: The Outside Within
 * Ganelin Trio: Concerto Grosso
 * Egberto Gismonti: Solo
 * Guenter Hampel: Freedom Of The Universe
 * Guenter Hampel: Oasis
 * Gerry Hemingway: Kwambe
 * Ernie Krivda: The Alchemist
 * Leroy Jenkins: The Legend of Ai Glatson
 * Quincy Jones: Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!
 * John Klemmer: Arabesque
 * Oliver Lake: Life Dance of Is
 * George Lewis: The Imaginary Suite
 * David Liebman: Pendulum
 * Chuck Mangione: Feels So Good
 * John McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist
 * Misha Mengelberg: Pech Onderweg
 * Pat Metheny: Pat Metheny Group
 * Roscoe Mitchell: L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples
 * John Oswald: Improvised
 * Evan Parker: Monoceros
 * Marvin Peterson: The Light
 * Jean-Luc Ponty: Cosmic Messenger
 * Don Pullen: Warriors
 * Dewey Redman: Soundsigns
 * Sam Rivers: Waves
 * Max Roach & Anthony Braxton: Birth and Rebirth
 * Rova Saxophone Quartet: Cinema Rovate
 * Leo Smith: The Mass on the World
 * Peter Sprague: Dance of the Universe
 * Spyro Gyra:  Spyro Gyra
 * Sun Ra: Lanquidity
 * Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis
 * Cecil Taylor: Cecil Taylor Unit
 * Ralph Towner: Batik
 * James Blood Ulmer: Tales of Captain Black
 * Weather Report: Mr. Gone
 * Paul Winter: Common Ground
 * World Saxophone Quartet: Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet

Deaths

 * January
 * 23 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and vocalist (unintentional self-inflicted gunshot), Chicago (born 1946).
 * 31 – Gregory Herbert, American saxophonist and flautist, Blood, Sweat & Tears (born 1947).


 * February
 * 26
 * Frances Wayne, American vocalist (born 1924).
 * Alix Combelle, French tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born 1912).


 * March
 * 4 – Joe Marsala, Italian-American clarinetist and songwriter (born 1907).
 * 21 – Louis Cottrell Jr., American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1911).
 * 25 – Richard Plunket Greene, English musician and author, Bright Young Things (born 1901).
 * 30 – Larry Young, American organist and occasional pianist (born 1940).


 * April
 * 3 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, arranger, radio comedian, and actor (born 1903).


 * May
 * 19 – Teddy Hill, American big band leader and multi-instrumentalist (born 1909).
 * 28
 * Marlowe Morris, American jazz pianist and organist (born 1915).
 * Money Johnson, American jazz trumpeter (born 1918).


 * June
 * Bud Brisbois, American trumpeter (born 1937).


 * July
 * 4 – Arne Hülphers, Swedish pianist and bandleader (born 1904).
 * 14 – Lennie Hastings, English drummer (born 1927).
 * 20 – Teddy Bunn, American guitarist, Spirits of Rhythm (born 1909).


 * August
 * 14 – Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist (born 1903).
 * 15 – Irene Kral, American jazz singer (born 1932).
 * 24 – Louis Prima, Italian-American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter (born 1910).


 * September
 * 9 – Kaoru Abe, Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist (born 1949).
 * 30 – Beryl Booker, American pianist (born 1922).


 * November
 * 16 – Jimmy Nottingham, American jazz trumpeter (born 1925).
 * 18 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1919).
 * 26 – Frank Rosolino, American trombonist (born 1926).


 * December
 * 17 – Don Ellis, American big-bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and film composer (born 1934).
 * 29 – Happy Caldwell, American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1903).


 * Unknown date
 * Bill Jennings, American guitarist and composer (born 1919).

Births

 * January
 * 3 – Susana Santos Silva, Portuguese trumpeter, flugelhornist, and flautist.
 * 9 – China Moses, American singer.
 * 10
 * Kekko Fornarelli, Italian pianist and composer.
 * Soweto Kinch, British saxophonist.


 * February
 * 9 – Clarice Assad, Brazilian-American composer, pianist, and singer.
 * 12 – Masayuki Hiizumi, Japanese keyboardist and producer.
 * 14 – Cem Tuncer, Turkish guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer.


 * March
 * 5 – Søren Kjærgaard, Danish pianist, composer, and bandleader.
 * 18 – Videlina Mircheva, Bulgarian singer and songwriter.
 * 24 – Andrew McCormack, British pianist.


 * April
 * 6 – Robert Glasper, American pianist and record producer.
 * 11 – Jakob Bro, Danish guitarist.
 * 15 – Susanne Alt, Dutch saxophonist and composer.


 * May
 * 7 – Antal Pusztai, Hungarian guitarist.
 * 10 – Nils Janson, Swedish composer and trumpeter.
 * 25 – Michael Wollny, German pianist.
 * 29 – Sean Jones, American trumpeter and composer.


 * June
 * 10 – Jukka Eskola, Finnish trumpeter and flugelhornist.


 * August
 * 6 – Andreas Öberg, Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and music producer.
 * 12 – Chris Jennings, Canadian upright bassist, composer, arranger, and educator.
 * 27 – Susy Kane, English actress, comedy writer and musician.
 * 31
 * Morten Qvenild, Norwegian jazz pianist, band leader and producer, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.
 * Tineke Postma, Dutch saxophonist.


 * June
 * 17 – Esben Selvig, Norwegian rapper and singer.


 * September
 * 2 – Jonas Kullhammar, Swedish composer and saxophonist.
 * 16
 * Ane Carmen Roggen, Norwegian singer, conductor, and arranger, Pitsj.
 * Ida Roggen, Norwegian singer, Pitsj.
 * 23 – Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen, Finnish guitarist, pianist, composer, bandleader and producer.
 * 29 – Luca Gianquitto, Italian guitarist and composer.


 * October
 * 5 – Steinar Nickelsen, Norwegian Hammond organist, pianist, and composer.
 * 8 – Mike Moreno, American guitarist and composer.
 * 12 – Børge-Are Halvorsen, Norwegian saxophonist and flautist.
 * 16 – Eva Kruse, German upright bassist and composer.


 * November
 * 1 – Rozina Pátkai, Hungarian singer, songwriter, and visual artist.
 * 3 – Jonas Howden Sjøvaag, Norwegian jazz drummer.
 * 5 – Marita Røstad, Norwegian singer-songwriter.
 * 9 – Even Ormestad, Norwegian bass guitarist and music producer, Jaga Jazzist.
 * 19
 * Matt Dusk, Canadian vocalist.
 * Janek Gwizdala, English bassist.


 * December
 * 28 – Terrace Martin, American saxophonist and producer.
 * 30
 * Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Danish-Norwegian guitarist.
 * Julie Dahle Aagård, Norwegian vocalist, composer, and band leader.


 * Unknown date
 * Marc Demuth, Luxembourgian upright bassist, bass guitarist, and composer.
 * Mikkel Ploug, Danish guitarist and composer.
 * Niels Klein, German saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
 * Robi Botos, Hungarian-Canadian pianist and composer.