1990 in jazz
Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater in 1990 at Deauville, Normandy, France
Decade	1990s in jazz
Music	1990 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1989 in jazz – 1991 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1990.

Events

April

• 6 – The 17th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 6 – 8).^[1]

May

• 23 – The 18th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 23 – June 3).^[2]

June

• 1 – The 19th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 1 – 4).^[3]

July

• 7 – 24th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Switzerland (July 7 – 22).^[4]
• 12 – The 15th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague (July 12 – 15).^[5]

August

• 17 – The 7th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 17 – 19).^[6]

September

• 21 – The 33rd Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 21 – 23).^[7]

Unknown date

• Eliane Elias and Randy Brecker were divorced.^[8]

Album releases

Deaths

January

• 3 – Peter van Steeden, Dutch-American composer (born 1904).
• 8 – Georgie Auld, Canadian tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born 1919).
• 9 – Buschi Niebergall, German free jazz musician (born 1938).

February

• 2 – Mel Lewis, American drummer and bandleader (born 1929).
• 4 – Fritz Schulz-Reichel, German pianist (born 1912).
• 5 – King Perry, American saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, and bandleader (born 1914).
• 21 – John Madrid, American trumpeter (born 1948).
• 27 – Arthur Österwall, Swedish band leader, composer, vocalist, and upright bassist (born 1910).
• 28 – Russell Jacquet, American trumpeter (born 1917).

March

• 12 – Harry South, English pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1929).
• 17 – Jack Noren, American drummer and vocalist (born 1929).
• 23 – Al Sears, American tenor saxophonist and bandleader (born 1910).

April

• 3 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (born 1924).
• 5 – Louis Nelson, American trombonist (born 1902).
• 25 – Dexter Gordon, American tenor saxophonist (born 1923).

May

• 4 – Emily Remler, American guitarist (born 1957).
• 7 – Elizete Cardoso, Argentine singer and actress (born 1920).
• 16 – Sammy Davis, Jr., American singer and entertainer (born 1925).
• 17 – Frank Wright, American tenor saxophonist (born 1935).
• 18
  • Eje Thelin, Swedish trombonist (born 1938).
  • Sing Miller, American pianist (born 1914).
• 26 – Chris McGregor, South African pianist, bandleader, and composer (born 1936).

June

• 2 – Walter Davis Jr., American pianist (born 1932).
• 7 – Lou Blackburn, American trombonist (born 1922).
• 10 – Hubert Rostaing, Algierian-French clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1918).
• 11 – Clyde McCoy, American trumpeter (born 1903).
• 21 – June Christy, American singer (born 1925).
• 28 – Howard Roberts, American guitarist (born 1929).
• 30 – Dudu Pukwana, South African saxophonist, composer, and pianist (born 1938).

July

• 21 – Joe Turner, American pianist (born 1907).
• 31 – Lowell Davidson, American pianist (born 1941).

August

• 12 – Harry Leahey, American guitarist (born 1935).
• 14 – Chester Zardis, American upright bassist (born 1900).
• 17 – Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (born 1918).

September

• 3 – Betty Glamann, American jazz harpist (born 1923).
• 23 – George Desmond Hodnett, Irish composer, piano, trumpet, and zither player (born 1918).
• 29 – Freddie Kohlman, American drummer, vocalist, and bandleader (born 1918).

October

• 1 – Phil Napoleon, American trumpeter and bandleader (born 1901).
• 5 – Sam Taylor, American tenor saxophonist (born 1916).
• 6 – Asser Fagerström, Finnish pianist, composer, and actor ((born 1912).
• 16 – Art Blakey, American drummer and bandleader, The Jazz Messengers (born 1919).
• 25 – Major Holley, American upright bassist (born 1914).
• 27 – Xavier Cugat, bandleader (born 1900).

November

• 4 – William Leavitt, American guitarist and arranger (born 1925).
• 16 – Lee Castle, American trumpeter and bandleader (born 1915).
• 26
  • Dave Wilkins, Barbadian trumpeter (born 1914).
  • Rita Ora, British singer-songwriter and actor.

December

• 5 – Bill Hardman, American trumpeter and flugelhornist (born 1933).
• 18 – Bernard Addison, American guitarist (born 1905).

Unknown date

• Francis Coppieters, Belgian pianist (born 1930).

Births

January

• 17 – Diknu Schneeberger, Austrian guitarist.

February

• 13 – Jonathan Chua, Singaporean drummer.

March

• 27 – Kimbra Lee Johnson, New Zealand singer and actress.

April

• 20 – Sebastian Nordström, Swedish bassist.

July

• 11 – Ole Mofjell, Norwegian drummer.
• 23 – Torgeir Standal, Norwegian guitarist.

August

• 15 – Benjamin Kheng, Singaporean guitarist/pianist/composer and brony.

September

• 15 – Laura Jurd, British trumpet and synthesizer player.

October

• 25
  • Austin Peralta, American pianist. At age 15, a featured performer at the 2006 Tokyo Jazz Festival (died 2012).^[9]
  • Marthe Wang, Norwegian singer and songwriter.

November

• 27 – Mette Henriette, Norwegian saxophonist, improviser, and autodidact composer.

December

• 20 – Corrie Dick, Scottish drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and composer.
• 25 – Sandra Riley Tang, Singaporean female double-bassist.

Unknown date

• Alper Tuzcu, Turkish singer, composer, and music producer.
• Charlotte Dos Santos, Norwegian vocalist, composer, and arranger.
• Martin Masakowski, American bassist.