1923 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1923.

Events

April 6: King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band records the King Oliver/Louis Armstrong song Dippermouth Blues
June 30: Sidney Bechet cuts his first two sides "Wild Cat Blues" and "Kansas City Blues" with Clarence Williams' Blue Five.
October 29: African-American musical Runnin' Wild premieres at the New Colonial Theatre in New York. The Charleston is one of the songs featured in it.
December: Harlem-based Black Swan Records declares bankruptcy. Paramount Records would buy the label a few months later.

In 1923 the standards "Charleston", "Wolverine Blues", "Kansas City Stomp", and "Tin Roof Blues" were published.^[1]
1923 also saw the introduction of the pop/jazz standard I Cried For You, music by Arthur Freed and Abe Lyman with lyrics by Gus Arnheim. Lyman had also performed the first recorded version of it. Benny Krueger and His Orchestra had the most popular version of that year as it peaked at number two on the Billboard charts in 1923.^[2]

3 â Alys Robi, French Canadian singer (died 2011).
5 â Wyatt Ruther, American upright bassist (died 1999).
10 â Bob Lively, American saxophonist (died 1994).
12
- Art Mardigan, American drummer (died 1977).
- Mel Powell, American pianist and composer (died 1998).
17 â Buddy DeFranco, American clarinet player (died 2014).
27
- Chuck Wayne, American guitarist (died 1997).
- Dexter Gordon, American tenor saxophonist (died 1990).
- Lucille Dixon Robertson, American upright bassist (died 2004).
28 â Bill Douglass, American drummer (died 1994).

4 â Willie Johnson, American guitarist (died 1995).
6 â Wes Montgomery, American guitarist and composer (died 1968).
10
- Chris McGale, Canadian violinist (died 2003).
- Don Abney, American pianist (died 2000).
12 â Billy "Uke" Scott, British ukulele player (died 2004).
27 â Don Tosti, American musician and composer (died 2004).
28
- Ike Isaacs, American bassist (died 1981).
- Josette DaydÃ©, French singer and actress (died 1995).
- Thad Jones, American trumpeter, composer and bandleader (died 1986).
29 â Remo Palmier, American guitarist (died 2002).

1 â Don Butterfield, American tubist (died 2006).
13 â Ken Sykora, English guitarist and radio presenter (died 2006).
16 â Bennie Green, American trombonist (died 1977).
20 â Tito Puente, American musician, songwriter and record producer (died 2000).
27 â Lelio Luttazzi, Italian composer, musician, actor, singer, and conductor (died 2010).
30 â Percy Heath, American bassist (died 2005).

3
- Al Harewood, American drummer (died 2014).
- Phil Nimmons, Canadian clarinetist, composer and bandleader (died 2024).
23 â George Russell, American pianist (died 2009).
26 â Syd Lawrence, British bandleader (died 1998).
27 â Elmo Hope, American pianist (died 1967).
28
- Herman Sherman, American saxophonist and bandleader (died 1984).
- Pete Candoli, American trumpeter (died 2008).

6 â Jack Parnell, English producer, bandleader, drummer, and pianist (died 2010).
7
- Idrees Sulieman, American trumpeter (died 2002).
- Uffe Baadh, Danish-American drummer (died 1980).
9 â Margie Hyams, American vibraphonist, pianist, and arranger (died 2012).
19 â Dill Jones, Welsh stride pianist (died 1984).

7 â Gunnar Hoffsten, Swedish trumpeter and pianist (died 2010).
10 â Linda Hayes, American singer (died 1998).
11 â Marky Markowitz, American trumpeter (died 1986).
12 â Bob Dorough, American pianist, composer and vocalese singer (died 2018).^[3]
25 â Paul Bacon, American album cover designer (died 2015).

Helen Jones Woods, American trombonist, International Sweethearts of Rhythm (died 2020).
Pat Smythe, Scottish pianist (died 1983).
Tiny Kahn, American drummer, arranger and composer (died 1953).