1952 in jazz
Luciano La Neve, trombone, and Gigi Tognoli, saxophone during a jam session in Italy
Decade	1950s in jazz
Music	1952 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1951 in jazz – 1953 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1952.

Events

• The pianist John Lewis initiates the Modern Jazz Quartet together with vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Kenny Clarke.^[1]
• Thelonious Monk starts making records for Prestige.^[1]
• The young trumpeter Chet Baker play with Charlie Parker before he joines the quartet of Gerry Mulligan.^[1]
• The health of guitarist Django Reinhardt is starting to fail. His fingers are getting stiff.^[1]
• Les Paul introduces his new invention, the solid body guitar, when Gibson begins marketing the classic guitar which bears his name.^[1]

Album releases

• Gerry Mulligan: Gerry Mulligan Quartet Volume 1 (Pacific Jazz)^[2]
• Johnny Smith: Moonlight in Vermont originally Jazz at NBC Series (Royal Roost)
• Stan Kenton: New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol)
• Nat King Cole: Penthouse Serenade (Capitol)
• Duke Ellington: Ellington Uptown (Columbia)

• Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie: Bird and Diz (Clef/Verve)
• Oscar Peterson: An Evening with Oscar Peterson (Clef Records)

• Oscar Peterson: Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington (Clef Records)
• Dave Brubeck: The Dave Brubeck Quartet (Fantasy Records)
• Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell (Blue Note)

Standards

Deaths

January

• 9 – Midge Williams, African-American singer (born 1915).

February

• 23 – Herb Morand, American trumpeter (born 1905).

March

• 27 – Cassino Simpson, American pianist (born 1909).

April

• 26 – Zinky Cohn, American pianist (born 1908).

June

• 14 – John Kirby, American upright bassist who also played trombone and tuba (born 1908).

November

• 20 – Mal Hallett, American jazz violinist and bandleader (born 1893).

December

• 29 – Fletcher Henderson, American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer (born 1897).
• 31 – Mel Stitzel, German-born pianist best known for his work with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings (born 1902).

Births

January

• 2 – Viatcheslav Nazarov, Russian trombonist, pianist, and vocalist (died 1996).
• 10 – William Parker, American bassist, poet, and composer.
• 11 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist.
• 13 – Pekka Pohjola, Finnish multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer (died 2008).
• 19 – Eric Leeds, American saxophonist.
• 27 – Ray Obiedo, American contemporary jazz guitarist.

February

• 18 – Randy Crawford, American singer.
• 20 – Uwe Kropinski, German guitarist.
• 22 – Ken Pickering, Canadian jazz promotor, Vancouver Jazz Festival co-founder (died 2018).^[3]

March

• 11 – Vince Giordano, American saxophonist, Nighthawks Orchestra.
• 17 – Manolo Badrena, Puerto Rican percussionist, Weather Report.
• 19 – Chris Brubeck, American bassist, bass trombonist, and pianist.
• 21 – Carlo Actis Dato, Italian saxophonist and composer.
• 22 – Bob Mover, American saxophonist and vocalist.
• 26 – Paolo Damiani, Italian cellist and upright bassist.
• 29 – Errol Dyers, South African guitarist and composer (died 2017).

April

• 2 – Dave Buxton, English pianist and composer.
• 6 – Richard Tabnik, American saxophonist.
• 8 – Yildiz Ibrahimova, Bulgarian singer of Turkish ancestry.
• 12 – Jeff Linsky, American guitarist.
• 16 – Jukka Tolonen, Finnish guitarist.
• 25 – Ketil Bjørnstad, Norwegian pianist, American composer and writer.
• 28 – Leni Stern, German guitarist, singer, and n'goni (Malian banjo-guitar) player.
• 29 – Dave Valentin, American flautist (died 2017).

May

• 2 – Mari Natsuki, Japanese singer.
• 8 – John Purcell, American saxophonist.
• 24
  • Dave DeFries, British trumpeter, flugelhornist, and percussionist.
  • Pierre Van Dormael, Belgian musician and composer (died 2008).
• 29 – Hilton Ruiz, American pianist (died 2006).

June

• 5 – Monnette Sudler, American guitarist.
• 7 – Royce Campbell, American guitarist.
• 12
  • Bent Patey, Norwegian guitarist, composer, and writer.
  • Jed Williams, Welsh jazz journalist and the founder of the Brecon Jazz Festival (died 2003).
• 13 – Clarence Banks, American trombonist, Count Basie Orchestra.
• 16 – Gino Vannelli, Canadian singer, songwriter, musician and composer.
• 19 – Sidsel Endresen, Norwegian vocalist, composer and actor.
• 20 – Gary Lucas, American guitarist, Gods and Monsters.
• 23 – Anthony Jackson, American bassist.
• 25 – Radka Toneff, Norwegian singer (died 1982).
• 28 – Alan Pasqua, American pianist.

July

• 1
  • Ichiko Hashimoto, Japanese pianist, composer and singer.
  • Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, American drummer (died 2018).^[4]
  • Timothy J. Tobias, American composer and pianist (died 2006).
• 7 – Sue Keller, American pianist and singer
• 23 – Janis Siegel, American singer.
• 26 – Christian Lauba, Tunisian born French composer and teacher.

August

• 11
  • Finn Sletten, Norwegian drummer.
  • Harry Tavitian, Romanian pianist and singer.
• 14 – George E. Lewis, American composer, electronic performer, installation artist, and trombonist.
• 19 – Bruce Katz, American pianist, organist, and bass guitarist.
• 20 – John Clayton, American upright bassist.
• 25
  • Ben Brown, American upright bassist.
  • Michael Marcus, American clarinetist and multi-woodwind player.
• 26
  • Michael Wolff, Austrian pianist, composer, and producer.
  • Peter Wolf, Austrian composer, producer, songwriter, and arranger.

September

• 1 – Ed Neumeister, American trombonist.
• 6 – Phil Markowitz, American pianist.
• 9 – Per Jørgensen, Norwegian trumpeter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, JøKleBa.
• 19
  • Henry Kaiser, American guitarist and composer.
  • Uffe Markussen, Danish reedist.
• 22 – Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimbabwean guitarist (died 2019).^[5]
• 26 – Mark Dresser, American upright bassist and composer.
• 29 – Roy Campbell, Jr., American trumpeter (died 2014).

October

• 11 – Brian Jackson, American keyboardist, flautist, singer, composer, and producer.
• 16 – Ray Anderson, American trombonist and trumpeter.
• 21 – Ali Ryerson, American flautist.
• 27 – Ken Filiano, American upright bassist.
• 30 – Arlen Roth, American guitarist.

November

• 4 – Jeff Lorber, American keyboardist, composer, and record producer.
• 8 – Carl Haakon Waadeland, Norwegian drummer.
• 12 – Laurence Juber, English guitarist, Wings.
• 16 – Lauren Newton, American singer and composer.
• 28 – Ole Thomsen, Norwegian guitarist.
• 30 – Chris Joris, Belgian percussionist, pianist, and composer.

December

• 2 – Rob Mounsey, American keyboarder, composer, and arranger.
• 8
  • Mathias Rüegg, Swiss pianist, composer, bandleader, director, Vienna Art Orchestra.
  • Reynold Philipsek, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and poet.
  • Ric Sanders, English violinist.
• 23 – Jay Azzolina, American guitarist, Spyro Gyra.
• 24 – Chucho Merchán, Colombian bassist and guitarist.
• 27 – David Knopfler, British singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, record producer, poet, and writer.
• 29 – Joe Lovano, American saxophonist, alto clarinetist, flautist, and drummer.

Unknown date

• Akio Sasajima, Japanese guitarist.
• Brad Upton, American trumpeter.
• Eugene Friesen, American cellist and composer.
• Gordon Johnson, American upright bassist.
• Roberto Perera, Uruguayan harpist.