1962 in jazz

Events

May

• 29 – The 4th Annual Grammy Awards were held at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
• Best Jazz Performance – Soloist or Small Group (Instrumental)
  • André Previn for André Previn Plays Harold Arlen
• Best Jazz Performance – Large Group (Instrumental)
  • Stan Kenton for Kenton's West Side Story
• Best Original Jazz Composition
  • Galt MacDermot (composer) for "African Waltz" performed by Cannonball Adderley

July

• 6 – The 7th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 6 – 8).

Unknown dates

• Several recordings are made at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California: Curtis Amy, Tippin' on Through; The Jazz Crusaders, The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse.

Album releases

• Art Blakey and The Afro-Drum Ensemble: The African Beat
• Bill Evans and Jim Hall: Undercurrent
• Dexter Gordon: Go
• Freddie Hubbard: Ready for Freddie
• Milt Jackson
  • "Big Bags
  • "Bags Meets Wes!" (With Wes Montgomery)
  • "Invitation"
  • "Statements"
• Stan Kenton
  • Adventures In Jazz
  • Adventures in Time
  • Sophisticated Approach
• Jackie McLean
  • Bluesnik
  • A Fickle Sonance
• Hugh Masekela: Trumpet Africaine
• Charles Mingus
  • Epitaph
  • Tijuana Moods
• Modern Jazz Quartet
  • The Comedy
  • "Lonely Woman"
• Wes Montgomery: Full House
• Oscar Peterson
  • Affinity
  • Bursting Out with the All-Star Big Band!
  • West Side Story
• André Previn and Doris Day: Duet
• Sonny Rollins: The Bridge
• George Russell: The Stratus Seekers
• Carol Sloane: Out of the Blue
• Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti
• Jimmy Woods: Awakening!!

Standards

Deaths

; January

• 17 – Claude Jones, American trombonist (born 1901).

; February

• 5 – Doug Watkins, American upright bassist (born 1934).
• 11 – Leo Parker, American baritone saxophonist (born 1925).

; March

• 24 – Jean Goldkette, American pianist and bandleader (born 1893).

; April

• 13 – John Graas, American French horn player, composer, and arranger (born 1917).
• 25 – Eddie South, American jazz violinist (born 1904).

; May

• 8 – Donald Lambert, American stride pianist (born 1904).

; July

• 12 – Roger Wolfe Kahn, American musician, composer, and bandleader (born 1907).
• 28 – Eddie Costa, American pianist (born 1930).

; August

• 11 – Israel Crosby, American upright bassist (born 1919).

; December

• 13 – Harry Barris, American singer, composer, and pianist (born 1905).

Births

; January

• 7 – Tor Haugerud, Norwegian drummer, Transjoik.
• 11 – Steve Oliver, American guitarist.
• 22 – Jimmy Herring, American guitarist.

; February

• 2 – Tapani Rinne, Finnish saxophonist, composer and record producer.
• 4 – Jude Abbott, English vocalist and trumpeter.
• 25 – Snorre Bjerck, Norwegian percussionist.
• 28 – Caroline Henderson, Danish–Swedish singer.

; March

• 13 – Terence Blanchard, American trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger.
• 24 – Renee Rosnes, American pianist, composer and arranger.

; April

• 2 – Thomas Blachman, Danish drummer and composer.
• 3 – Dennis Mackrel, American drummer, composer, and arranger.
• 9 – Arthur Maia, Brazilian jazz and samba bassist and composer (died 2018).
• 27 – Kenn Smith, American guitarist, bassist, composer, educator and journalist

; May

• 9 – Jon Klette, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2016).
• 11 – Robert Balzar, Czech upright bassist and composer.
• 12 – Aydin Esen, Turkish pianist, keyboarder, and electronics player.
• 18 – Huw Warren, Welsh pianist and composer.
• 20
  • Cynthia Sayer, American banjoist and vocalist.
  • Ralph Peterson Jr., American drummer and bandleader.
• 30 – Darrell Grant, American pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator.

; June

• 2 – Ian Shaw, Welsh singer.
• 4 – Winard Harper, American drummer.
• 16 – Femi Kuti, Nigerian singer, songwriter and saxophonist.
• 23 – Andrej Šeban, Slovak guitarist.

; July

• 12 – Mike Walker, English guitarist.
• 21 – Lee Aaron, Canadian singer.
• 24 – Marion Meadows, American soprano saxophonist.
• 29 – Lisa Ono, Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer and guitarist.

; August

• 2 – Billy Kilson, American drummer.
• 9 – Edsel Gomez, Puerto Rican pianist.
• 10 – Julia Fordham, British singer-songwriter.
• 11 – Mike Jones, American pianist.
• 19 – Angelo Debarre, French Romani guitarist.
• 31 – Joanna Connor, American singer, songwriter and guitarist.

; September

• 7
  • Paul Tobey, Canadian pianist.
  • Rob Bargad, American pianist, organist, songwriter, arranger, educator, and producer.
• 8
  • Cecilia Coleman, American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
  • Glauco Venier, Italian pianist and composer.
• 25 – Craig Handy, American tenor saxophonist.

; October

• 1 – Fred Lonberg-Holm, American cellist.
• 12 – Chris Botti, American trumpeter and composer.
• 19 – Bendik Hofseth, Norwegian saxophonist and singer.
• 20 – Dado Moroni, Italian pianist and composer.

; November

• 11 – James Morrison, Australian trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.
• 12 – Eddie Benitez, Puerto Rican guitarist.
• 27 – Euge Groove, American saxophonist.
• 28 – Ronny Jordan, American guitarist (died 2014).

; December

• 8
  • Olaf Kamfjord, Norwegian bassist.
  • Tim Armacost, American saxophonist.
• 9 – Mia Žnidarič, Slovenian singer.
• 15 – Nils Einar Vinjor, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
• 28
  • Brian Kellock, Scottish pianist
  • Michel Petrucciani, French pianist (died 1999).
  • Rachel Z, American pianist and keyboardist.

; Unknown date

• Christina von Bülow, Danish saxophonist and flautist.
• Juliet Roberts, British singer songwriter.
• Karoline Höfler, German bandleader and bassist.
• Per-Ola Gadd, Swedish upright bassist.
• Thomas Agergaard, Danish saxophonist, flautist, and composer.
• Tony Buck, Australian drummer and percussionist.

References

Bibliography

References

1. "Grammy Awards 1962". AwardsAndShows.com.
2. "Newport Jazz Festival 1962 Poster". Rirocks.net.
3. (2016-08-23). "Nekrolog: Jon Klette". [[Aftenposten]].
4. "Aydin Esen".