# 1978 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1978.

## Events
### March

* 17 – The 5th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 17–19).

### May

* 12 – The 7th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 12–15).
* 24 – The 6th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 24 – June 7).

### July

* 1 – The 25th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (July 1–3).
* 7 – The 12th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 7–23).
* 14 – The 3rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 14–16).
* 28 – The very first Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 28 – August 17).

### September

* 15 – The 21st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).

## Album releases

* Chick Corea: The Mad Hatter
* Chick Corea: Secret Agent
* Chick Corea: Friends
* Air: Open Air Suit
* Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela
* Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela: Main Event Live
* Fred Anderson: Another Place
* Art Ensemble of Chicago: Nice Guys
* Kenny Barron: Innocence
* Carla Bley: Musique Mecanique
* Arthur Blythe: Bush Baby
* Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown
* Lester Bowie: African Children
* Anthony Braxton: For Four Orchestras
* Andrew Cyrille: Metamusicians' Stomp
* Anthony Davis: Of Blues and Dream
* Al Di Meola: Casino
* Joe Farrell: Night Dancing
* Michael Franks: Burchfield Nines
* Chico Freeman: The Outside Within
* Ganelin Trio: Concerto Grosso
* Egberto Gismonti: Solo
* Guenter Hampel: Freedom Of The Universe
* Guenter Hampel: Oasis
* Gerry Hemingway: Kwambe
* Ernie Krivda: The Alchemist
* Leroy Jenkins: The Legend of Ai Glatson
* Quincy Jones: Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!
* John Klemmer: Arabesque
* Oliver Lake: Life Dance of Is
* George Lewis: The Imaginary Suite
* David Liebman: Pendulum
* Chuck Mangione: Feels So Good
* John McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist
* Misha Mengelberg: Pech Onderweg
* Pat Metheny: Pat Metheny Group
* Roscoe Mitchell: L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples
* John Oswald: Improvised
* Evan Parker: Monoceros
* Marvin Peterson: The Light
* Jean-Luc Ponty: Cosmic Messenger
* Don Pullen: Warriors
* Dewey Redman: Soundsigns
* Sam Rivers: Waves
* Max Roach & Anthony Braxton: Birth and Rebirth
* Rova Saxophone Quartet: Cinema Rovate
* Leo Smith: The Mass on the World
* Peter Sprague: Dance of the Universe
* Spyro Gyra: Spyro Gyra
* Sun Ra: Lanquidity
* Cecil Taylor: 3 Phasis
* Cecil Taylor: Cecil Taylor Unit
* Ralph Towner: Batik
* James Blood Ulmer: Tales of Captain Black
* Weather Report: Mr. Gone
* Paul Winter: Common Ground
* World Saxophone Quartet: Steppin' with the World Saxophone Quartet

## Deaths
### January

* 23 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and vocalist (unintentional self-inflicted gunshot), Chicago (born 1946).
* 31 – Gregory Herbert, American saxophonist and flautist, Blood, Sweat & Tears (born 1947).

### February

* 26
** Frances Wayne, American vocalist (born 1924).
** Alix Combelle, French tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born 1912).

### March

* 4 – Joe Marsala, Italian-American clarinetist and songwriter (born 1907).
* 21 – Louis Cottrell Jr., American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1911).
* 25 – Richard Plunket Greene, English musician and author, Bright Young Things (born 1901).
* 30 – Larry Young, American organist and occasional pianist (born 1940).

### April

* 3 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, arranger, radio comedian, and actor (born 1903).

### May

* 19 – Teddy Hill, American big band leader and multi-instrumentalist (born 1909).
* 28
** Marlowe Morris, American jazz pianist and organist (born 1915).
** Money Johnson, American jazz trumpeter (born 1918).

### June

* Bud Brisbois, American trumpeter (born 1937).

### July

* 4 – Arne Hülphers, Swedish pianist and bandleader (born 1904).
* 14 – Lennie Hastings, English drummer (born 1927).
* 20 – Teddy Bunn, American guitarist, Spirits of Rhythm (born 1909).

### August

* 14 – Joe Venuti, Italian-American jazz violinist (born 1903).
* 15 – Irene Kral, American jazz singer (born 1932).
* 24 – Louis Prima, Italian-American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter (born 1910).

### September

* 9 – Kaoru Abe, Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist (born 1949).
* 30 – Beryl Booker, American pianist (born 1922).

### November

* 16 – Jimmy Nottingham, American jazz trumpeter (born 1925).
* 18 – Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1919).
* 26 – Frank Rosolino, American trombonist (born 1926).

### December

* 17 – Don Ellis, American big-bandleader, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and film composer (born 1934).
* 29 – Happy Caldwell, American clarinetist and tenor saxophonist (born 1903).

### Unknown date

* Bill Jennings, American guitarist and composer (born 1919).

## Births
### January

* 3 – Susana Santos Silva, Portuguese trumpeter, flugelhornist, and flautist.
* 9 – China Moses, American singer.
* 10
** Kekko Fornarelli, Italian pianist and composer.
** Soweto Kinch, British saxophonist.

### February

* 9 – Clarice Assad, Brazilian-American composer, pianist, and singer.
* 12 – Masayuki Hiizumi, Japanese keyboardist and producer.
* 14 – Cem Tuncer, Turkish guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer.

### March

* 5 – Søren Kjærgaard, Danish pianist, composer, and bandleader.
* 18 – Videlina Mircheva, Bulgarian singer and songwriter.
* 24 – Andrew McCormack, British pianist.

### April

* 6 – Robert Glasper, American pianist and record producer.
* 11 – Jakob Bro, Danish guitarist.
* 15 – Susanne Alt, Dutch saxophonist and composer.

### May

* 7 – Antal Pusztai, Hungarian guitarist.
* 10 – Nils Janson, Swedish composer and trumpeter.
* 25 – Michael Wollny, German pianist.
* 29 – Sean Jones, American trumpeter and composer.

### June

* 10 – Jukka Eskola, Finnish trumpeter and flugelhornist.

### August

* 6 – Andreas Öberg, Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and music producer.
* 12 – Chris Jennings, Canadian upright bassist, composer, arranger, and educator.
* 27 – Susy Kane, English actress, comedy writer and musician.
* 31
** Morten Qvenild, Norwegian jazz pianist, band leader and producer, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.
** Tineke Postma, Dutch saxophonist.

### June

* 17 – Esben Selvig, Norwegian rapper and singer.

### September

* 2 – Jonas Kullhammar, Swedish composer and saxophonist.
* 16
** Ane Carmen Roggen, Norwegian singer, conductor, and arranger, Pitsj.
** Ida Roggen, Norwegian singer, Pitsj.
* 23 – Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen, Finnish guitarist, pianist, composer, bandleader and producer.
* 29 – Luca Gianquitto, Italian guitarist and composer.

### October

* 5 – Steinar Nickelsen, Norwegian Hammond organist, pianist, and composer.
* 8 – Mike Moreno, American guitarist and composer.
* 12 – Børge-Are Halvorsen, Norwegian saxophonist and flautist.
* 16 – Eva Kruse, German upright bassist and composer.

### November

* 1 – Rozina Pátkai, Hungarian singer, songwriter, and visual artist.
* 3 – Jonas Howden Sjøvaag, Norwegian jazz drummer.
* 5 – Marita Røstad, Norwegian singer-songwriter.
* 9 – Even Ormestad, Norwegian bass guitarist and music producer, Jaga Jazzist.
* 19
** Matt Dusk, Canadian vocalist.
** Janek Gwizdala, English bassist.

### December

* 28 – Terrace Martin, American saxophonist and producer.
* 30
** Daniel Heløy Davidsen, Danish-Norwegian guitarist.
** Julie Dahle Aagård, Norwegian vocalist, composer, and band leader.

### Unknown date

* Marc Demuth, Luxembourgian upright bassist, bass guitarist, and composer.
* Mikkel Ploug, Danish guitarist and composer.
* Niels Klein, German saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
* Robi Botos, Hungarian-Canadian pianist and composer.