2001 in jazz

• 25 – The 4th Polarjazz started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (January 25 – 28).^[1]

• 6
  • The 28th Vossajazz started at Vossavangen, Norway (April 6 – 8).^[2]
  • Stein Inge Brækhus was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2003.^[3]
• 3 – Eldbjørg Raknes performs the commissioned work So much depends upon a red wheel barrow for Vossajazz 2003.^[4]

• 23 – The 29th Nattjazz 2001 started in Bergen, Norway (May 23 – June 2).^[5]

• 1 – The 30th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 1 – 4).^[6]
• 19 – The 13th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 19 – July 8).^[7]
• 26 – The 18th Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (June 26 – July 22).^[8]
• 29 – The 22nd Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 29 - July 10).^[9]

• 6 – The 35th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 6 – 22).^[10]
• 13 – The 26th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 13 – 15).^[11]
• 14 – The 36th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 14 – 22).^[12]
• 16 – The 41st Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway (July 16 – 21).^[13]
• 21 – The 54th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 21 – 28).^[14]
• 24 – The 36th San Sebastian Jazz Festival started in San Sebastian, Spain (July 24 – 29).^[15]

• 6 – The 16th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 6–12).^[16]
• 8 – The 15th Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 8 – 12).^[17]
• 10
  • The 47th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 10 – 12).^[18]
  • The 19th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 10 – 12).^[19]

• 21 – The 44th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 21 – 23).^[20]

• 11 – The DølaJazz started in Lillehammer, Norway (Oktober 11 - 14).^[21]

• 8 – The Trondheim Jazz Festival started in Trondheim, Norway (November 8 – 11).^[22]
• 9 – The 10th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 9 – 18).^[23]

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
17	Nocturne	Charlie Haden	Verve Records	Executive producer Daniel Richard	[24]

#

B

• Michael Brecker: Nearness Of You: The Ballad Book (Verve)

C

• Marilyn Crispell: Blue (Black Saint)

G

• Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band: Swingin' For The Fences (Silverline)

H

• Herbie Hancock: Future 2 Future (Transparent, Columbia)
• Gordon Haskell: Look Out (Flying Sparks)

K

• Olga Konkova Trio: Some Things From Home (Candid)
• Diana Krall: The Look of Love (Verve)

M

• James Morrison: Scream Machine (Morrison Records)

S

• Matthew Shipp: Expansion Power Release (hatOLOGY)

T

• The Idea of North: The Sum of Us (Magnetic Records)

W

• Robbie Williams: Swing When You're Winning (Capitol ) More Easy Listening Style
• World Saxophone Quartet: 25th Anniversary: The New Chapter (Justin Time)

January

• 4 – Les Brown, American bandleader (born 1912).
• 13 – Stan Freeman, American composer, lyricist, musical arranger, conductor, and pianist (born 1920).
• 17 – Norris Turney, American flautist and saxophonist (born 1921).
• 23
  • Jack McDuff, American organist and organ trio bandleader (born 1926).
  • Lou Levy, American pianist (born 1928).

February

• 4 – J. J. Johnson, American trombonist, composer, and arranger (born 1924).
• 10 – Buddy Tate, American saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1913).
• 13
  • George T. Simon, American writer and drummer (born 1912).
  • Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, South African pianist (born 1973).^[25]

March

• 7 – Frankie Carle, American pianist and bandleader (born 1903).
• 18 – Rupert Nurse, Trinidadian-British pianist, upright bassist, and saxophonist (born 1910).
• 19 – Herbie Jones, American trumpeter and arranger (born 1926).
• 20 – Jay Cameron, American baritone saxophonist and reedist (born 1928).
• 28 – Moe Koffman, Canadian saxophonist, flautist, composer, and arranger (born 1928).
• 29 – John Lewis, American pianist, composer and arranger (born 1920).^[26]

April

• 5 – Sonya Hedenbratt, Swedish singer and actress (born 1931).
• 9 – Ken Rattenbury, English trumpeter, pianist, composer, and author (born 1920).
• 18 – Billy Mitchell, American tenor saxophonist (born 1926).
• 24 – Al Hibbler, American baritone singer, Duke Ellington Orchestra (born 1915).

May

• 3 – Billy Higgins, American drummer (born 1936).
• 19 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (born 1946).
• 22 – Lorez Alexandria, American singer (born 1929).
• 27 – Glauco Masetti, Italian jazz reedist (born 1922).

June

• 13 – Makanda Ken McIntyre, American musician and composer (born 1931).
• 19 – Lindsay L. Cooper, Scottish upright bass, electric bass and cello player (born 1940).
• 30
  • Chet Atkins, American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer (born 1924).
  • Joe Henderson, American tenor saxophonist (born 1937).

July

• 27 – Harold Land, American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist (born 1928).

August

• 6 – Larry Adler, American harmonica player (born 1914).
• 17 – Flip Phillips, American tenor saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1915).
• 23 – Eric Allandale, Dominican-English trombonist, songwriter, and bandleader (born 1936).
• 27 – Cal Collins, American guitarist (born 1933).

September

• 1 – Sil Austin, American saxophonist (born 1929).
• 2 – Jay Migliori, American saxophonist (born 1930).

October

• 2 – Manny Albam, American baritone saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator (born 1922).
• 4 – John Collins, American guitarist (born 1913).
• 11 – Billy Maxted, American pianist (born 1917).
• 16 – Etta Jones, American singer (born 1928).^[27]
• 29 – Spike Robinson, American tenor saxophonist (born 1930).
• 31 – Bill Le Sage, British pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader (born 1927).

November

• 13
  • Babik Reinhardt, French jazz guitarist (born 1944).^[28]
  • Panama Francis, American drummer (born 1918).
• 16 – Tommy Flanagan, American jazz pianist and composer (born 1930).
• 21 – Ralph Burns, American pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1922).

December

• 14 – Conte Candoli, American trumpeter (born 1927).
• 22 – Gene Taylor, American upright bassist (born 1929).
• 30 – Ralph Sutton, American pianist (born 1922).

Unknown date

• David Batey, English pianist (born 1939)^[29]
• Oliver Todd, American band leader, organist, pianist, and trumpeter (born 1916).

August

• 30 – Emily Bear, American composer and pianist.