# 2004 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2004.

## Events
### January

* 22 – The 7th Polarjazz started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (January 22 – 25).
* 30 – The 23rd annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 30 – 31).

### April

* 2
** The 31st Vossajazz started at Voss, Norway (April 2 – 4).
** Magne Thormodsæter was awarded Vossajazzprisen 2004.
* 3 – Svein Folkvord performs the commissioned work Across for Vossajazz 2004.

### May

* 19 – The 32nd Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 19 – 29).
* 28 – The 33rd Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 28 – 31).

### June

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

### July

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

### August

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

### September

* 17 – The 47th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 17 – 19).

### November

* 12 – The 13th London Jazz Festival started in London, England (November 12 – 21).

### December
## Album released
### March

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

### August

| Day | Album | Artist | Label | Notes |
| 24 | Unspeakable | Bill Frisell | Nonesuch Records | Produced by Hal Willner. Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album |
| 31 | Land of the Sun | Charlie Haden | Verve Records | Produced by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Ruth Cameron, Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album |
| 31 | 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. |

### Unknown date

S
* Maria Schneider and the Maria Schneider Orchestra: Concert in the Garden

## Deaths
### 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).
* 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).
* 12 – John LaPorta, American clarinetist, composer and educator (born 1920).
* 17 – Elvin Jones, American drummer, John Coltrane Quartet (born 1927).
* 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).

### July

* 20 – James Williams, American pianist (born 1951).
* 22 – Illinois Jacquet, American saxophonist (born 1922).

### 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).
** 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).
* 27 – Hank Garland, American guitarist (born 1930).
* 30 – Artie Shaw, American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and actor (born 1910).