2018 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2018.

January

 * 11
 * The 17th All Ears festival started in Oslo (January 11–14).
 * The 4th annual Tucson Jazz Festival started in Tucson, Arizona (January 11 – 21).
 * 19 – The 37th annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 19–20).
 * 28 – The Gustav Lundgren Trio performed a tribute to Django Reinhardt at Stockholm Concert Hall.
 * 31
 * The 7th Bodø Jazz Open started in Bodø, Norway (January 31 – February 3).
 * The 13th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (January 31 – February 4).

February

 * 1 – The 20th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 1 – 4).
 * 23 – Kirsti Huke received the 2017 Radka Toneff Memorial Award.
 * 25 – The band Hegge was awarded the 2017 jazz Spellemannprisen.

March

 * 2 – The 14th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 2 – 4).
 * 8 – The Turku Jazz Festival started in Åbo (March 8 – 11).
 * 16 – The Blue House Youth Jazz Festival started in Stockholm (March 16 – 18).
 * 23
 * The 19th Cape Town International Jazz Festival started in Cape Town, South Africa (March 23 – 24).
 * The 45th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 23 – 25). The opening was by Norwegian jazz poet Jan Erik Vold, warning about political misdirections of our time, followed by the opening concert signed Arild Andersen.

April

 * 23 – The 7th Torino Jazz Festival started in Turin (April 23–30).
 * 25 – The 32nd April Jazz Espoo started (April 25 – 29).
 * 30 – The International Jazz Day.

May

 * 4
 * The Balejazz started in Balestrand (May 4 – 6).
 * The 29th MaiJazz started in Stavanger, Norway (May 4 – 9).
 * 9 – The 14th AnJazz, the Hamar Jazz Festival started at Hamar, Norway (May 9 – 13).
 * 11 – The 17th All Ears festival started in Oslo (January 11–14).
 * 24 – The 17th Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés started in Paris, France (May 24 – June 4).
 * 25 – The 46th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 25 – June 2).

June

 * 12
 * The Bergenfest started in Bergen (June 12 – 16).
 * The Norwegian Wood music festival started in Oslo (June 12 – 16).

July

 * 4 – The Kongsberg Jazzfestival opened at Kongsberg consert (July 4 – 7).
 * 6 – The Baltic Jazz festival started in Dalsbruk (July 6 – 8).
 * 7
 * The 40th Copenhagen Jazz Festival start in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 7 – 16).
 * The 22nd Skånevik Bluesfestival started in Skånevik, Norway, with Jeff Beck as headliner (July 7 – 9).
 * 12 – The 17th Stavernfestivalen started in Stavern, Norway (July 12 – 14).
 * 13
 * The 43rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands ( July 7–9).
 * The 45th Umbria Jazz Festival start in Perugia, Italy (July 13 – 22).
 * 14
 * The 30th Aarhus Jazz Festival started in Aarhus, Denmark (July 14 – 21).
 * The 54th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 14 – 22).
 * 16 – The Moldejazz start in Molde (July 16 – 21).
 * 17
 * The 71st Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 17 – 21).
 * The 42nd Jazz de Vitoria start in Gasteiz, Spain (July 17 – 21).
 * 25 – The 23rd Canal Street started in Arendal, Norway (July 25 – 28).
 * 27 – The 41st Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 27 – August 15).

August

 * 3
 * The 62nd Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 3 – 5).
 * The Nišville International Jazz Festival started in Niš, Serbia (August 3 – 13).
 * 8
 * The 19th Øyafestivalen started in Oslo, Norway (August 8 – 11).
 * The 32nd Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 8 – 12).
 * 9 – The Tromsø Jazz Festival started in Tromsø (August 9 – 12).
 * 10 – The 34th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 10 – 12).
 * 11 – The 33rd Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 11 – 18).
 * 17 – The Parkenfestivalen started in Bodø (August 17–18).
 * 30 – The 14th Punktfestivalen opened in Kristiansand (August 30 - September 1|).

September

 * 21 – The 61st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 21 – 23).

October

 * 17 – The 54th Prague International Jazz Festival started in Prague (March 17 – October 6).
 * 18 – The 36th DølaJazz started in Lillehammer (October 18 – 21).
 * 22 – Vocalist Veronica Swift, the daughter of singer Stephanie Nakasian and the late pianist Hod O'Brien, was attacked on subway platform in New York City.
 * 25 – The 40th Guinness Cork Jazz Festival started in Cork City, Ireland (October 25 – 29).

November

 * 1 – The 55th JazzFest Berlin, also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival started in Berlin (November 1 – 4).
 * 7 - The Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz is renamed the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz after its longtime board chairman

December

 * The 24th Umbria Jazz Winter started in Orvieto, Italy (December 20 - January 1).

January

 * 4 – Ray Thomas, British flautist and singer, The Moody Blues (born 1941).
 * 14
 * Bill Hughes, American trombonist and bandleader (born 1930).
 * Marlene VerPlanck, American singer (born 1933).
 * 20 – Terry Evans, American singer and guitarist (born 1937).
 * 22 – Billy Hancock, American singer, guitarist, bassist, and multiinstrumentalist (born 1946).
 * 23 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, singer, and composer (born 1939).
 * 25 – Tommy Banks, Canadian pianist (born 1936).
 * 28
 * Eddie Shaw, American saxophonist (born 1937).
 * Coco Schumann, German guitarist (born 1924).
 * 29 – Asmund Bjørken, Norwegian accordionist and saxophonist (born 1933).

February

 * 3 – Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, American drummer (born 1952).
 * 5 – Ove Stokstad, Norwegian printmaker, clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1939).
 * 7 – John Perry Barlow, American lyricist, poet, and essayist (born 1925).
 * 8 – Algia Mae Hinton, American guitarist and singer (born 1929).
 * 9 – Wesla Whitfield, American singer (born 1947).
 * 11 – Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter, and actor (born 1928).
 * 18 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist, Magma (born 1956).
 * 22 – Errol Buddle, Australian bassoonist and saxophonist (born 1928).

March

 * 4 – Russell Solomon, American entrepreneur, art collector, and founder of the Tower Records (born 1925).
 * 7 – Jerzy Milian, Polish vibraphonist (born 1935).
 * 12 – Olly Wilson, American composer, pianist, upright bassist, and musicologist (born 1937).
 * 16 – Buell Neidlinger, American upright bassist and cellist (born 1936).
 * 22 – Morgana King, American singer and actress (born 1930).
 * 29 Jimmy Woods, American alto saxophonist (born 1934).

April

 * 1 – Audrey Morris, American singer and pianist (born 1928).
 * 3 – Lill-Babs or Barbro Svensson, Swedish singer and actress (born 1938).
 * 5 – Cecil Taylor, American pianist and poet (born 1929).
 * 8 – Nathan Davis, American saxophonist, flautist, and multi-instrumentalist (born 1937).
 * 11 – Jim Caine, British pianist and radio presenter (born 1926).
 * 12 – Gyula Babos, Hungarian guitarist (born 1949).
 * 14 – Brian Rolland, American guitarist, composer, and songwriter (born 1954).
 * 16 – Dona Ivone Lara, Brazilian samba singer (born 1921).
 * 17 – Peter Guidi, Scottish saxophonist and flutist (born 1949).
 * 23 – Bob Dorough, American pianist, composer, and vocalese singer (born 1923).
 * 26 – Charles Neville, American R&B saxophonist, The Neville Brothers (born 1938).
 * 27 – Gildo Mahones, American pianist (born 1929).
 * 28 – Brooks Kerr, American pianist (born 1951).

May

 * 1 – John "Jabo" Starks, American drummer (born 1938).
 * 11 – Mikhail Alperin, Ukrainian born pianist, Moscow Art Trio (born 1956).
 * 17 – Jon Sholle, American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1948).
 * 18 – Jack Reilly, American pianist (born 1932).
 * 19 – Reggie Lucas, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1953).

June

 * 4 – Norman Edge, American upright bassist (born 1934).
 * 5 – Brian Browne, Canadian pianist and composer (born 1937).
 * 9 – Lorraine Gordon, American jazz music advocate, Village Vanguard jazz club (born 1922).
 * 11 – Wayne Dockery, American bassist (born 1941).
 * 12 – Jon Hiseman, British drummer, recording engineer, and record producer, Colosseum, Colosseum II, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (born 1944).
 * 13 – D. J. Fontana, American drummer (born 1931).
 * 15 – Matt Murphy, American guitarist, The Blues Brothers (born 1929).
 * 17 – Rebecca Parris, American singer (born 1951).
 * 21 – Bob Bain, American guitarist (born 1924).
 * 26
 * Big Bill Bissonnette, American trombonist, drummer and producer (born 1937).
 * Fedor Frešo, Slovak bassist (born 1947).

July

 * 2
 * Henry Butler, American pianist (born 1948).
 * Bill Watrous, American trombonist (born 1939).
 * 8 – Tab Hunter, American actor, singer, and author (born 1931).
 * 15 – Theryl DeClouet, American singer, Galactic (born 1951).
 * 23 – Duke Carl Gregor of Mecklenburg, member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and a music and art historian (born 1933).
 * 25 – Patrick Williams, American composer, arranger, and conductor (born 1939).
 * 29 – Tomasz Stanko, Polish trumpeter and composer (born 1942).

August

 * 10 – Ken Pickering, Canadian jazz promoter, Vancouver Jazz Festival co-founder (born 1952).
 * 16 – Aretha Franklin, American singer and songwriter (born 1942).
 * 18 – Jack Costanzo, American percussionist (born 1919).
 * 22 – Lazy Lester, American singer and guitarist (born 1933).

September

 * 1 – Randy Weston, American pianist and composer (born 1926).
 * 12 – Erich Kleinschuster, Austrian trombonist and bandleader (born 1930).
 * 14 – Max Bennett, American bassist, L.A. Express, The Wrecking Crew (born 1928).
 * 16
 * Maartin Allcock, British multi-instrumentalist, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull (born 1957).
 * Big Jay McNeely, American saxophonist (born 1927).
 * 29 – Otis Rush, American singer and guitarist (born 1935).

October

 * 1 – Jerry González, American trumpeter (born 1949).
 * 3 – John Von Ohlen, American drummer, Blue Wisp Big Band (born 1941).
 * 4 – Hamiet Bluiett, American saxophonist, World Saxophone Quartet (born 1940).
 * 10 – Theresa Hightower, African-American singer (born 1954).
 * 17 – Chuck Wilson, American saxophonist (born 1948).
 * 25 – Sonny Fortune, American saxophonist (born 1939).
 * 27 – Fred Hess, American tenor saxophonist (born 1944).

November

 * 2 – Roy Hargrove, American trumpeter (born 1969).
 * 15 – Ivan Smirnov, Russian guitarist (born 1955).
 * 25 – Shep Shepherd, American drummer and trombonist (born 1917).
 * 27 – Johnny Maddox, American pianist (born 1927).
 * 28
 * Norio Maeda, Japanese composer and pianist (born 1934).
 * Roger Neumann, American saxophonist, flutist, and composer (born 1941).

December

 * 1 – Calvin Newborn, American guitarist (born 1933).
 * 2 – Perry Robinson, American clarinetist and composer (born 1938).
 * 7 – The Mascara Snake or Victor Hayden, American avant-garde clarinetist, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (born 1948).
 * 13 – Nancy Wilson, American singer (born 1937).
 * 15 – Arthur Maia, Brazilian jazz and samba bassist and composer (born 1962).
 * 30 – Miúcha, Brazilian singer and composer (born 1937).
 * 31 – Urbie Green, American trombonist (born 1926).