2004 in jazz

• 22 – The 7th Polarjazz started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (January 22 – 25).^[1]
• 30 – The 23rd annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 30 – 31).^[2]

• 2
  • The 31st Vossajazz started at Vossavangen, Norway (April 2 – 4).^[3]
  • Magne Thormodsæter was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2004.^[4]
• 3 – Svein Folkvord performs the commissioned work Across for Vossajazz 2004.^[5]

• 19 – The 32nd Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 19 – 29).^[6]
• 28 – The 33rd Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 28 – 31).^[7]

• 28 – The 16th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 28 – July 14).^[8]
• 30
  • The 40th Kongsberg Jazzfestival started in Kongsberg, Norway (June 30 – July 3).^[9]
  • The 25th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 30 - July 11).^[10]

• 2
  • The 26th Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 2 – 11).^[11]
  • The 38th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 2 – 17).^[12]
• 9 – The 29th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 9 – 11).^[13]
• 12 – The 44th Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway (July 12 – 17).^[14]
• 17
  • The 21st Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Stockholm, Sweden (July 17 – 24).^[15]
  • The 39th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 17 – 25).^[16]
• 21 – The 57th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 21 – 28).^[17]
• 23 – The 39th San Sebastian Jazz Festival started in San Sebastian, Spain (July 23 – 28).^[18]

• 9 – The 19th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 9–15).^[19]
• 11
  • The 50th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 11 – 15).^[20]
  • The 18th Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 11 – 15).^[21]
• 13 – The 21st Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 13 – 15).^[22]

• 17 – The 47th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 17 – 19).^[23]

• 12 – The 13th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 12 – 21).^[24]

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
9	Memphis Jazz Box	Various Artists	Select-O-Hits	Produced by Jack Cooper	[25]

Day	Album	Artist	Label	Notes	Ref.
24	Unspeakable	Bill Frisell	Nonesuch Records	Produced by Hal Willner. Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album	[26]
31	Land of the Sun	Charlie Haden	Verve Records	Produced by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ruth Cameron, Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album	[27]
	Genius Loves Company	Ray Charles and Various Artists	Concord/Hear Music	Produced by John Burk and Phil Ramone. Grammy Award for Album of the Year and Record of the Year.	[28]

#

S

• Maria Schneider and the Maria Schneider Orchestra: Concert in the Garden^[29]

January

• 11 – Anthony Lacen, American tubist and band leader (born 1950).
• 15 – Randolph Colville, Scottish clarinettist, saxophonist, bandleader, and arranger (born 1942).
• 22
  • Billy May, American composer, arranger, and trumpeter (born 1916).
  • Milt Bernhart, American trombonist (born 1926).
• 25 – J. R. Mitchell, American drummer and educator (born 1937).
• 30
  • Frank Mantooth, American pianist and arranger (born 1947).
  • Malachi Favors, American bassist (born 1927).

February

• 12 – Preston Love, American alto saxophonist, bandleader, and songwriter (born 1921).
• 14 – Walter Perkins, American drummer (born 1932).
• 15 – Gil Coggins, American pianist (born 1928).
• 16 – Ella Johnson, American jazz and rhythm and blues vocalist (born 1919).^[30]
• 23
  • Don Cornell, American singer (born 1919).
  • Neil Ardley, English pianist and composer (born 1937).
• 26
  • Jack Sperling, American drummer (born 1922).
  • Jimmy Coe, American saxophonist (born 1921).

March

• 9
  • Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, American composer (born 1932).
  • John Mayer, Indian composer (born 1929).
  • Tony Lee, British pianist (born 1934).
• 16 – Hank Marr, American Hammond B-3 organist (born 1927).
• 18 – Wallace Davenport, American trumpeter (born 1925).
• 29 – Colin Smith, English trumpeter (born 1934).

April

• 17 – Joe Kennedy Jr., American jazz violinist and educator (born 1923).

May

• 6 — Barney Kessel, American guitarist (brain cancer) (born 1923).^[31]
• 12 – John LaPorta, American clarinetist, composer and educator (born 1920).^[32]
• 17 – Elvin Jones, American drummer, John Coltrane Quartet (born 1927).^[33]
• 21 – Rick Henderson, American saxophonist and arranger (born 1928).
• 25 – John R. T. Davies, English trombonist, trumpeter, alto saxophonistaudio, and sound engineer (born 1927).

June

• 4 — Steve Lacy, saxophonist and composer (born 1934).
• 9 — Bent Jædig, Danish tenor saxophonist and flautist (born 1935).
• 10 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer (born 1930).
• 17 – Jackie Paris, American guitarist and singer (born 1924).^[34]

July

• 20 – James Williams, American pianist (born 1951).
• 22 – Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist (born 1922).^[35]

August

• 2 — Don Tosti, American musician and composer (born 1923).
• 7 — G. T. Hogan, American drummer (born 1929).
• 9 — Tony Mottola, American guitarist (born 1918).
• 14 – Pete Strange, English trombonist (born 1938).

September

• 10 – Gordon Brisker, American tenor saxophonist (born 1937).
• 19 – Waldren Joseph, American trombone (born 1918).
• 23 – Lucille Dixon Robertson, American upright bassist (born 1923).
• 27 – Louis Satterfield, American bassist and trombonist, The Pharaohs (born 1937).

October

• 2
  • Bjørnar Andresen, Norwegian bassist (born 1945).^[36]
  • Max Geldray, Dutch harmonica player (born 1916).
• 3 — Vernon Alley, American bassist (born 1915).
• 10 – Calvin Jones, American trombonist, bassist, pianist, bandleader, and composer (born 1929).
• 15 – Bill Eyden, English drummer (born 1930).
• 24 – Joe Springer, American pianist (born 1916).
• 28
  • Gil Mellé, American saxophonist (born 1931).
  • Robin Kenyatta, American alto saxophonist (born 1942).

November

• 1 — Mark Ledford, American trumpeter, singer, and guitarist (born 1960).
• 3 — Joe Bushkin, American pianist (born 1916).
• 6 — Pete Jolly, American pianist and accordionist (born 1932).
• 14 – Michel Colombier, French composer, arranger, and conductor (born 1939).
• 18 – Cy Coleman, American composer, songwriter, and pianist (born 1929).
• 20 – Bob Maize, American upright bassist (born 1945).
• 23 – Billy "Uke" Scott, British ukulele player, composer, singer, and entertainer (born 1923).

December

• 12 – Frank Isola, American drummer (born 1925).
• 17 – Dick Heckstall-Smith, English saxophonist (born 1934).
• 26 – Sigurd Køhn, Norwegian saxophonist (tsunami) (born 1959).^[37]
• 27 – Hank Garland, American guitarist (born 1930).
• 30 – Artie Shaw, American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and actor (born 1910).^[38]