2001 in jazz

; January4 – Les Brown, American bandleader.13 – Stan Freeman, American composer, lyricist, musical arranger, conductor, and pianist.17 – Norris Turney, American flautist and saxophonist.23

* Jack McDuff, American organist and organ trio bandleader.
* Lou Levy, American pianist.

; February4 – J. J. Johnson, American trombonist, composer, and arranger.10 – Buddy Tate, American saxophonist and clarinetist.13

* George T. Simon, American writer and drummer.
* Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, South African pianist.

; March7 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader.18 – Rupert Nurse, Trinidadian-British pianist, upright bassist, and saxophonist.19 – Herbie Jones, American trumpeter and arranger.20 – Jay Cameron, American baritone saxophonist and reedist.28 – Moe Koffman, Canadian saxophonist, flautist, composer, and arranger.29 – John Lewis, American pianist, composer and arranger.
; April5 – Sonya Hedenbratt, Swedish singer and actress.9 – Ken Rattenbury, English trumpeter, pianist, composer, and author.18 – Billy Mitchell, American tenor saxophonist.24 – Al Hibbler, American baritone singer, Duke Ellington Orchestra.
; May3 – Billy Higgins, American drummer.19 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer.22 – Lorez Alexandria, American singer.27 – Glauco Masetti, Italian jazz reedist.
; June13 – Makanda Ken McIntyre, American musician and composer.19 – Lindsay L. Cooper, Scottish upright bass, electric bass and cello player.30

* Chet Atkins, American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer.
* Joe Henderson, American tenor saxophonist.

; July27 – Harold Land, American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist.
; August6 – Larry Adler, American harmonica player.17 – Flip Phillips, American tenor saxophonist and clarinetist.23 – Eric Allandale, Dominican-English trombonist, songwriter, and bandleader.27 – Cal Collins, American guitarist.
; September1 – Sil Austin, American saxophonist.2 – Jay Migliori, American saxophonist.
; October2 – Manny Albam, American baritone saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator.4 – John Collins, American guitarist.11 – Billy Maxted, American pianist.16 – Etta Jones, American singer.29 – Spike Robinson, American tenor saxophonist.31 – Bill Le Sage, British pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader.
; November13

* Babik Reinhardt, French jazz guitarist.
* Panama Francis, American drummer.16 – Tommy Flanagan, American jazz pianist and composer.21 – Ralph Burns, American pianist, composer, and arranger.

; December14 – Conte Candoli, American trumpeter.22 – Gene Taylor, American upright bassist.30 – Ralph Sutton, American pianist.
; Unknown date

David Batey, English pianist
Oliver Todd, American band leader, organist, pianist, and trumpeter.

Births

; August30 – Emily Bear, American composer and pianist.