1979 in jazz
Lionel Hampton,Wild Bill Davis,Chubby Jackson at the 1979North Sea Jazz Festival.
Decade	1970s in jazz
Music	1979 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1978 in jazz –1980 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events ofJazz in the year 1979.

• 3
  • AtHavana Jam, inHavana, Cuba, the Saturday evening show on 3 March was launched by the CBS Jazz All-Stars, composed ofDexter Gordon,Stan Getz,Jimmy Heath,Arthur Blythe,Woody Shaw,Hubert Laws,Bobby Hutcherson,Willie Bobo,Cedar Walton,Percy Heath andTony Williams.

• 6
  • The 6thVossajazz started inVoss, Norway (April 6–8).^[1]

• 23
  • The 7thNattjazz started inBergen, Norway (May 23 – June 6).^[2]
• 25
  • The 13thBerkeley Jazz Festival started inBerkeley, California (May 25–27).^[3]
    • 1st day featuredAl Jarreau,John Klemmer,Betty Carter, andTony Williams Band
    • 2nd day featuredWeather Report,Sonny Rollins, andPat Metheny
    • 3rd day featuredDizzy Gillespie,Eddie Jefferson withRichie Cole, and A Special Tribute toCharles Mingus:Joni Mitchell,Jaco Pastorius,Don Alias,Herbie Hancock andTony Williams.^[4]

• 1
  • The 8thMoers Festival started inMoers, Germany (June 1–4).^[5]
• 3
  • David Murray and the Sunny Murray Trio recordedLive at Moers Festival during this festival.^[6]
• 15
  • The 2ndPlayboy Jazz Festival was held at theHollywood Bowl inLos Angeles, withBill Cosby as emcee.^[7]
• 22
  • The 26thNewport Jazz Festival started inNewport, Rhode Island (June 22 – July 1).^[8]

• 6
  • The very firstCopenhagen Jazz Festival started inCopenhagen, Denmark (July 6–15).^[9]
  • The 13thMontreux Jazz Festival started inMontreux, Switzerland (July 6–24).^[10]
• 12
  • Ella Fitzgerald performed at Montreux, accompanied by theCount Basie Orchestra, and her performance was released asA Perfect Match.^[11]
• 13
  • The 4thNorth Sea Jazz Festival started inThe Hague, Netherlands (July 13–15).^[12]
  • Beryl Bryden headlined the North Sea Jazz Festival withRod Mason and His Hot Five, released on the albumAfter Hours in 1980.^[13]
• 16
  • Oscar Peterson performed at Montreux, accompanied byNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, released as the albumDigital at Montreux.^[14]
• 21
  • The 10thConcord Jazz Festival started atConcord, California (July 21–23, 28–30).^[15]
    • The festival featured artists likeRay Brown,^[16]Scott Hamilton,Don Menza withThe Louie Bellson Orchestra^[17] andDave Brubeck. Brubeck records his 1979 album releaseBack Home at this festival.^[18]

• 14
  • The 22ndMonterey Jazz Festival started inMonterey, California (September 14–16).^[19]

• The headline act on Friday night of theBracknell Jazz Festival wasRocket 88, aboogie-woogie big band includingRolling Stones drummerCharlie Watts andIan Stewart the "6th Stone" on piano along with bassistJack Bruce, the NorwegianJan Garbarek Group, London r'n'b legendAlexis Korner and an array of British horn-players.
• Nambassa 1979 was the largest music event in New Zealand.
• All That Jazz is released, an American musical film directed byBob Fosse.

• Herb Alpert:Rise
• Fred Anderson:Dark Day
• Billy Bang:Distinction Without a Difference
• Billy Bang:Sweet Space
• Dollar Brand:African Marketplace
• Anthony Braxton:Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979
• Guenter Christmann:Weavers
• Crusaders:Street Life
• Andrew Cyrille:Nuba
• Lesli Dalaba:Trumpet Songs and Dances
• Anthony Davis:Hidden Voices
• Jack DeJohnette:Special Edition
• Al Di Meola:Splendido Hotel
• Michael Franks:Tiger in the Rain
• Bunky Green:Places We've Never Been
• Joseph Jarman:The Magic Triangle
• George Lewis:Homage to Charles Parker
• Jeff Lorber Fusion:Water Sign
• Paul Lytton:The Inclined Stick
• Cecil McBee:Alternate Spaces
• Pat Metheny:American Garage
• Paul Motian:Le Voyage
• Amina Claudine Myers:Song for Mother E
• James Newton:The Mystery School
• Old And New Dreams:Old and New Dreams
• Errol Parker:Doodles^[20]
• Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen:Dancing on the Tables
• Art Pepper:Straight Life
• Max Roach &Anthony Braxton:One in Two – Two in One
• Max Roach:Pictures in a Frame
• Rova Saxophone Quartet:The Removal of Secrecy
• Terje Rypdal:Descendre
• Joe Sample:Carmel
• Woody Shaw:Woody III
• Martial Solal:Four Keys
• Spyro Gyra:Morning Dance
• String Trio of New York:First String
• John Surman:Upon Reflection
• Ralph Towner:Solo Concert
• Warren Vaché:Polished Brass
• Weather Report:8:30
• Eberhard Weber:Fluid Rustle
• Kenny Wheeler:Around 6

• 5
  • Charles Mingus, American upright bassist, composer and bandleader (born1922).
• 13
  • Sabu Martinez, American conguero and percussionist (born1930).
• 29
  • Sonny Payne, American drummer (born1926).
• 31
  • Grant Green, American guitarist and composer (born1935).

• 15
  • Zbigniew Seifert, Polish jazz violinist (born1946).
• 22
  • Luděk Hulan, Czech upright bassist and musical organiser (born1929).

• 25
  • Franco Manzecchi, Italian drummer (born1931).
• 29
  • Ray Ventura, French bandleader and pianist (born1908).

• 10
  • Gus Clark, Belgian pianist (born1913).

• 9
  • Eddie Jefferson, American vocalist and lyricist (born1918).
• 21
  • Blue Mitchell, American trumpeter (born1930).

• 13
  • Demetrio Stratos, Greek-Italian lyricist and multi-instrumentalist (born1945).

• 8
  • Charles Kynard, American organist (born1933).
• 18
  • Matthew Gee, American bebop trombonist and part-time actor (born1925).

• 24
  • Teddy Smith, American jazz upright bassist (born1932).
• 25
  • Stan Kenton, American pianist and composer (born1911).

• 9
  • Wilbur Ware, American upright bassist (born1923).
• 19
  • John Simmons, American upright bassist (born1918).
  • Lou Busch, American pianist, arranger and composer, a.k.a. Joe "Fingers" Carr (born1910).

• 3
  • Corky Corcoran, American tenor saxophonist (born1924).
• 8
  • David Izenzon, American upright bassist (born1932).

• 23
  • Henry Coker, American trombonist (born1919).

• 16
  • Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani pianist and composer (born1940).

• 3
  • Susana Santos Silva, Portuguese trumpeter.
• 4
  • Audun Ellingsen, Norwegian upright bassist.
• 5
  • Kathleen Edwards, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and violinist.

• 4
  • Stein Urheim, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
• 12
  • Pascal Schumacher, Luxembourgian vibraphonist, percussionist, composer, and bandleader.^[21]
• 26
  • Hiromi Uehara, Japanese composer and pianist.
• 30
  • Norah Jones, American singer, pianist, songwriter, and actress.

• 2
  • Stian Westerhus, Norwegian guitarist,Puma.
• 20
  • Kenneth Kapstad, Norwegian drummer,Gåte andGrand General.
• 22
  • Edith WeUtonga, Zimbabwean singer and bass guitarist.
• 25
  • Anat Cohen, Israeli clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader.
• 30
  • Tuomo Prättälä, Finnish pianist, keyboarder, and composer.

• 3
  • Kudzai Sevenzo, Zimbabwean actress and singer.^[22]
• 8
  • Alf Wilhelm Lundberg, Norwegian guitarist, pianist, and composer.
  • Ole Morten Vågan, Norwegian upright bassist,Motif.
• 16
  • Hermund Nygård, Norwegian drummer and composer.
• 21
  • Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician, composer, violinist, and pianist.

• 3
  • Corey Wilkes, American trumpeter.
• 23
  • Susanna Wallumrød, Norwegian vocalist,Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.
• 26
  • Mathias Eick, Norwegian trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist,Jaga Jazzist andMusic for a While.

• 24
  • Heidi Skjerve, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 26
  • Derek Paravicini, English blind autistic savant and musical prodigy.

• 1
  • Bjørn Vidar Solli, Norwegian guitarist, vocalist, and composer.
• 10
  • Ove Alexander Billington, Norwegian pianist and composer,Jaga Jazzist andPuma.
• 20
  • Jamie Cullum, British singer/songwriter, pianist, radio personality.
• 28
  • Jon Fält, Swedish drummer.

• 5
  • Ilmari Pohjola, Finnish trombonist.
• 10
  • Tora Augestad, Norwegian singer and actor,Music for a While.
• 20
  • Benedikte Shetelig Kruse, Norwegian singer and actor,Pitsj.
• 31
  • Anat Cohen, Israeli clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader.

• Espen Reinertsen, Norwegian saxophonist, flutist, and composer.
• Kristor Brødsgaard, Danish upright bassist,JazzKamikaze.
• Leo Genovese, Argentine pianist, keyboardist, and composer.

• 1970s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1979 in music

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1979 atAll About Jazz

This list of songs or music-related items isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(October 2021)

• 1979 in music
• Jazz by year

• CS1 Norwegian-language sources (no)
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• Dynamic lists
• Incomplete music lists
• Incomplete lists from October 2021