title: 1951 in jazz
text: # 1951 in jazz
  
  This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1951.
  
  ## Events
  
  * The first American Jazz festival takes place at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in the autumn. This festival precedes the first Newport Jazz Festival.
  * The tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, a Coleman Hawkins influenced player, joins the group of Miles Davis.
  
  ## Album releases
  
  * Stan Kenton: City of Glass
  * Oscar Peterson: 1951
  * Shorty Rogers: Modern Sounds
  * Lester Young: Lester Young Trio
  
  ## Deaths
  
  ### January
  
  * 21 – R.Q. Dickerson, American trumpeter (born 1898).
  
  ### February
  
  * 7 – Shirley Clay, American trumpeter (born 1902).
  
  ### March
  
  * 25 – Sid Catlett, American swinging drummer (born 1910).
  
  ### May
  
  * 4 – Doc West, American drummer (born 1915).
  
  ### August
  
  * 17 – Ray Wetzel, American trumpeter (born 1924).
  
  ### October
  
  * 26 – Charlie Creath, American trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader (born 1890).
  
  ### December
  
  * 3 – Cyril Blake, Trinidadian trumpeter (born 1900).
  * 12 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (born 1903).
  * 23 – Enrique Santos Discépolo, Argentine tango and milonga pianist, bandoneónist, and singer (born 1901).
  * 26 – Vic Berton, American jazz drummer (born 1896).
  
  ### Unknown date
  
  * Valentin Parnakh, Russian poet, translator, historian, explorer, musician, choreographer, ballet master, best remembered as a founding father of Soviet jazz (born 1891).
  
  ## Births
  
  ### January
  
  * 1 – Ashwin Batish, Indian sitar and tabla player.
  * 4 – Håkan Rydin, Swedish pianist.
  * 9 – Idris Ackamoor, American multi-instrumentalist.
  * 12 – Earl Howard, American saxophonist, synthesizer player and multi-instrumentalist.
  * 14 – Mark Egan, American bass guitarist and trumpeter.
  * 18 – Steve Grossman, American saxophonist.
  * 30
     * Phil Collins, English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor.
     * Ralph Lalama, American saxophonist.
  
  ### February
  
  * 2 – Alphonso Johnson, American bassist.
  * 20 – Anthony Davis, American pianist and composer.
  * 21
     * Herb Robertson, American trumpeter and flugelhornist.
     * Warren Vache, American trumpeter, cornetist, and flugelhornist.
  * 28 – Roseanna Vitro, American singer.
  
  ### March
  
  * 3 – Lindsay Cooper, English bassoon and oboe player, composer, and political activist (died 2013).
  * 7 – Rocco Prestia, American bassist, Tower of Power.
  * 8 – James Williams, American pianist (died 2004).
  * 13
     * Geoff Eales, Welsh pianist, improviser, and composer.
     * Michael Jefry Stevens, American pianist.
  * 18 – Bill Frisell, American guitarist and composer.
  * 21 – Fred Sturm, American composer, arranger, and teacher (died 2014).
  * 24 – Gregory B. Johnson, American pianist, Cameo.
  
  ### April
  
  * 3 – Mitch Woods, American pianist and singer.
  * 7 – Bob Berg, American saxophonist (died 2002).
  * 9 – Hugh Ragin, American trumpeter.
  * 10 – Steve Lodder, British keyboardist, composer, and organist.
  * 15 – Bill MacCormick, English bassist and vocalist.
  * 26 – Billy Newton-Davis, Canadian singer-songwriter.
  * 29 – Vinicius Cantuária, Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer, and percussionist.
  * 30 – Alexander Zonjic, Canadian flutist.
  
  ### May
  
  * 3 – Krister Andersson, Swedish saxophonist and composer.
  * 14 – Jay Beckenstein, American saxophonist, composer, and producer, Spyro Gyra.
  * 28 – Richard Niles, American guitarist, composer, and record producer.
  * 31 – Jimmy Nalls, American guitarist and singer, Sea Level (died 2017).
  
  ### June
  
  * 15 – Mark Hennen, American pianist.
  * 19 – Karen Young, Canadian singer, lyricist, and composer.
  * 20 – Peter Gordon, American composer and musician.
  * 30 – Stanley Clarke, American bassist, Return to Forever.
  
  ### July
  
  * 7 – Sue Evans, American American percussionist and drummer.
  * 16 – Bobby Previte, American drummer, composer, and bandleader.
  * 21 – Pino Minafra, Italian trumpeter and flugelhornist.
  * 22 – Richard Bennett, American guitarist and record producer.
  * 29 – Charles Loos, Belgian pianist and composer.
  * 31 – Howard Levy, American harmonica player and multi-instrumentalist.
  
  ### August
  
  * 1 – Tommy Bolin, American guitarist, Deep Purple (died 1976).
  * 5 – Jemeel Moondoc, American saxophonist.
  * 15
     * António Pinho Vargas, Portuguese composer and pianist.
     * Bobby Caldwell, American singer and songwriter.
  * 19 – Roland Batik, Austrian pianist and composer.
  * 22 – Edwin Birdsong, American keyboard/organ player.
  
  ### September
  
  * 3 – Todd Cochran, American pianist, keyboard and synthesizer player, Fuse One.
  * 7 – Mark Isham, American trumpeter and synthesist.
  * 12 – Joëlle Léandre, French upright bassist, vocalist, and composer.
  * 15 – Carla White, American vocalist (died 2007).
  * 17 – Theryl DeClouet, American singer, Galactic (died 2018).
  * 18 – Steve Slagle, American saxophonist, flautist, and composer.
  * 23 – Steven Springer, American guitarist, Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band (died 2012).
  
  ### October
  
  * 2 – Sting, American singer, bassist, and guitarist, the Police.
  * 17 – Jukka Gustavson, Finnish organist, keyboarder, and composer.
  * 30
     * Poncho Sanchez, Mexican-American conguero (conga player).
     * Trilok Gurtu, Indian percussionist and composer.
  
  ### November
  
  * 17 – Lisle Ellis, Canadian upright bassist and composer.
  * 19 – Kenny Werner, American pianist and composer.
  * 28
     * Dennis Irwin, American upright bassist (died 2008).
     * Diedre Murray, American cellist and composer.
     * Peter Malick, American guitarist and record producer.
  
  ### December
  
  * 1 – Jaco Pastorius, American bassist, Weather Report (died 1987).
  * 3 – Barry Finnerty, American guitarist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and arranger.
  * 14 – Nükhet Ruacan, Turkish singer and educator in musicology (died 2007).
  * 16 – Robben Ford, American guitarist, L.A. Express.
  * 20 – Brynjulf Blix, Norwegian pianist.
  * 21 – Alex Blake, American upright bassist and bass guitarist.
  * 26
     * Brooks Kerr, American pianist (died 2018).
     * John Scofield, American guitarist and composer.
  * 28 – Rebecca Parris, American singer (died 2018).
  * 31 – Jimmy Haslip, American bass guitarist, Yellowjackets.
  
  ### Unknown date
  
  * Jon Rose, British-Australian violinist.
  * Judi Silvano, American singer and composer.
  * Kit McClure, American trombonist, saxophonist, and bandleader.
  * La Palabra, Cuban bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist.
  * Lars Jansson, Swedish pianist and composer.
  * Tom Kubis, American saxophonist, flautist, and pianist.
  