1988 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1988.

March

 * 25 – The 15th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 25 – 27).

April

 * 6 – Jazz guitarist Larry Carlton is shot in a random gun shooting outside his Los Angeles studios.

May

 * 20 – The 17th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 20 – 23).
 * 25 – The 16th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 25 – June 8).

June

 * 30 – The 22nd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 30 – July 16).

July

 * 1 – The 9th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (July 1 – 10).
 * 8 – The 13th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 8 – 10).

August

 * 19 – The 5th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 19 – 21).

September

 * 16 – The 31st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 16 – 18).

Album releases

 * Bill Frisell: Before We Were Born
 * Henry Threadgill: Rag, Bush and All
 * Turtle Island String Quartet: Turtle Island String Quartet
 * Lyle Mays: Street Dreams
 * Dave Holland: Triplicate
 * Jackie McLean: Dynasty
 * John Carter: Fields
 * Leni Stern: Secrets
 * Microscopic Septet: Beauty Based on Science
 * Music Revelation Ensemble: Music Revelation Ensemble
 * Willem Breuker: Psalm 122
 * Steve Turre: Fire and Ice
 * Trilok Gurtu: Usfret
 * Bobby Previte: Claude's Late Morning
 * Bill Frisell: Lookout for Hope
 * Misha Mengelberg: Impromptus
 * Marcus Roberts: Truth is Spoken Here
 * David Ware: Passage to Music
 * David Liebman: Trio + One
 * Freddie Hubbard: Stardust
 * Gary Thomas: Code Violations
 * Hilton Ruiz: El Camino
 * Phil Woods: Evolution
 * Ralph Moore: Rejuvenate
 * Matthew Shipp & Rob Brown: Sonic Explorations

Deaths

 * January
 * 8 – Ray Bauduc, American drummer (born 1906).


 * February
 * 24 – Miff Görling, Swedish bandleader, trombonist, arranger, and composer (born 1909).


 * March
 * 1 – Tommy Potter, American upright-bassist (born 1918).
 * 8 – Ken Colyer, English trumpeter and cornetist (born 1928).
 * 20 – Gil Evans, Canadian pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader (born 1912).


 * April
 * 3 – Kai Ewans, Danish reedist (born 1906).
 * 15 – Eliza Doolittle, British singer-songwriter.
 * 19 – Ed Burke, American violinist and trombonist (born 1909).


 * May
 * 13 – Chet Baker, American trumpeter and singer (born 1929).
 * 28 – Sy Oliver, American trumpeter, singer, composer, arranger and bandleader (born 1910).


 * July
 * 2 – Eddie Vinson, American alto saxophonist and blues shouter (born 1917).


 * August
 * 15 – Bill Beason, American drummer (born 1908).
 * 27 – Irene Higginbotham, African American songwriter and concert pianist (born 1918).


 * September
 * 5 – Lawrence Brown, American trombonist (born 1907).
 * 27 – J. C. Heard, American drummer (born 1917).


 * October
 * 8 – Edward Inge, American arranger and reedist (born 1906).


 * November
 * 30
 * Charlie Rouse, American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist (born 1924).
 * Pannonica de Koenigswarter, British-born jazz patron and writer (born 1913).


 * December
 * 8
 * Gene Quill, American alto saxophonist (born 1927).
 * Thore Swanerud, Swedish pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, conductor, and composer (born 1919).


 * Unknown date
 * Barney Josephson, founder of Café Society in Greenwich Village (born 1902).

Births

 * January
 * 28 – Casimir Liberski, Belgian pianist and keyboarder.


 * February
 * 5 – Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson, Norwegian upright bassist.
 * 26 – Christian Meaas Svendsen, Norwegian upright bassist.


 * April
 * 1 – Sam Mtukudzi, Zimbabwean saxophonist and guitarist (died 2010).
 * 22 – Nitcho Reinhardt, French guitarist.


 * May
 * 29 – Kelly Sweet, American singer and songwriter.


 * May
 * 2 – Guilherme Rodrigues, Portuguese composer, improviser, and sound artist.
 * 7 – David Aleksander Sjølie, Norwegian guitarist.
 * 17 – Brittany Anjou, American pianist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.


 * July
 * 31 – Andreas Wildhagen, Norwegian drummer.


 * August
 * 17 – Natalie Sandtorv, Norwegian singer, percussionist, and electronica artist.
 * 28 – Kjetil Jerve, Norwegian pianist and composer.


 * September
 * 1 – Martina Bárta, Czech singer and French hornist.


 * October
 * 19 – Pasquale Grasso, Italian guitarist.


 * November
 * 25 – Victoria Hart, California-born English singer.
 * 27 – Sandra Nankoma, Ugandan singer, songwriter and actress.


 * December
 * 3 – Melissa Aldana, Chilean tenor saxophonist.
 * 23 – Thomai Apergi, Greek singer and guitarist.


 * Unknown date
 * Jan Martin Gismervik, Norwegian drummer, Monkey Plot.
 * Simon Gore, Welch guitarist, keyboarder, composer, and audio/visual artist.