1983 in jazz
Dee Bell performing at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall
Decade	1980s in jazz
Music	1983 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1982 in jazz – 1984 in jazz

This page is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1983.

Events

March

• 25 – The 10th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 25 – 27).^[1]

May

• 18 – 11th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 18 – June 1).^[2]
• 20 – 12th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 20 – 23).^[3]

June

• 1 – The 4th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (July 1 – 10).^[4]

July

• 8
  • The 8th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 8 – 10).^[5]
  • The 17th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 8 – 24).^[6]

September

• 16 – The 26th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 16 – 18).^[7]

Unknown date

• Eliane Elias married Randy Brecker, brother of Michael Brecker.^[8]

Album releases

Deaths

January

• 13
  • Barry Galbraith, American guitarist (born 1919).
  • John Ouwerx, Belgian pianist and composer (born 1903).
• 28 – Sweet Emma Barrett, American pianist and singer (born 1897).

February

• 2 – Moses Allen, American upright bassist (born 1907).
• 12 – Eubie Blake, American composer, lyricist, and pianist (born 1887).

March

• 14 – Gigi Gryce, American saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, and composer (born 1925).
• 16 – Ernie Royal, American trumpeter (born 1921).

April

• 1 – Ken Kersey, Canadian pianist (born 1916).
• 7 – Cag Cagnolatti, American trumpeter (born 1911).
• 13 – Dolo Coker, American pianist and composer (born 1927).
• 22 – Earl Hines, American pianist and bandleader (born 1903).
• 27 – Kippie Moeketsi, South-African alto saxophonist (born 1925).

May

• 6 – Kai Winding, Danish-American trombonist and composer (born 1922).
• 25 – Paul Quinichette, American tenor saxophonist (born 1916).

June

• 19 – Al Lucas, Canadian upright bassist (born 1912).

July

• 1 – Sandy Mosse, American tenor saxophonist (born 1929).
• 5 – Harry James, American trumpeter and band leader (born 1916).
• 8 – Lammar Wright Jr., American trumpeter (born 1924).
• 12 – Chris Wood, English saxophonist and flautist, Traffic (born 1944).
• 15 – Sadik Hakim, American pianist and composer (born 1919).
• 18 – Bob Cornford, British jazz pianist and composer (born 1940).

August

• 9 – Don Ewell, American stride pianist (born 1916).

September

• 1 – Arthur Herzog Jr., American songwriter and composer (born 1900).
• 15
  • Willie Bobo, Puerto Rican-American percussionist (born 1934).
  • Johnny Hartman, African-American singer (born 1923).
• 18 – Roy Milton, American singer, drummer, and bandleader (born 1907).

October

• Wilbert Baranco, American pianist and bandleader (born 1909).

November

• 8 – James Booker, American keyboarder (born 1939).
• 12 – Preston Jackson, American trombonist (born 1902).
• 22 – Kamil Běhounek, Bohemian-Czech accordionist (born 1916).
• 25 – Waymon Reed, American trumpeter (born 1940).

December

• 13 – Marshall Brown, American trombonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1920).
• 16 – Harry Miller, South African upright bassist (born 1941).

Unknown date

• Pat Smythe, Scottish pianist (born 1923).

Births

January

• 20 – Eivind Lønning, Norwegian trumpeter.

February

• 3 – Gilad Hekselman, Israeli guitarist and composer.
• 22 – Lars Winther, Danish pianist, composer, producer, and arranger.

March

• 10 – Lőrinc Barabás, Hungarian trumpeter and composer.
• 31 – Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, American trumpeter and composer.

April

• 20 – Ryan Blotnick, American guitarist.

May

• 8 – Nikoletta Szőke, Hungarian singer.
• 26 – Rune Nergaard, Norwegian upright bassist, Bushman's Revenge.

June

• 17 – Jaimie Branch, American trumpeter and electronica artist (died 2022)
• 24 – Gard Nilssen, Norwegian drummer, Puma.
• 30 – Espen Berg, Norwegian pianist, arranger, and composer, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra.

July

• 5 – Sofia Jernberg, Ethiopian-Swedish experimental singer and composer.
• 8 – Jamie Brooks, English pianist, keyboarder, composer, and arranger.
• 13 – Harold López-Nussa, Cuban pianist.
• 22 – Andreas Ulvo, Norwegian pianist, organist, keyboarder, and composer, Eple Trio.

August

• 17 – Luques Curtis, American bassist.

September

• 14 – Amy Winehouse, English singer and songwriter (died 2011).
• 19 – Petter Eldh, Swedish upright bassist and composer.
• 25 – Hayden Powell, English trumpeter and composer.
• 26 – Magnus Hjorth, Swedish pianist and composer.

October

• 7 – Aaron Parks, American pianist and composer.
• 14 – Andreas Stensland Løwe, Norwegian pianist, Splashgirl.
• 19 – Makaya McCraven, American drummer.

November

• 10
  • Bez Idakula, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and composer.
  • David Virelles, Cuban pianist and composer.^[9]
  • Svein Magnus Furu, Norwegian saxophonist composer, and music journalist.
• 23 – Thomas Pridgen, American drummer, The Mars Volta.

Unknown date

• Emanuele Maniscalco, Italian pianist, drummer, and composer.
• Guro Skumsnes Moe, Norwegian upright bassist and singer.
• Lauren Kinsella, Irish singer and composer.
• Tom Hasslan, Norwegian guitarist.