This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1968.

Events

June

• 12 – The 2nd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 12 – 18).^[1]
• 30 – The 15th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (June 30 – July 3).^[2]

Unknown date

• The English avant-rock ensemble Henry Cow was founded at Cambridge University.

Album releases

Deaths

February

• 5 – Luckey Roberts, American composer and stride pianistr (born 1887).
• 15 – Little Walter, American singer and harmonica player (born 1930).
• 27 – Frankie Lymon, American singer (heroin overdose) (born 1942).

March

• 5 – Monk Hazel, American drummer (born 1903).

June

• 15 – Wes Montgomery, American guitarist (born 1923).
• 26 – Ziggy Elman, American trumpeter (born 1914).

October

• 18 – Jack Bland, American banjoist and guitarist (born 1899).

November

• 9 – Jan Johansson, Swedish pianist (born 1931).
• 23 – Reinhold Svensson, Swedish pianist, Hammond organist, and composer (born 1919).

December

• 31 – George Lewis, American clarinetist (born 1900).

Unknown date

• Eyvin Andersen, Danish organist, violinist, and composer (born 1914).^[3]
• Jay Wilbur, British bandleader (born 1898).

Births

January

• 19 – Jørn Øien, Norwegian pianist.
• 21 – Frank Kvinge, Norwegian guitarist.

February

• 4 – Tim Lefebvre, American bass guitarist.
• 18 – Jukka Perko, Finnish saxophonist.
• 19 – Stochelo Rosenberg, Dutch guitarist.
• 22 – Rodney Whitaker, American upright bassist.

March

• 1 – Per Oddvar Johansen, Norwegian drummer.
• 2 – Rune Brøndbo, Norwegian keyboardist and guitarist.
• 6 – Jakob Dinesen, Danish saxophonist.
• 21 – Vincent Courtois, French cellist.
• 22 – Arve Henriksen, Norwegian trumpeter and multiinstrumentalist.
• 24 – Sherman Irby, American alto saxophonist.

April

• 30 – Russ Nolan, American saxophonist.

May

• 1 – D'arcy Wretzky American bassist, The Smashing Pumpkins.
• 9 – Anthony Wilson, American guitarist.
• 19 – Kyle Eastwood, American bassist.

June

• 6 – Alan Licht, American guitarist, composer, and journalist, Run On.
• 19 – John Hollenbeck, American drummer and composer, The Claudia Quintet.

July

• 10 – David Gald, Norwegian guitarist.
• 16 – Finn Guttormsen, Norwegian bassist.
• 17 – Julia Hülsmann, German pianist and composer.

August

• 4 – Eric Alexander, American saxophonist.
• 18 – Ernie Hammes, Luxembourgian trumpeter, arranger, composer, and big band director.
• 20 – Frode Barth, Norwegian guitarist.
• 28 – Larry Goldings, American pianist, organist, and composer.
• 30 – Vahagn Hayrapetyan, Armenian pianist, singer, and composer.

September

• 9 – David Sánchez, Puerto Rican tenor saxophonist.
• 13 – Bernie Williams, Puerto Rican former professional baseball player and musician.
• 30 – Antonio Hart, American alto saxophonist.

November

• 14 – Ken Ford, American violinist.
• 30 – Sylvie Courvoisier, Swiss composer, pianist, and improviser.

December

• 7 – Noël Akchoté, French guitarist.
• 16 – Lalah Hathaway, American singer.

Unknown date

• Jean David Blanc, French film producer, writer, and jazz musician.