# 2012 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2012.

## Events
### January

* 25 – The very first Bodø Jazz Open started in Bodø, Norway (January 25–28).

### February

* 3
** April 30 is designated as International Jazz Day to celebrate Jazz music as a rich cultural heritage, a product of cultural collaboration and a universal language of tolerance and freedom, unanimously by the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
** The 14th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 1–5).
* 7 – The 7th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (February 7 – 10).

### March

* 2 – The 8th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 2–4).
* 30 – The 39th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 30 - April 2).
* 31
** Sigrid Moldestad was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2012.
** Karl Seglem performs the commissioned work Som Spor at Vossajazz.

### April

* 25 – The 18th SoddJazz started in Inderøy, Norway (April 25–29).
* 27 – The 1st Torino Jazz Festival started in Turin (April 27 – May 1).
* 30 – The International Jazz Day.

### May

* 5 – The Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick Quintet was recipient of the 2012 BMW Welt Jazz Award in Germany.
* 23 – The 40th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 23 – June 2)
* 25 – The 41st Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 25 – 28).

### June

* 17 – The 24th Jazz Fest Wien started in Vienna, Austria (June 17 – July 9).
* 28 – The 32nd Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 28 - July 7).
* 29 – The 46th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 29 – July 14).

### July

* 4 – The 48th Kongsberg Jazzfestival started at Kongsberg, Norway (July 4–7).
* 6
** The 37th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 6 – 8).
** The 34th Copenhagen Jazz Festival started in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 6 – 15).
* 7 – Ola Kvernberg was recipient of the Kongsberg Jazz Award (DNB.prisen) 2012 at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival.
* 8 – The 65th Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 8 – 12).
* 14 – The 47th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 14 – 21).
* 16 – The 52nd Moldejazz started in Molde, Norway with Jon Balke as artist in residence (July 16–21).
* 17
** Mopti was awarded the JazzIntro 2012 at Moldejazz.
** Anja Eline Skybakmoen was awarded the Jazztalent 2012 at Moldejazz.
** Albatrosh was awarded the JazZtipendiat 2012 at Moldejazz.
* 19 – The 47th San Sebastian Jazz Festival started in San Sebastian, Spain (July 19 – 23).

### August

* 3 – The 56th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 3 – 5).
* 8 – The 26th Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 8–12).
* 10
** Marte Eberson was awarded the Sildajazzprisen 2012.
** The 28th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 10 – 12).
* 13
** The 27th Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 13–18).
** Bugge Wesseltoft was recipient of the Ella-prisen 2012 at the Oslo Jazzfestival.

### September

* 3 – The 8th Punktfestivalen started in Kristiansand, Norway (September 3 – 5).
* 16 – The 55th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 16 – 18).

### October

* 1 – The 29th Stockholm Jazz Festival started in Sweden (October 1 – 7).

### November

* 9 – 21st London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 9 – 18).
* November 19 - New jazz band GoGo Penguin is formed and releases their debut album

### December
## Album released

| Month | Day | Album | Artist | Label | Notes |
| January | 27 | The Well | Tord Gustavsen Quartet | ECM Records | |
| January | 27 | Klangkammer 1 | Stian Omenås | NorCD | |
| February | 28 | Black Radio | Robert Glasper Experiment | Blue Note Records | Awarded Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards |
| March | 20 | Radio Music Society | Esperanza Spalding | Heads Up International | Awarded Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards |
| April | 10 | Seeds from the Underground | Kenny Garrett | Mack Avenue Records | Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards |
| May | 8 | Reminder | Pixel | Cuneiform Records | |
| May | 15 | Double Exposure | John Pizzarelli | Telarc | |
| May | 22 | Initial Here | Linda May Han Oh | Greenleaf Music | |
| June | 12 | Unity Band | Pat Metheny | Nonesuch Records | |
| September | 1 | Barxeta | Acuña • Hoff • Mathisen | Losen Records | |
| September | 11 | Alive at the Vangaurd | Fred Hersch Trio | | Recorded at the Village Vanguard |
| September | 25 | Made Possible | The Bad Plus | E1 music | |
| October | 16 | Siren Terpsichore | Ike Moriz | Mosquito Records London Pty Ltd. | produced by Ike Moriz |
| October | 16 | Now Here This | John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension | Abstract Logix | |
| November | 12 | Dream Logic | Eivind Aarset | ECM Records | Produced by Jan Bang |
| November | 13 | Star of Jupiter | Kurt Rosenwinkel | | |
| November | 19 | Fanfares | GoGo Penguin | Gondwana Records | |

## Deaths
### January

* 4 – Totti Bergh, Norwegian saxophonist (born 1935).
* 9 – Ernie Carson, American cornetist, pianist, and singer (born 1937).
* 18 – Keshav Sathe, Indian tabla player (born 1928).
* 20
** Etta James, American singer (born 1938).
** John Levy, American upright-bassist (born 1912).
* 21 – Herbie Harper, American trombonist (born 1920).
* 26 – Clare Fischer, American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader (born 1928).
* 27 – Kay Davis, American singer (born 1920).

### February

* 6
** Billy Bean, American guitarist (born 1933).
** Noel Kelehan, Irish musician and conductor, RTÉ Concert Orchestra (died 2012).
* 22
** Eivin One Pedersen, Norwegian accordionist and pianist (born 1956).
** Mike Melvoin, American pianist, composer, and arranger (born 1937).
* 24 – Bob Badgley, American upright bassist (born 1928).
* 25 – Red Holloway, American tenor saxophonist (born 1927).

### March

* 1 – Lucio Dalla, Italian singer, clarinetist and actor (born 1943).
* 3 – Frank Marocco, American piano-accordionist, arranger and composer (born 1916).
* 11 – Leon Spencer, American organist (born 1945).

### April

* 11 – Hal McKusick, American alto saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist (born 1924).
* 12 – Rodgers Grant, American jazz pianist, composer, and lyricist (born 1936).
* 16 – Teddy Charles, American vibraphonist, pianist, drummer, and composer (born 1928).
* 20
** Ayten Alpman, Turkish singer (born 1929).
** Joe Muranyi, Hungarian-American clarinetist, producer, and critic (born 1928).
** Virgil Jones, American trumpeter (born 1939).
* 23 – Peter Boothman, Australian guitarist, composer and educator (born 1943).

### May

* 8 – Frank Parr, English trombonist and cricketer (born 1928).
* 10 - Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese pianist and composer (born 1970).
* 11 – Roland Shaw, English composer, musical arranger, and orchestra leader (born 1920).
* 30 – Pete Cosey, American guitarist (born 1943).

### June

* 3 – Andy Hamilton, Jamaican-British saxophonist and composer (born 1918).
* 13 – Graeme Bell, Australian pianist, composer and band leader (born 1914).
* 14 – Margie Hyams, American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, and arranger (born 1920).
* 15 – Rune Gustafsson, Swedish guitarist and composer (born 1933).
* 19 – Tale Ognenovski, Macedonian clarinetist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1922).

### July

* 1 – Fritz Pauer, Austrian pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1943).
* 4 – Larance Marable, American drummer (born 1929).
* 8 – Lionel Batiste, American bass drummer and singer (born 1931).
* 10 - Lol Coxhill, English saxophonist and raconteur (born 1932).
* 13 – Harry Betts, American trombonist (born 1922).
* 14 – Victor Gaskin, American bassist (born 1932).
* 16 – Ed Lincoln, Brazilian pianist, upright bassist, Hammond organist, and composer (born 1932).
* 26 – Don Bagley, American bassist (born 1927).

### August

* 2 – Tomasz Szukalski, Polish saxophonist, composer, and improviser (born 1947).
* 11 – Von Freeman, American saxophonist (born 1923).
* 21 – Flavio Ambrosetti, Swiss vibraphonist, saxophonist, and engineer (born 1919).
* 23 – Byard Lancaster, American saxophonist and flutist (born 1942).

### September

* 2 – John C. Marshall, British guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter (born 1941).
* 10 – Steven Springer, American guitarist, Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band (born 1951).
* 27 – Eddie Bert, American trombonist (born 1922).
* 28 – Jacky June, Belgian saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader (born 1924).

### October

* 8 – John Tchicai, Danish saxophonist and composer (born 1936).
* 9 – Eddie Harvey, British pianist, trombonist, arranger, and educator (born 1925).
* 12 – Erik Moseholm, Danish bassist, composer, and bandleader (born 1930).
* 18
** Borah Bergman, American pianist (born 1926).
** David S. Ware, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (born 1949).
* 20 – Candy Johnson, American singer and dancer (born 1944).
* 26 – Carlos Azevedo, Portuguese composer and pianist (born 1949).

### November

* 4 – Ted Curson, American trumpeter (born 1935).
* 15 – Frode Thingnæs, Norwegian jazz trombonist and bandleader (complications from a heart attack) (born 1940).
* 18 – Stan Greig, Scottish pianist, drummer, and bandleader (born 1930).
* 20 – Pete La Roca, American drummer (born 1938).
* 21 – Austin Peralta, American pianist and composer (born 1990).
* 27 – Mickey Baker, American guitarist (born 1925).

### December

* 5 – Dave Brubeck, American jazz pianist and composer (born 1920).
* 6 – Ed Cassidy, American drummer (born 1923).
* 22 – Frances Klein, American trumpeter (born 1915).