1986 in jazz
George Benson in 1986 at Montreux Jazz Festival.
Decade	1980s in jazz
Music	1986 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1985 in jazz – 1987 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1986.

Events

March

• 21 – The 13th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 21 – 23).^[1]

May

• 16 – 15th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 16 – 19).^[2]
• 21 – 14th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 21 – June 4).^[3]

June

• 27 – The 7th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 27 – July 6).^[4]

July

• 3 – The 20th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 43 – 19).^[5]
• 11 – The 11th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 11 – 13).^[6]

August

• 15 – The 3rd Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 15 – 17).^[7]

September

• 19 – The 29th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 19 – 21).^[8]

Album releases

Deaths

January

• 26 – Ken Moule, English pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1925).
• 29 – Everett Barksdale, American guitarist (born 1910).

February

• 26 – Karel Vlach, Czech musician, orchestra conductor, and arranger (born 1911).

March

• 21 – Raymond Burke, American clarinetist (born 1904).

April

• 26 – Cliff Leeman, American drummer (born 1913).

May

• 19 – Jimmy Lyons, American alto saxophonist (born 1931).
• 30 – Hank Mobley, American tenor saxophonist (born 1930).

June

• 13 – Benny Goodman, American clarinetist and bandleader (born 1909).
• 29 – Cliff Townshend, English saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1916).

July

• 3 – Curley Russell, American upright bassist (born 1917).
• 31 – Teddy Wilson, American pianist (born 1912).

August

• 21 – Thad Jones, American trumpeter (born 1923).

September

• 2 – Billy Taylor, American upright bassist (born 1906).
• 10 – Pepper Adams, American baritone saxophonist and composer (born 1930).

October

• 22 – Thorgeir Stubø, Norwegian guitarist, band leader, and composer (born 1943).
• 27 – Alan Branscombe, English pianist, vibraphonist, and alto saxophonist (born 1936).

November

• 3 – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, American tenor saxophonist (born 1922).
• 23 – Svein Øvergaard, Norwegian saxophonist and percussionist (born 1912).

December

• 2 – Paul Bascomb, American tenor saxophonist (born 1912).

Unknown date

• Arthur Rosebery, English pianist and singer (born 1904).

Births

January

• 2 – Trombone Shorty, American trombonist, vocalist and composer.
• 4 – Theo Jackson, British songwriter, pianist and vocalist.
• 12 – Philip Schjetlein, Norwegian guitarist.
• 27 – Takashi Matsunaga, Japanese pianist and composer.

March

• 10 – Justin Kauflin, American pianist, composer, and record producer.
• 11 – Ayumi Tanaka, Japanese pianist.
• 19 – Susanne Sundfør, Norwegian singer and songwriter.

April

• 20 – Roxy Coss, American saxophonist and composer.
• 23 – Laura Mvula, British singer, songwriter, and composer.

May

• 18 – Adam Bałdych, Polish violinist, composer, music producer.
• 26 – Kit Downes, British pianist and composer.

June

• 24 – Ivan Blomqvist, Swedish pianist, keyboarder, and composer.

July

• 11 – Jakop Janssønn Hauan, Norwegian drummer.
• 21 – Rebecca Ferguson, British singer and songwriter.

October

• 10
  • Marcus Gilmore, American drummer.
  • Ellen Andrea Wang, Norwegian upright bassist and singer.

November

• 8 – Nikola Rachelle, British singer and songwriter.
• 11 – Jon Batiste, American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader.
• 12 – Jonas Kilmork Vemøy, Norwegian trumpeter, and composer.
• 13 – Miss Tati, Norwegian DJ, singer, and songwriter.

December

• 2 – Tal Wilkenfeld, Australian bass guitarist.
• 27 – Pablo Held, German pianist and composer.
• 29 – Sullivan Fortner, American pianist and composer.

Unknown date

• Adrián Carrio, Spanish pianist.
• Emilie Stoesen Christensen, Norwegian singer and actor.
• Jon Audun Baar, Norwegian drummer.
• Julia Kadel, German pianist, composer, and band leader.
• Lars Ove Fossheim, Norwegian jazz guitarist.
• Romano Ricciardi, Italian-Swiss saxophonist.
• Sasha Masakowski, American singer.