This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1936^[1]

A book called Bud not Buddy is a great recourse for this topic.

Events

• The Duke Ellington Band makes the classical recording of Caravan.

Standards

Deaths

June

• 27 – Mike Bernard, ragtime pianist (born 1875).

August

• 5 – Mitja Nikisch, German pianist and band leader (born 1899).

Unknown date

• Sam Morgan, New Orleans jazz trumpet player and bandleader (born 1895).

Births

January

• 1 – Sonny Greenwich, Canadian guitarist.
• 3 – Joe Haider, German pianist.
• 7 – Eldee Young, American upright bass and cello player (died 2007).
• 19 – Hod O'Brien, American pianist (died 2016).
• 20 – Erwin Helfer, American pianist.
• 21 – Snooks Eaglin, American guitarist and singer (died 2009).
• 24 – Bobby Wellins, Scottish tenor saxophonist (died 2016).
• 31 – Garnett Brown, American trombonist (died 2021).

February

• 4 – Claude Nobs, Swiss founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival (died 2013).^[2]
• 5 – June Tyson, American singer (died 1992).
• 13 – Takashi Furuya, Japanese saxophonist and vocalist (died 2020).
• 26 – Colin Purbrook, English pianist, upright bassist, and trumpeter (died 1999).

March

• 2 – Buell Neidlinger, American upright bassist and cellist (died 2018).^[3]
• 4 – Eric Allandale, Dominican-English trombonist, songwriter, and bandleader (died 2001).
• 8 – Gábor Szabó, Hungarian guitarist (died 1982).
• 19 – Amancio D'Silva, Indian guitarist and composer (died 1996).
• 20 – Harold Mabern, American pianist and composer (died 2019).
• 21
  • Brian Dee, British pianist.
  • Mike Westbrook, English pianist and composer.
• 24 – Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, American tenor saxophonist (died 2013).
• 25 – Larry Gales, American upright bassist (died 1996).
• 27 – Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Polish saxophonist, composer, and arranger.

April

• 3
  • Harold Vick, American saxophonist and flautist (died 1987).
  • Jimmy McGriff, American organist (died 2008).
  • Luiz Eça, Brazilian pianist (died 1992).
  • Scott LaFaro, American upright bassist (died 1961).
• 6 – Manfred Schoof, German trumpeter.
• 13 – Stan Robinson, English tenor saxophonist (died 2017).
• 20
  • Beaver Harris, American drummer (died 1991).
  • Billy James, American drummer (died 2009).
• 22 – Don Menza, American saxophonist, arranger, and composer.
• '28 – John Tchicai, Danish saxophonist (died 2012).

May

• 11 – Carla Bley, American composer, pianist, organist and bandleader (died 2023).
• 12 – Klaus Doldinger, German saxophonist.
• 13 – Manfredo Fest, Brazilian pianist and keyboardist (died 1999).
• 14 – Bobby Darin, American singer (died 1973).
• 20 – Rufus Harley, American saxophonist (died 2006).
• 26 – Charles Turner, American trumpeter (died 2006).

June

• 4 – Alan Branscombe, English pianist, vibraphonist, and alto saxophonist (died 1986).
• 6 – Maysa Matarazzo, Brazilian singer (died 1977).
• 12 – Marcus Belgrave, American trumpet player (died 2015).
• 14 – Wilson das Neves, Brazilian bossa nova singer and percussionist (died 2017).^[4]
• 15 – Jan Byrczek, Polish upright bassist, jazz critic, and jazz magazine editor (died 2019).
• 16 – Lin Halliday, American saxophonist (died 2000).
• 22 – Hermeto Pascoal, Brazilian flautist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.
• 30 – Dave Van Ronk, American singer (died 2002).

July

• 3 – Corky Hale, American harpist, pianist, flautist, and singer.
• 5 – Tommy LiPuma, American music producer (died 2017).
• 6 – Chris White, American upright bassist (died 2014).
• 13 – Albert Ayler, American saxophonist, singer and composer (died 1970).
• 17 – Nick Brignola, American baritone saxophonist (died 2002).
• 19 – Carmell Jones, American trumpet player (died 1996).
• 22 – Don Patterson, American organist (died 1988).
• 28 – Jim Galloway, Scottish clarinetist and saxophonist (died 2014).

August

• 3 – Jack Wilson, American pianist and composer (died 2007).
• 6 – Joe Diorio, American guitarist (died 2022).
• 10 – Chuck Israels, American composer, arranger, and upright bassist.
• 22 – Lex Humphries, American drummer (died 1994).

September

• 6 – Clifford Thornton, American trumpeter and trombonist (died 1989).
• 17 – Rolv Wesenlund, Norwegian comedian, singer, clarinetist, and saxophonist (died 2013).
• 21 – Sunny Murray, American drummer (died 2017).
• 27 – Lars Erstrand, Swedish vibraphonist (died 2009).
• 28 – Emmett Chapman, American guitar and Chapman Stick player (died 2021).

October

• 7 – Sonny Bravo, Afro-Cuban pianist.
• 11 – Billy Higgins, American drummer (died 2001).
• 12 – Melvin Rhyne, American organist (died 2013).
• 13
  • Shirley Bunnie Foy, American singer, songwriter, and percussionist (died 2016).
  • Tom Vaughn, American pianist (died 2011).
• 17 – Sathima Bea Benjamin, South African vocalist (died 2013).
• 18 – J. C. Moses, American drummer (died 1977).
• 25 – Alfredo Rodríguez, Cuban pianist (died 2005).

November

• 18 – Don Cherry, American trumpeter (died 1995).
• 28 – Roy McCurdy, American drummer.

December

• 6 – Bill Ashton, British saxophonist and composer.
• 7
  • Arthur Jenkins, American keyboardist and percussionist (died 2009).
  • Sonny Phillips, American keyboardist.
• 10
  • John Boudreaux, American drummer (died 2017).^[5]
  • Martha Mier, American pianist, piano teacher, and composer.
• 15 – Eddie Palmieri, Puerto Rican-American pianist and bandleader.
• 17 – Tommy Banks, Canadian pianist (died 2018).^[6]
• 23 – Muhammad Ali, American drummer.
• 24 – Chris McGregor, South African pianist, bandleader and composer (died 1990).
• 27 – Mike Barone, American trombonist and big band leader.

Unknown date

• Byrdie Green, American singer (died 2008).
• Cynthia Crane, American singer.
• Salah Ragab, Egyptian drummer and called the founder Egyptian jazz (died 2008).