1997 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1997.

March

 * 21 – The 24th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 21 – 23).

May

 * 16 – The 26th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 16 – 19).
 * 21 – The 25th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 21 – 31).

June

 * 26 – The 18th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 26 – July 6).

July

 * 2 – The 7th Jazz Fest Wien started in Wien, Austria (July 2 – 13).
 * 4 – The 31st Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 4 – 19).
 * 11
 * The 22nd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 11 – 13).
 * The 50th Nice Jazz Festival started in France (July 11 – 20).
 * 12 – The 32nd Pori Jazz Festival started in Finland (July 12 – 20).
 * 15 – The 38th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway (July 15 – 20).

August

 * 8 – The 14th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 8 – 10).

September

 * 19 – The 40th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 19 – 21).

October

 * 7 – Blue Note – A Story of Modern Jazz, by jazz documentarist and filmmaker Julian Benedikt, an award-winning documentary film.

Unknown date

 * Guillermo Gregorio: Ellipsis
 * Matthew Shipp: Strata
 * Steve Coleman: Genesis
 * Marcus Roberts: Blues for the New Millennium
 * ICP Orchestra: Jubilee Varia
 * Vandermark 5: Single Piece Flow
 * David Liebman: Time Immemorial
 * Wynton Marsalis: Blood on the Fields
 * Franz Koglmann: O Moon My Pin Up
 * Courtney Pine: Underground
 * Leo Smith: Golden Hearts Remembrance
 * Keith Tippett: Colours Fulfilled
 * Joe Lovano: Trio Fascination
 * David Liebman: The Elements - Water
 * Fred Anderson: Fred Anderson / DKV Trio

Deaths

 * January
 * 8 – George Handy, American arranger, composer, and pianist (born 1920).
 * 12 – Wally Rose, American pianist (born 1913).
 * 16 – Beverly Peer, American upright bassist (born 1912).
 * 25 – Seldon Powell, American tenor saxophonist and flautist (born 1928).


 * February
 * 10 – Lou Bennett, American organist (born 1926).
 * 14 – Charles Moffett, American drummer (born 1929).
 * 20 – Zachary Breaux, American guitarist (born 1960).
 * 23 – Tony Williams, American drummer (born 1945).


 * March
 * 11 – Hugh Lawson, American pianist (born 1935).


 * May
 * 10 – Bernard Anderson, American trumpeter (born 1919).
 * 12 – Louis Barbarin, American drummer (born 1902).
 * 14 – Thelma Carpenter, American singer and actress (born 1922).
 * 15 – Tommy Turrentine, American trumpeter (born 1928).
 * 18 – Horst Lippmann, German drummer, concert promoter, writer, and television director (born 1927).
 * 31 – Eddie Jones, American upright bassist (born 1929).


 * June
 * 2 – Doc Cheatham, American trumpeter, singer and bandleader (born 1905).
 * 4
 * Anne Lenner, English singer (born 1912).
 * Johnny "Hammond" Smith, American organist (born 1933).
 * 12 – Chuck Andrus, American upright bassist (born 1928).
 * 14 – Arthur Prysock, American singer (born 1924).
 * 16 – Rolf Ericson, Swedish trumpeter and flugelhornist (born 1922).
 * 19 – Thurman Green, American trombonist (born 1940).


 * July
 * 2 – Stan Barker, American pianist (born 1926).
 * 29 – Chuck Wayne, American guitarist (born 1923).


 * August
 * 2 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1938).
 * 8
 * Dardanelle Hadley, American singer, vibraphonist, pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1917).
 * Duncan Swift, British pianist (born 1943).
 * 12 – Dick Marx, American pianist and arranger (born 1924).
 * 14 – Eric Von Essen, American bassist, pianist, and composer (born 1954).
 * 24 – Tete Montoliu, American pianist (born 1933).


 * September
 * 18 – Jimmy Witherspoon, American singer (born 1920).
 * 20 – Dick Shearer, American trombonist (born 1940).


 * October
 * 29 – Big Nick Nicholas, American saxophonist and vocalist (born 1922).


 * November
 * 2 – Carson Smith, American upright bassist (born 1931).
 * 9 – Joe Roccisano, saxophonist and arranger (born 1939).
 * 10 – Tommy Tedesco, American guitarist (born 1930).
 * 11 – Shake Keane, American trumpeter and poet (born 1927).
 * 12 – Carola Standertskjöld, Finnish singer (born 1941).


 * December
 * 1 – Stéphane Grappelli, French violinist (born 1908).
 * 6 – George Chisholm, American trombonist (born 1915).
 * 12 – Mouse Randolph, American trumpeter (born 1909).
 * 21 – Johnny Coles, American trumpeter (born 1926).
 * 30 – Ray Crawford, American guitarist (born 1924).


 * Unknown date
 * Johnny Mince, American clarinetist (born 1912).

Births

 * Unknown date
 * Barbra Lica, Canadian jazz singer and songwriter.