2005 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2005.

January

 * 27 – The 8th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (January 27 – 29).

February

 * 13 – The 47th Annual Grammy Awards
 * Ray Charles & Norah Jones in the categories Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the song "Here We Go Again"
 * Ray Charles & Various Artists in the category Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Genius Loves Company
 * The Maria Schneider Orchestra in the category Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Concert in the Garden
 * Bill Frisell in the category Best Contemporary Jazz Album for Unspeakable
 * Herbie Hancock in the category Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for the album Speak Like a Child
 * McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash in the category Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for Illuminations
 * Nancy Wilson in the category Best Jazz Vocal Album for R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)
 * Charlie Haden in the category Best Latin Jazz Album for Land of the Sun

March

 * 3 – The very first Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (January 3 – 5).
 * 18
 * The 32nd Vossajazz started at Voss, Norway (March 18 – 20).
 * Berit Opheim was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2005.
 * 19 – Jan Gunnar Hoff performs the commissioned work Free flow songs for Vossajazz 2005.

May

 * 13 – The 34th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 13 – 16).
 * 25 – The 33rd Nattjazz 2005 started in Bergen, Norway (May 25 – June 4).

June

 * 23 – The very first Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand, Norway (June 23–25).
 * 28 – The 17th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 28 – July 29).
 * 30 – The 26th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 30 - July 10).

July

 * 1
 * The 27th Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 1 – 10).
 * The 39th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 1 – 16).
 * 6 – The 41st Kongsberg Jazzfestival started in Kongsberg, Norway (July 6 – 8).
 * 8 – The 30th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 8 – 10).
 * 16 – The 40th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 16 – 24).
 * 18 – The 45th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway with Arild Andersen as artist in residence (July 18 – 23).
 * 19 – The 22nd Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (July 19 – 23).
 * 20 – The 58th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 20 – 27).
 * 22 – The 40th San Sebastian Jazz Festival started in San Sebastian, Spain (July 22 – 27).

August

 * 10 – The 19th Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 10 – 14).
 * 12
 * The 51st Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 12 – 14).
 * The 22nd Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 12 – 14).
 * 15 – The 20th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 15 – 21).
 * 23 – Hurricane Katrina destroys the "Cradle of Jazz", New Orleans (August 23–31).

September

 * 16 – The 48th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 16 – 18).

November

 * 11 – The 14th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 11 – 20).

Deaths

 * January
 * 4 — Humphrey Carpenter, English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster (born 1946).


 * February
 * 8 — Jimmy Smith, American jazz organist (born 1928).
 * 15 – Bill Potts, American pianist and arranger (born 1928).
 * 20 – Pam Bricker, American singer and professor of music (born 1954).


 * March
 * 8 — Larry Bunker, American drummer (born 1928).


 * April
 * 7 — José Melis, Cuban-American bandleader and television personality (born 1920).
 * 14
 * Andrew Bisset, Australian author, music educator, and singer (born 1953).
 * Benny Bailey, American bebop and hard-bop trumpeter (born 1925).
 * 19
 * Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz bassist (heart attack) (born 1946).
 * Stan Levey, American drummer (born 1926).
 * 22 – Arnie Lawrence, American saxophonist (born 1938).
 * 23 – Jimmy Woode, American upright bassist (born 1926).
 * 28 – Percy Heath, American upright bassist (born 1923).
 * 29 – Dianne Brooks, American singer (born 1939).


 * May
 * 12 – Monica Zetterlund, Swedish singer and actress (born 1937).
 * 13 – Victor Sproles, American bassist (born 1927).
 * 29 – Oscar Brown, American singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, civil rights activist, and actor (born 1926).


 * June
 * 15 – Per Henrik Wallin, Swedish pianist and composer (born 1946).
 * 16 – Billy Bauer, American cool jazz guitarist (born 1915).
 * 18
 * Chris Griffin, American trumpeter (born 1915)
 * Basil Kirchin, English drummer and composer (born 1927).
 * 29 – Mikkel Flagstad, Norwegian saxophonist (born 1930).


 * July
 * 2 — Tom Talbert, American jazz pianist, composer, and band leader (born 1924).
 * 4 — John Stubblefield, American saxophonist, flautist, and oboist (born 1945).
 * 16 – Blue Barron, American orchestra leader (born 1913).
 * 23 – Ted Greene, American fingerstyle jazz guitarist, columnist, and session musician (born 1946).
 * 25 – Albert Mangelsdorff, German trombonists and composer (born 1928).
 * 27 – Dom Um Romão, Brazilian drummer and percussionist (born 1935).
 * 29 – Al McKibbon, American jazz double bassist (born 1919).
 * 30 – Lucky Thompson, American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist (born 1924).


 * August
 * 6 — Keter Betts, American upright bassist (born 1928).
 * 12
 * Charlie Norman, Swedish pianist and entertainer (born 1920).
 * Francy Boland, Belgian composer and pianist (born 1929).
 * 15 – Earl Zindars, American composer, Bill Evans (born 1927).
 * 23 – Glenn Corneille, Dutch pianist (born 1970).


 * September
 * 11 – Al Casey, American guitarist, Fats Waller's band (born 1915).
 * 17 – Jack Lesberg, American upright bassist (born 1920).
 * 25 – Georges Arvanitas, French pianist and organist (born 1931).


 * October
 * 3 — Alfredo Rodríguez, Cuban pianist (born 1936).
 * 14 – Oleg Lundstrem, Soviet and Russian composer and conductor, Oleg Lundstrem Orchestra (born 1916).
 * 16 – Elmer Dresslar Jr., American voice actor and singer (born 1925).
 * 20 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (born 1934).


 * November
 * 13 – Harry Gold, British saxophonist and bandleader (born 1907).
 * 15 – Roy Brooks, American drummer (born 1938).
 * 19 – Bob Enevoldsen, American tenor saxophonist and valve trombonist (born 1920).


 * December
 * 5 — Harry Pepl (60), Austrian guitarist (born 1945).
 * 19 – Billy Amstell, British reedist (born 1911).
 * 25 – Derek Bailey, English guitarist (born 1930).
 * 26 – Bill DeArango, American guitarist (born 1921).