1998 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1998.
Events
January
29 – The very first Polarjazz started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.April
3 – The 25th Vossajazz started in Vossavangen, Norway.May
20 – The 26th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway.June
2 – The 27th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany.July
1 – The 19th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.2 – The 8th Jazz Fest Wien started in Wien, Austria.3 – The 32nd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland.10- * The 23rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands.
- * The 33rd Pori Jazz started in Pori, Finland.
August
7 – The 15th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales.September
18 – The 41st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California.Album releases
- Dave Douglas: Convergence
- Paul Plimley: Sensology
- Vandermark 5: Target Dr Flag
- Zeena Parkins: Pan-Acousticon
- Evan Parker: Drawn Inward
- Dave Holland: Points of View
- Roy Campbell: Ancestral Homeland
- Hugh Masekela: ''Black to the Future''
Deaths
; January1 – Dave Schildkraut, American alto saxophonist.8 – Jimmy Butts, American upright bassist.16 – Tommy Pederson, American trombonist and composer.22 – Anselmo Sacasas, Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger.24 – Walter Bishop Jr., American pianist.25 – Attila Zoller, American guitarist.26 – Orlando DiGirolamo, American accordionist, pianist, and composer.; February5 – Nick Webb, English guitarist and composer, Acoustic Alchemy.13 – Thomas Chapin, American composer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist.
; March2 – Marzette Watts, American tenor and soprano saxophonist.12 – Red Richards, American pianist.15 – Tim Maia, Brazilian musician, songwriter and businessman.22 – George Howard, American saxophonist.24 – Denis Charles, American drummer.27 – Jimmy Campbell, American drummer.
; April3 – Alvin Tyler, American saxophonist and arranger.9 – Tom Cora, American cellist and composer.21 – Helen Ward, American singer.24 – Mel Powell, American pianist, composer and educator.
; May5 – Syd Lawrence, British trumpeter and bandleader.7 – Blue Lu Barker, American singer.8 – Raymond Premru, American trombonist and composer.14 – Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor.19 – Dorothy Donegan, American pianist.22 – Milton Banana, American drummer.24 – George Kelly, American tenor saxophonist, vocalist and arranger.27 – Spencer Clark, American bass saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist.28 – Joe Dixon, American reedist.29 – Ted Dunbar, American guitarist, composer and educator .
; June8 – Harry Lookofsky, American violinist.10
- * Bobby Bryant, American trumpeter and flugelhorn player.
- * Jimmy Henderson, American trombonist and bandleader.20 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist.22 – Benny Green, British saxophonist.
; August6 – Nat Gonella, American trumpeter, bandleader and vocalist.11 – Benny Waters, American saxophonist and clarinetist.16 – Milton Adolphus, American pianist and composer.22 – Jimmy Skidmore, English tenor saxophonist.24 – Carl Barriteau, Trinidadian clarinetist.
; September6 – Bob Hames, American guitarist.15 – Barrett Deems, American drummer.16 – Andrzej Trzaskowski, Polish composer, pianist, and musicologist.26 – Betty Carter, American singer, composer, and bandleader.
; October8 – Glenn Spearman, American tenor saxophonist.31 – Sherwood Johnson, American jazz patron and the founder in 1954 of Shakey's Pizza.
; November12 – Kenny Kirkland, American pianist and keyboardist.20 – Roland Alphonso, Jamaican tenor saxophonist, The Skatalites.29 – George Van Eps, American guitarist.
; December2 – Bob Haggart, American upright bassist, composer and arranger.4 – Egil Johansen, Norwegian-Swedish drummer.26 – Dick Grove, American pianist and composer.
; Unknown date
- David Earle Johnson, American percussionist, a composer and a music producer.
Births
; Unknown date- Sasha Berliner, American vibraphonist, percussionist, composer, producer, and band leader.