2009 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2009.

January

 * 9 – The 5th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (January 9 – 11).

February

 * 4 – The 12th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 4–8).

March

 * 6 – The 5th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 6–8).
 * 18
 * The 36th Vossajazz started at Voss, Norway (March 18–20).
 * Kjetil Møster was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2009.
 * 19 – Solveig Slettahjell performs the commissioned work Tarpan Seasons for Vossajazz 2009.

April

 * 22 – The 15th SoddJazz started in Inderøy, Norway (April 22–26).

May

 * 20 – The 37th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 26–30).
 * 29 – The 38th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 29 – June 1).

June

 * 29 – The 21st Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 29 – July 9).
 * 30 – The 29th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 30 - July 12).

July

 * 1 – The 45th Kongsberg Jazzfestival started in Kongsberg, Norway (July 1 – 4).
 * 3
 * The 31st Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 3 – 12).
 * The 43rd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 3 – 18).
 * 10
 * The 34th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 10 – 12).
 * The 44th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 10 – 19).
 * 13 – The 49th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway (July 13 – 18).
 * 15 – The 26th Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (July 15 – 18).
 * 18
 * The 44th San Sebastian Jazz Festival started in San Sebastian, Spain (July 18 – 20).
 * The 62nd Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 18 – 25).

August

 * 7 – The 25th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 7 – 9).
 * 8 – The 53rd Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 8 – 10).
 * 9 – The 24th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 9 – 15).
 * 12 – The 23rd Sildajazz starts in Haugesund, Norway (August 12 – 16).

September

 * 2 – The 5th Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand, Norway (September 2 – 5).
 * 19 – The 52nd Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 19 – 21).

November

 * 13 – The 18th London Jazz Festival started in England (November 13 – 22).

Deaths

 * January
 * 17 – Whitey Mitchell, American jazz bassist and television writer/producer (born 1932).
 * 20 – David "Fathead" Newman, American saxophonist (born 1933).
 * 24 – Leonard Gaskin, American bassist (born 1920).
 * 29 – Hank Crawford, American alto saxophonist, arranger, and songwriter (born 1934).


 * February
 * 7 – Blossom Dearie, American jazz singer and pianist (born 1924).
 * 9
 * Vic Lewis, British guitarist (born 1919).
 * Orlando "Cachaito" López, Cuban bassist and composer (born 1933).
 * 12
 * Coleman Mellett, American jazz guitarist (plane crash) (born 1974).
 * Gerry Niewood, American jazz saxophonist (plane crash) (born 1943).
 * Mat Mathews, Dutch jazz accordionist (born 1924).
 * 14 – Louie Bellson, American jazz drummer (born 1924).
 * 15 – Joe Cuba, Puerto Rican jazz percussionist (born 1931).
 * 18 – Snooks Eaglin, American guitarist and singer (born 1936).
 * 19 – Harrison Ridley Jr., American jazz presenter (born 1938).
 * 20 – Fats Sadi, Belgian jazz musician, vocalist and composer (born 1927).
 * 25
 * Ian Carr, Scottish trumpeter, composer, writer, and educator (born 1933).
 * Lyman Woodard, American organist (born 1942).
 * 27 – William L. Fowler, American jazz guitarist and educater (born 1917).
 * 28 – Arthur Jenkins, American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and percussionist (born 1936).


 * March
 * 11 – Lars Erstrand, Swedish vibraphonist (born 1936).
 * 18
 * Eddie Bo, American singer and pianist (born 1930).
 * Moultrie Patten, American pianist and actor (born 1919).
 * 25 – Tito Alberti, Argentine drummer (born 1923).


 * April
 * 2 – Bud Shank, American alto saxophonist and flautist (born 1926).
 * 3 – Charlie Kennedy, American alto saxophonist (born 1927).
 * 7 – Gugge Hedrenius, Swedish pianist and bandleader (born 1938).
 * 8 – Herbie Lovelle, American drummer (born 1924).
 * 12 – Zeke Zarchy, American trumpeter (born 1915).
 * 16 – Viktor Paskov, Bulgarian writer, singer, musicologist, and screenwriter (born 1949).
 * 29 – Tom McGrath, Scottish playwright and pianist (born 1940).


 * May
 * 14 – Buddy Montgomery, American jazz vibraphonist and pianist (born 1930).
 * 15 – Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player and bass guitarist (born 1964).
 * 21 – Uli Trepte, German upright bassist (born 1941).


 * June
 * 3
 * Koko Taylor, American singer (born 1928).
 * Sam Butera, American tenor saxophonist (born 1927).
 * 7
 * Hugh Hopper, British bass guitarist (born 1945).
 * Kenny Rankin, American singer and songwriter (born 1940).
 * 10 – Jack Nimitz, American baritone saxophonist (born 1930).
 * 11 – Jarmo Savolainen, Finnish pianist and composer (born 1961).
 * 16
 * Charlie Mariano, American saxophonist (born 1923).
 * Tina Marsh, American jazz singer and composer (cancer) (born 1954).
 * 22 – Eddie Preston, American jazz trumpeter (born 1925).
 * 23 – Raymond Berthiaume, Canadian singer, producer, and composer (born 1931).


 * July
 * 4 – Jim Chapin, American drummer (born 1919).
 * 22 – Sonny Dallas, American bassist and singer (born 1931).
 * 27 – George Russell, American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and theorist (born 1923).


 * August
 * 11 – Kitty White, American singer (born 1923).
 * 12 – Rashied Ali, American drummer (born 1933).
 * 13 – Les Paul, American jazz guitarist and inventor of solid-body electric guitar, and multi-track recording (born 1915).
 * 24 – Joe Maneri, American composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist (born 1927).
 * 29 – Chris Connor, American jazz singer (born 1927).
 * 31 – Eddie Higgins, American pianist, composer, and orchestrator (born 1932).


 * September
 * 7 – Eddie Locke, American jazz drummer (born 1930).
 * 8 – Luther Thomas, American alto saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1950).
 * 14 – Bobby Graham, English session drummer, composer, arranger, and record producer (born 1940).
 * 15 – Nunzio Rotondo, Italian trumpeter and bandleader (born 1924).


 * October
 * 8 – Abu Talib, African-American guitarist (born 1939).
 * 10 – Sonny Bradshaw, Jamaican bandleader, trumpeter, broadcaster, and promoter (born 1926).
 * 13
 * Al Martino, American singer and actor (born 1927).
 * Winston Mankunku Ngozi, South African tenor saxophonist (born 1943).
 * 14 – Jerry van Rooyen, Dutch trumpeter, conductor, and composer (born 1928).
 * 21 – Sirone, American bassist and composer (born 1940).


 * November
 * 6 – Kjell Bartholdsen, Norwegian saxophonist (stroke) (born 1938).
 * 10 – Dick Katz, American pianist, arranger, and record producer (born 1924).
 * 16 – Jeff Clyne, British bassist (born 1937).
 * 20 – Billy James, American drummer (born 1936).
 * 21 – Gerhard Aspheim, Norwegian trombonist (born 1930).
 * 22 – Haydain Neale, Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1970).
 * 24 – Hale Smith, American composer, pianist, educator, arranger, and editor (born 1925).
 * 26 – Pia Beck, Dutch pianist and singer (born 1925).


 * December
 * 8 – Su Cruickshank, Australian singer, actress, and writer (born 1946).
 * 16 – Terry Pollard, American pianist and vibraphonist (born 1931).
 * 20 – Pete King, British tenor saxophonist(born 1929).
 * 25 – Rusty Dedrick, American trumpeter and composer (born 1918).


 * Unknown date
 * Pocho Lapouble, Argentine drummer, composer and arranger (born 1942).