1970 in jazz

January

• 16 – Lem Davis, American alto saxophonist (born 1914).
• 17 – Billy Stewart, American singer, drummer, and pianist (born 1937).

March

• 2 – Emile Barnes, American clarinetist (born 1892).
• 21 – Jack Sels, Belgian saxophonist and composer (born 1922).

April

• 10 – Ralph Escudero, Puerto Rican bassist and tubist (born 1898).
• 20 – Perry Bradford, African-American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer (born 1893).

May

• 10 – Frankie Lee Sims, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1917).
• 11 – Johnny Hodges, American alto saxophonist (born 1906).
• 24 – Cliff Jackson, American pianist (born 1902).

June

• 16 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer and guitarist (born 1899).

July

• 26 – Fernando Arbello, Puerto Rican trombonist (born 1907).
• 31 – Booker Ervin, American saxophonist (born 1930).

August

• 4 – Scoops Carry, American saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1915).
• 5 – Otto Hardwick, American saxophonist (born 1904).

September

• 18 – Maxwell Davis, American saxophonist, arranger, and record producer (born 1916).

October

• 11 – Phil Spitalny, American bandleader (born 1890).
• 12 – Barney Rapp, American drummer and orchestra leader (born 1900).

November

• 20 – Don Stovall, American alto saxophonist (born 1913).
• 25 – Albert Ayler, American saxophonist and singer (born 1936).

December

• 14 – Elmer Schoebel, American pianist and composer (born 1896).

January

• 1 – Karen Souza, Argentin singer.
• 4 – Michel Bisceglia, Belgian pianist.
• 5 – Jesper Bodilsen, Danish upright bassist.
• 19 – Iiro Rantala, Finnish pianist, Trio Töykeät.
• 24 – Adam Pierończyk, Polish saxophonist and composer.

February

• 9 – Eldbjørg Raknes, Norwegian singer.
• 13 – Adam Cruz, American drummer.
• 20
  • Craig Taborn, American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer.
  • Éric Legnini, Belgian pianist and bandleader.
• 27 – Lina Nyberg, Swedish singer and composer.

March

• 11 – Justin Hayford, American singer and pianist.
• 19 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian upright bassist (died 2011).
• 22 – Live Maria Roggen, Norwegian singer and composer, Come Shine.

April

• 1 – Tone Lise Moberg, Norwegian singer.
• 15 – Michael Schiefel, German singer.
• 20 – Avishai Cohen, Israeli bassist, composer, singer and arranger.
• 25 – Kjersti Stubø, Norwegian singer.

May

• 1 – Sacha Perry, American pianist and composer.^[5]
• 4
  • Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian pianist.
  • Jeremy Davenport, American trumpeter and singer.
• 6 – Juliet Kelly, British singer and songwriter.^[6]
• 22 – Jimmy Bennington, American drummer.

June

• 2 – Matt Garrison, American bassist.
• 10 – Dwayne Burno, American upright bassist (died 2013).
• 12 – Dave Maric, British composer and musician.
• 13 – Ron Westray, American trombonist, composer and educator.
• 16 – Gregory Hutchinson, American drummer.
• 21 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer.
• 22 – Goran Kajfeš, Swedish trumpeter.
• 24 – Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese pianist and film composer (died 2012).

July

• 6
  • Médéric Collignon, French vocalist, cornettist and saxhorn player.
  • Roger Cicero, German singer (died 2016).
• 13 – Glenn Corneille, Dutch pianist (died 2005).
• 14 – Jacob Young, Norwegian guitarist.
• 15 – Frank McComb, American soul singer and pianist.
• 16 – Yinka Davies, Nigerian vocalist, dancer, and lyricist.
• 17 – Alvester Garnett, American drummer.
• 25 – Brian Blade, American drummer, composer and singer-songwriter.
• 30 – Susanne Abbuehl, Swiss-Dutch singer.

August

• 1 – Kishon Khan, Bangladeshi-British pianist, composer, arranger, and music producer.
• 21
  • Marlon Jordan, American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
  • Simone Eriksrud, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 22 – Erik van der Luijt, Dutch pianist, composer, and band leader.
• 23 – Brad Mehldau, American pianist, composer, and arranger.
• 24 – Chris Tarry, Canadian bass guitarist.

, September

• 3 – Haydain Neale, Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2009).
• 24 – Ingrid Laubrock, German soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist.
• 28 – Neil Yates, British trumpeter.

October

• 5 – Tord Gustavsen (October 5), Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 8 – Maria Kannegaard, Danish-born Norwegian pianist.
• 16 – Heine Totland, Norwegian singer.
• 19 – Jacob Karlzon, Swedish pianist and composer.
• 20 – Håvard Lund, Norwegian clarinetist and saxophonist.
• 22 – Manuel Mota, Portuguese guitarist.
• 23 – Tobias Sjögren, Swedish guitarist and composer.
• 24 – Jesse Harris, American singer-songwriter.
• 28 – Kurt Rosenwinkel, American guitarist, composer and keyboardist.
• 29 – Toby Smith, British keyboardist and songwriter for Jamiroquai (died 2017).

November

• 15 – Susie Ibarra, American composer and percussionist.
• 20 – Geoffrey Keezer, American pianist.
• 22 – Chris Fryar, American drummer.

December

• 14 – Anna Maria Jopek, Polish singer.
• 18 – Norman Brown, American guitarist.
• 24 – Marco Minnemann, German drummer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

Unknown date

• Andreas Paolo Perger, Austrian guitarist, improviser, and composer.
• Anna Mjöll, Icelandic singer and songwriter.
• Dominic Green, British writer and guitarist.
• Kate McGarry, American singer.
• Keith Anderson, American saxophonist.
• Lullaby Baxter, Canadian singer.
• Matt Lavelle, American trumpet, flugelhorn and bass clarinet player.
• Peter Martin, American pianist.
• Tom Brantley, American trombonist.

• 1970s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1970 in music