2017 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2017.

January

 * 12
 * The 16th All Ears festival started in Oslo (January 12–15).
 * The 3rd annual Tucson Jazz Festival started in Tucson, Arizona (January 12 – 22).
 * 20 – The 36th annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 20 – 21).
 * 21 – Hot Club de Norvège headline at the annual Djangofestival at Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway.
 * 28 – Nils Petter Molvær is presented as winner of the 2016 Spellemannprisen Jazz award.

February

 * 1 – The 6th Bodø Jazz Open started in Bodø, Norway (February 1 – 4).
 * 2 – The 19th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 2–5).
 * 9 – The 12th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (February 9 – 11).

March

 * 3 – The 13th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 3 – 5).
 * 31 – The 18th Cape Town International Jazz Festival started in Cape Town, South Africa (March 31 – April 1).

April

 * 7 – The 44th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 7 – 9).
 * 30 – The International Jazz Day.

May

 * 5 – The Balejazz started in Balestrand (May 5 – 7).
 * 9 – The 28th MaiJazz started in Stavanger, Norway (May 9 – 14).
 * 10 – The 13th AnJazz, the Hamar Jazz Festival started at Hamar, Norway (May 10 – 14).
 * 11 – The 17th Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés started in Paris, France (May 11 – 22).
 * 18 – The 6th Torino Jazz Festival started in Turin (May 18–22).
 * 26 – The 45th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 26 – June 4).

June

 * 1 – Proceedings of the Echo Jazz Awards in Hamburg, Germany.
 * 22 – The 27th JazzBaltica started in Schloss Salzau close to Kiel, Germany (June 22–25).
 * 23 – The 7th Alfa Jazz Fest started in Lviv, Ukraine (June 23–27).
 * 28 – The 28th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 28 – July 10).
 * 29
 * The 37th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 29 - July 8).
 * The 37th Jazz à Vienne started in Vienne, France (June 29 - July 13).
 * 30
 * The 5th Love Supreme Festival started in Glynde Place, East Sussex (June 30 – July 2).
 * The 51st Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 30 – July 15).

July

 * 5 – The 53rd Kongsberg Jazzfestival started in Kongsberg, Norway (July 5 – 8).
 * 6
 * The 17th Stavernfestivalen started in Stavern, Norway (July 6 – 8).
 * The 21st Skånevik Bluesfestival started in Skånevik, Norway (July 6 – 8).
 * 7
 * The 39th Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 7 – 16).
 * The 44th Umbria Jazz Festival started in Perugia, Italy (July 7 – 16).
 * The 42nd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands ( July 7–9).
 * 8 – The 52nd Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 8 – 16).
 * 11 – The 41st Jazz de Vitoria started in Gasteiz, Spain (July 11 – 15).
 * 15 – The 29th Aarhus Jazz Festival started in Aarhus, Denmark (July 15 – 22).
 * 17
 * The 70th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 17 – 21).
 * The 56th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway ( July 17 – 22).
 * 26 – The 22nd Canal Street started in Arendal, Norway (July 26 – 29).
 * 28 – The 40th Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 28 – August 14).

August

 * 4 – The 61st Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 4 – 6).
 * 8 – The 18th Øyafestivalen started in Oslo, Norway (August 8 – 12).
 * 10
 * The Nišville International Jazz Festival started in Niš, Serbia (August 10–13).
 * The 31st Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 10 – 14).
 * 11 – The 33rd Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 11 – 13).
 * 12 – The 32nd Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway ( August 12 – 19).
 * 31 – The 12th Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand, Norway ( August 31 - September 2).

September

 * 1 – The 16th Tokyo Jazz Festival, started at North Door in Tokyo, Japan (September 1 – 3).
 * 14 – The 4th Everfest, Sonic Transmissions started at North Door in Austin, Texas (September 14 – 16).
 * 15 – The 60th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).

October

 * 6 – The 34th Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (October 6 – 15).
 * 19 – The 34th DølaJazz started in Lillehammer, Norway (October 19 – 22).
 * 25 – The 49th Umeå Jazz Festival started in Umeå, Sweden (October 25 – 29).
 * 27 – The 38th Cork Jazz Festival started in Cork, Ireland (October 27 – 30).

November

 * 2 – The 53rd Jazz Fest Berlin started in Berlin, Germany (November 2 – 5).
 * 10 – The 25th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 10 – 19).
 * 23 – The São Paulo Jazz Festival started in São Paulo, Brazil (November 23 – 26).

December

 * 28 – The 25th Umbria Jazz Winter started in Orvieto, Italy (December 28 – January 1).

January

 * 8
 * Buddy Bregman, American arranger, producer, and composer (born 1930).
 * Rod Mason, British trumpeter (born 1940).
 * 10 – Buddy Greco, American singer and pianist (born 1926).
 * 14 – John Boudreaux, American drummer (born 1936).
 * 15
 * Terry Cryer, British jazz and blues photographer (born 1934).
 * Thandi Klaasen, South African singer (pancreatic cancer) (born 1931).
 * 16 – Charles "Bobo" Shaw, American drummer (born 1947).
 * 20 – Chuck Stewart, American photographer (born 1927).
 * 22 – Jaki Liebezeit, German drummer (died 1939).
 * 28 – Guitar Gable, American singer, guitarist, and songwriter (born 1937).
 * 31 – John Wetton, English singer, bassist, and songwriter (cancer) (born 1949).

February

 * 5 – David Axelrod, American musician and producer (born 1931).
 * 7 – Svend Asmussen, Danish violinist, known as "The Fiddling Viking" (born 1916).
 * 12
 * Al Jarreau, American singer (born 1940).
 * Barbara Carroll, American pianist and singer (born 1925).
 * 18 – Clyde Stubblefield, American drummer best known for his work with James Brown (kidney failure) (born 1943).
 * 19 – Larry Coryell, American guitarist (born 1943).
 * 20 – Nicolai Munch-Hansen, Danish bassist and composer (born 1977).
 * 23 – Horace Parlan, American pianist (born 1931).
 * 24 – Fumio Karashima, Japanese pianist (born 1948).

March

 * 3 – Misha Mengelberg, Dutch pianist and composer (born 1935).
 * 8 – Dave Valentin, American flautist (born 1952).
 * 13 – Tommy LiPuma, American music producer (born 1936).
 * 16 – James Cotton, American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter (born 1935).
 * 18 – Chuck Berry, American guitarist, singer and songwriter (born 1926).
 * 20
 * Buck Hill, American saxophonist (born 1927).
 * Tony Terran, American trumpeter and session musician (born 1926).
 * 21 – Roy Fisher, British poet and pianist (born 1930).
 * 24 – Avo Uvezian, Armenian-American pianist, composer, and cigar manufacturer (born 1926).
 * 26 – Jimmy Dotson, American singer, guitarist, and drummer (born 1933).
 * 27
 * Arthur Blythe, American alto saxophonist and composer (died 1940).
 * Clem Curtis, Trinidadian British singer in The Foundations (born 1940).

April

 * 1
 * Bob Cunningham, American bassist (born 1934).
 * Lonnie Brooks, American blues singer and guitarist (born 1933).
 * 9
 * Knut Borge, Norwegian journalist, entertainer, and jazz enthusiast (born 1949).
 * Stan Robinson, English tenor saxophonist (born 1936).
 * 11
 * J. Geils, American jazz and blues guitarist in The J. Geils Band (born 1946).
 * Toby Smith, British keyboardist and songwriter for Jamiroquai (born 1970).
 * 15 – Allan Holdsworth, British jazz fusion guitarist in Gong, Soft Machine (born 1946).
 * 27 – John Shifflett, American bassist (born 1953).
 * 29 – Ian Cruickshank, English guitarist, educator, author and columnist (born 1947).

May

 * 1 – Bruce Hampton, American singer and guitarist, Hampton Grease Band (born 1947).
 * 3 – Casey Jones, American drummer, singer, and record producer (born 1940).
 * 7 – Dave Pell, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (born 1925).
 * 12 – Bill Dowdy, American drummer in The Three Sounds (born 1932).
 * 14 – Tom McClung, American pianist and composer (born 1957).
 * 22 – Mickey Roker, American drummer (born 1932).
 * 27 – Gregg Allman, American singer, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter, the Allman Brothers Band (born 1947).
 * 31 – Bern Nix, American guitarist (born 1947).

June

 * 17 – Thara Memory, American trumpeter (born 1948).
 * 18 – Chris Murrell, American singer (born 1956).
 * 22 – Jimmy Nalls, American guitarist and singer, Sea Level (born 1951).
 * 27 – Geri Allen, American pianist (born 1957).
 * 28 – Phil Cohran, American trumpeter (born 1927).

July

 * 4 – John Blackwell American drummer, Prince (born 1973).
 * 7 – Egil Monn-Iversen, Norwegian composer and pianist (born 1928).
 * 12 – Ray Phiri, South African jazz fusion singer and guitarist (born 1947).
 * 13 – Egil Kapstad, Norwegian pianist and composer (born 1940).
 * 19 – Graham Wood, Australian pianist (born 1971).
 * 21 – Errol Dyers, South African guitarist (born 1952).
 * 26 – Tom McIntosh, American trombonist and composer (born 1927).
 * 30 – Charlie Tagawa, Japanese-American musical entertainer and banjoist (born 1935).
 * 31 – Chuck Loeb, American guitarist and composer (born 1955).

August

 * 4 – Bruno Canfora, Italian composer, conductor, and music arranger (born 1924).
 * 7 – Janet Seidel, Australian singer and pianist (born 1955).
 * 16 – Mike Hennessey, English music journalist and pianist (born 1928).
 * 19 – Bea Wain, American Big Band-era singer (born 1917).
 * 22 – John Abercrombie, American guitarist, composer and bandleader (born 1944).
 * 26 – Wilson das Neves, Brazilian bossa nova singer and percussionist (born 1936).
 * 29 – Larry Elgart, American jazz bandleader (born 1922).
 * 30 – Skip Prokop, Canadian rock and jazz fusion drummer in Lighthouse, The Paupers (born 1943).
 * 31 – Janne Carlsson, Swedish drummer and actor (born 1937).

September

 * 3 – Walter Becker, American guitarist in Steely Dan, songwriter, and record producer (born 1950).
 * 5 – Leo Cuypers, Dutch pianist and composer (born 1947).
 * 11 – Frank Capp, American drummer (born 1931).
 * 17 – Laudir de Oliveira, Brazilian rock and jazz percussionist in Chicago (born 1940).
 * 22 – Mike Carr, English organist, pianist and vibraphonist (born 1937).
 * 27 – CeDell Davis, American guitarist and singer (born 1926).

October

 * 6 – Lou Gare, English saxophonist (born 1939).
 * 8 – Grady Tate, American drummer and singer (born 1932).
 * 12 – Andy McGhee, American tenor saxophonist and educator (born 1927).
 * 18 – Phil Miller, English guitarist (born 1949).
 * 20 – Boris Lindqvist, Swedish singer and musician (born 1940).
 * 22 – Atle Hammer, Norwegian trumpeter (born 1932).
 * 24 – Fats Domino, American pianist and singer-songwriter of French Creole descent (born 1928).
 * 27 – Dick Noel, American singer (born 1927).
 * 29
 * Frank Holder, Guyanese singer and percussionist (born 1925).
 * Muhal Richard Abrams, American clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist (born 1930).
 * 30 – Theo Bophela, South African band leader, composer, pianist, arranger, and music educator (born 1931).

November

 * 7 – Wendell Eugene, American trombonist (born 1923).
 * 18 – Ben Riley, American drummer known for playing with Thelonious Monk (born 1933).
 * 19 – Della Reese, American singer (born 1931).
 * 23
 * John Coates Jr., American pianist (born 1938).
 * Jon Hendricks, American singer (born 1921).
 * 27 – Robert Popwell, American bass guitarist, The Young Rascals and The Crusaders (born 1950).
 * 29 – Robert Walker, American guitarist (born 1937).

December

 * 2 – Mundell Lowe, American guitarist (born 1922).
 * 7 – Sunny Murray, American drummer (born 1936).
 * 13 – Willie Pickens, American pianist (born 1931).
 * 15 – John Critchinson, English pianist (born 1934).
 * 16
 * Keely Smith, American singer (born 1928).
 * Ralph Carney, American saxophonist and clarinetist, Tin Huey (born 1956).
 * 17 – Kevin Mahogany, American vocalist (born 1958).
 * 19 – Leo Welch, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter (born 1932).
 * 21
 * Dominic Frontiere, American composer, arranger, and accordionist (born 1931).
 * Halvard Kausland, Norwegian guitarist (born 1945).
 * Roswell Rudd, American trombonist (born 1935).
 * 28 – Melton Mustafa, American trumpeter and flugelhornist, Count Basie Orchestra (born 1947).