2015 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2015.

• 21 – The 4th Bodø Jazz Open started in Bodø, Norway (January 21 – 24).^[1]
• 23 – The 34th annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 23 – 24).^[2]

• 5
  • The 17th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 5 – 8).^[3]
  • The 10th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (February 5 – 8).^[4]

• 6 – The 11th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 6 – 8).^[5]
• 27 – The 42nd Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 27 – 29).^[6]
• 28
  • Thea Hjelmeland was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2015 for the album Solar Plexus.^[7]
  • Live Maria Roggen performs the commissioned work Apukaluptein at Vossajazz.^[8]

• 2 - GoGo Penguin signs with Blue Note Records^[9]
• 23 – The 21st SoddJazz started in Inderøy, Norway (April 23 – 27).^[10]
• 30 – The International Jazz Day.^[11]

• 5 – The 27th MaiJazz started in Stavanger, Norway (May 5 – 10).^[12][13]
• 6 – The 11th AnJazz started in Hamar, Norway (May 6 – 9).^[14]
• 7
  • Julie Dahle Aagård played at Uhørt in Oslo, Norway.
  • Lisa Ekdahl play at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.
  • Bergen Big Band with Gabriel Fliflet and Ole Hamre played at Sardinen USF in Bergen, Norway.
  • The 37th Trondheim Jazz Festival started in Trondheim, Norway (May 7 – 10).^[15]
• 8
  • Per Mathisen Trio played at Draaben Bar in Sandefjord, Norway.
  • Hanna Paulsberg Concept / Soil Collectors / MOPO played at Victoria - Nasjonal Jazzscene Oslo, Norway.
• 10 – Kampenjazz: Anja Eline Skybakmoen played at Cafeteatret Oslo, Norway.
• 15 – Per Mathisen Trio played at Victoria - National Jazz Scene in Oslo, Norway.^[16]
• 16 – Farmers Market played at Victoria - National Jazz Scene in Oslo, Norway.^[17]
• 22
  • The 44th Moers Festival starts in Moers, Germany (May 22 – 25)^[18]
  • Eivind Opsvik Overseas played at Victoria - National Jazz Scene in Oslo, Norway.^[19]
• 23 – Beady Belle played at Victoria - National Jazz Scene in Oslo, Norway.^[20]
• 28
  • The 4th Torino Jazz Festival started in Turin (May 28 - June 2).^[21]
  • The 43rd Nattjazz 2015 started in Bergen, Norway (May 28 – June 6)^[22]
  • Bergen Big Band was the very first recipients of Olav Dale's Memorial Award at the opening of Nattjazz 2015.^[23][24]

• 17 – The 27th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 26 – July 11).^[25]
• 26 – The 35th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 26 – July 5).^[26]

• 1
  • The 51st Kongsberg Jazzfestival started at Kongsberg, Norway (July 1 – 4).^[27]
  • Ellen Andrea Wang was recipient of the Kongsberg Jazz Award or DNB.prisen 2015 at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival.^[28]
• 2
  • The 15th Stavernfestivalen started in Stavern, Norway (July 2 – 4).^[29]
  • The 25th JazzBaltica starts in Schloss Salzau close to Kiel, Germany (July 2 – 5).^[30]
• 3
  • The 37th Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 3 – 12).^[31]
  • The 49th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 3 – 18).^[32]
• 7 – The 68th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 7 – 12).^[33]
• 10 – The 40th North Sea Jazz Festival started in Rotterdam, Netherlands (July 10 – 12).^[34]
• 11
  • The 27th Aarhus Jazz Festival started in Aarhus, Denmark (July 11 – 18).^[35]
  • The 50th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 11 – 19).^[36]
• 13 – The 55th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway with Mats Gustafsson as artist in residence (July 13 – 18).^[37]
• 16 – Jan Ole Otnæs received the 2015 Molderosen at Moldejazz.^[38]
• 22 – The 20th Canal Street started in Arendal, Norway (July 22 – 25).^[39]
• 31 – The 59th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 31 – August 2).^[40]

• 5 – The 29th Sildajazz 2015 started in Haugesund, Norway (August 5 – 9).^[41]
• 6 – The 21st Hemnesjazz 2015 started in Hemnesberget, Norway (August 6 – 9).^[42]
• 8 – The 4th Kids in Jazz 2015 festival started in Oslo, Norway as part of the Oslo Jazzfestival (August 8 – 12).^[43]
• 10 – The 30th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 10 – 15).^[44]
• 11 – The 17th Øyafestivalen started in Oslo, Norway (August 11 – 15).^[45]
• 12 – Anneli Drecker played at Øyafestivalen.^[46]

• 3 – The 11th Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand, Norway (September 3 – 5).^[47]
• 18 – The 58th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 18 – 20).^[48]

• 9 – The 32nd Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (October 9 – 18).^[49]
• 10 - Miles Ahead, a documentary about the life of Miles Davis releases^[50]

• 13 – The 24th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 13 – 22).^[51]

• 29 – The 10th RIBBEjazz started in Lillestrøm, Norway.^[52]

January

• 1 – Jeff Golub, American guitarist (born 1955).
• 3 – Ivan Jullien, French trumpeter (born 1934).
• 4 – Pino Daniele, Italian singer, songwriter, and guitarist (born 1955).
• 19 – Ward Swingle, American vocalist and pianist, The Swingle Singers (born 1927).

February

• 3 – William Thomas McKinley, American composer and pianist (born 1938).
• 12 – Richie Pratt, American drummer (born 1943).
• 21 – Clark Terry, American trumpeter (born 1920).^[112]
• 22 – Erik Amundsen, Norwegian upright bassist (born 1937).^[113]

March

• 8 – Lew Soloff, American trumpeter, composer, and actor (born 1944).
• 13 – Daevid Allen, Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer, and performance artist, Soft Machine and Gong (born 1938).
• 15
  • Bob Parlocha, American saxophonist and gourmet cook (born 1938).
  • Mike Porcaro, American bassist, Toto (born 1955).
• 20 – Paul Jeffrey, American tenor saxophonist, arranger, and educator (born 1933).
• 21 – Jørgen Ingmann, Danish guitarist (born 1925).^[114]
• 26 – John Renbourn, English guitarist and songwriter (born 1944).
• 27 – Johnny Helms, American trumpeter and bandleader (born 1935).
• 31 – Ralph Sharon, Anglo-American pianist and arranger (born 1923).

April

• 6 – Milton DeLugg, American pianoist, accordionist, and composer (born 1918).^[115]
• 27 – Marty Napoleon, American pianist (born 1921).

May

• 3 – Ben Aronov, American pianist (born 1932).
• 6 – Jerome Cooper, American drummer (born 1946).
• 14 – B.B. King, American guitarist (born 1925).^[116]
• 20
  • Bob Belden, American saxophonist (born 1956).^[117]
  • Simon Flem Devold, Norwegian clarinetist and columnist (born 1927).^[118]
• 23 – Marcus Belgrave, American trumpeter (born 1936).^[119]
• 28 – Ray Kennedy, American pianist (born 1957).
• 31 – Slim Richey, American guitarist (born 1938).^[120]

June

• 8 – Paul Bacon, American musician and book and album cover designer (born 1923).
• 9 – James Last, German composer and big band leader, James Last Orchestra (born 1929).
• 11 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist (born 1930).^[121]
• 12 – Monica Lewis, American singer and actress (born 1922).^[122]
• 13 – Big Time Sarah, American singer (born 1953).
• 19 – Harold Battiste, American saxophonist, pianist, and composer (born 1931).
• 21 – Gunther Schuller, American composer, conductor, and horn player (born 1925).^[123]
• 30 – Eddy Louiss, French Hammond organist, Les Double Six (born 1941).

July

• 6 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese jazz pianist and composer (born 1939).
• 15 – Howard Rumsey, American upright bassist (born 1917).^[124]
• 17 – John Taylor, British pianist and composer (born 1942).
• 19 – Van Alexander, American bandleader, arranger, and composer (born 1915).^[125]

August

• 13 – Harold Ousley, American tenor saxophonist and flautist (born 1929).
• 14 – Jazz Summers, British music manager (lung cancer), Scissor Sisters, The Verve, and Snow Patrol (born 1944).^[126]
• 30 – Hugo Rasmussen, Danish bassist (born 1941).

September

• 27 – Wilton Felder, American saxophonist and bassist, The Crusaders (born 1940).
• 29 – Phil Woods, American saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer (born 1931).^[127]

October

• 3 – Dave Pike, American vibraphone and marimba player (born 1938).
• 9 – Larry Rosen, American drummer, entrepreneur, and music producer (born 1940).^[128]
• 20 – Don Rendell, English saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist (born 1926).
• 22 – Mark Murphy, American singer (born 1932).^[129]
• 24 – Nat Peck, American trombonist (born 1925).

November

• 5
  • Kjell Öhman, Swedish pianist, hammond organist, and accordionist (born 1943).
  • Nora Brockstedt, Norwegian singer (born 1923).^[130]
• 9 – Andy White, Scottish drummer (born 1930).
• 17 – Al Aarons, American trumpeter (born 1932).
• 23
  • Bengt-Arne Wallin, Swedish composer, arrangeur, trumpeter, and flugelhornist (born 1926).
  • Cynthia Robinson, American trumpeter and vocalist, Sly and the Family Stone (born 1944).
• 25 – Svein Christiansen, Norwegian drummer (born 1941).^[131]

December

• 9 – Rusty Jones, American drummer (born 1942).
• 28 – Joe Houston, American tenor saxophonist (born 1926).
• 31
  • Natalie Cole, American singer, songwriter, and actress (congestive heart failure) (born 1950).^[132]
  • Dal Richards, Canadian big band leader (born 1918).^[133]

• List of 2015 albums
• List of years in jazz
• 2010s in jazz
• 2015 in music