# 2018 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2018.

## Events
### January

* 11
** The 17th All Ears festival started in Oslo (January 11–14).
** The 4th annual Tucson Jazz Festival started in Tucson, Arizona (January 11 – 21).
* 19 – The 37th annual Djangofestival started on Cosmopolite in Oslo, Norway (January 19–20).
* 28 – The Gustav Lundgren Trio performed a tribute to Django Reinhardt at Stockholm Concert Hall.
* 31
** The 7th Bodø Jazz Open started in Bodø, Norway (January 31 – February 3).
** The 13th Ice Music Festival started in Geilo, Norway (January 31 – February 4).

### February

* 1 – The 20th Polarjazz Festival started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 1 – 4).
* 23 – Kirsti Huke received the 2017 Radka Toneff Memorial Award.
* 25 – The band Hegge was awarded the 2017 jazz Spellemannprisen.

### March

* 2 – The 14th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival started in Jakarta, Indonesia (March 2 – 4).
* 8 – The Turku Jazz Festival started in Åbo (March 8 – 11).
* 16 – The Blue House Youth Jazz Festival started in Stockholm (March 16 – 18).
* 23
** The 19th Cape Town International Jazz Festival started in Cape Town, South Africa (March 23 – 24).
** The 45th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 23 – 25). The opening was by Norwegian jazz poet Jan Erik Vold, warning about political misdirections of our time, followed by the opening concert signed Arild Andersen.

### April

* 23 – The 7th Torino Jazz Festival started in Turin (April 23–30).
* 25 – The 32nd April Jazz Espoo started (April 25 – 29).
* 30 – The International Jazz Day.

### May

* 4
** The Balejazz started in Balestrand (May 4 – 6).
** The 29th MaiJazz started in Stavanger, Norway (May 4 – 9).
* 9 – The 14th AnJazz, the Hamar Jazz Festival started at Hamar, Norway (May 9 – 13).
* 11 – The 17th All Ears festival started in Oslo (January 11–14).
* 24 – The 17th Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés started in Paris, France (May 24 – June 4).
* 25 – The 46th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 25 – June 2).

### June

* 12
** The Bergenfest started in Bergen (June 12 – 16).
** The Norwegian Wood music festival started in Oslo (June 12 – 16).

### July

* 4 – The Kongsberg Jazzfestival opened at Kongsberg consert (July 4 – 7).
* 6 – The Baltic Jazz festival started in Dalsbruk (July 6 – 8).
* 7
** The 40th Copenhagen Jazz Festival start in Copenhagen, Denmark (July 7 – 16).
** The 22nd Skånevik Bluesfestival started in Skånevik, Norway, with Jeff Beck as headliner (July 7 – 9).
* 12 – The 17th Stavernfestivalen started in Stavern, Norway (July 12 – 14).
* 13
** The 43rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands ( July 7–9).
** The 45th Umbria Jazz Festival start in Perugia, Italy (July 13 – 22).
* 14
** The 30th Aarhus Jazz Festival started in Aarhus, Denmark (July 14 – 21).
** The 54th Pori Jazz Festival started in Pori, Finland (July 14 – 22).
* 16 – The Moldejazz start in Molde (July 16 – 21).
* 17
** The 71st Nice Jazz Festival started in Nice, France (July 17 – 21).
** The 42nd Jazz de Vitoria start in Gasteiz, Spain (July 17 – 21).
* 25 – The 23rd Canal Street started in Arendal, Norway (July 25 – 28).
* 27 – The 41st Jazz in Marciac started in Marciac, France (July 27 – August 15).

### August

* 3
** The 62nd Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (August 3 – 5).
** The Nišville International Jazz Festival started in Niš, Serbia (August 3 – 13).
* 8
** The 19th Øyafestivalen started in Oslo, Norway (August 8 – 11).
** The 32nd Sildajazz started in Haugesund, Norway (August 8 – 12).
* 9 – The Tromsø Jazz Festival started in Tromsø (August 9 – 12).
* 10 – The 34th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 10 – 12).
* 11 – The 33rd Oslo Jazzfestival started in Oslo, Norway (August 11 – 18).
* 17 – The Parkenfestivalen started in Bodø (August 17–18).
* 30 – The 14th Punktfestivalen opened in Kristiansand (August 30 - September 1|).

### September

* 21 – The 61st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 21 – 23).

### October

* 17 – The 54th Prague International Jazz Festival started in Prague (March 17 – October 6).
* 18 – The 36th DølaJazz started in Lillehammer (October 18 – 21).
* 22 – Vocalist Veronica Swift, the daughter of singer Stephanie Nakasian and the late pianist Hod O'Brien, was attacked on subway platform in New York City.
* 25 – The 40th Guinness Cork Jazz Festival started in Cork City, Ireland (October 25 – 29).

### November

* 1 – The 55th JazzFest Berlin, also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival started in Berlin (November 1 – 4).
* 7 - The Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz is renamed the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz after its longtime board chairman

### December

* The 24th Umbria Jazz Winter started in Orvieto, Italy (December 20 - January 1).

## Albums released

| Month | Day | Album | Artist | Label | Notes |
| January | 5 | Contra Puncta | CMC Ensemble feat. Michel Godard | Losen | Produced by C.M.C. Ensemble |
| January | 19 | Contra La Indecisión | Bobo Stenson Trio (Anders Jormin, Jon Fält) | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| January | 19 | Elvesang | Sigurd Hole | Elvesang | |
| January | 19 | Never Stop II | The Bad Plus | | |
| January | 19 | Invisible Threads | John Surman with Nelson Ayres and Rob Waring | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| January | 19 | Lucus | Thomas Strønen & Time Is A Blind Guide | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| January | 19 | Obsidian | Kit Downes | ECM | |
| January | 26 | Cinema Scenes | Klaus Paier - Asja Valcic | ACT | |
| January | 26 | Laila Biali | Laila Biali | ACT | Produced by Ben Wittman & Laila Biali |
| January | 26 | Octopus | Kris Davis & Craig Taborn | Pyroclastic Records | Produced by David Breskin |
| January | 26 | Rousilvo | Dine Doneff | ECM | |
| January | 31 | Sparkling | Tom Ibarra | Tom Ibarra | |
| February | 2 | Cosmic Playground | Chris Gall Trio | Edition Collage | |
| February | 2 | Delights Of Decay | Batagraf | Jazzland | Produced by Jon Balke, Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim |
| February | 2 | Live at Victoria | Solveig Slettahjell | Jazzland | Produced by Solveig Slettahjell |
| February | 2 | Modern Lore | Julian Lage | Mack Avenue | |
| February | 9 | A Humdrum Star | GoGo Penguin | Blue Note | |
| February | 9 | Joy Ride | John Raymond & Real Feel | Sunnyside | |
| February | 9 | Live in Europe | Melody Gardot | Decca | |
| February | 9 | Thought You Knew | Snowpoet (Lauren Kinsella, Chris Hyson) | Edition Records | |
| February | 9 | Twio | Walter Smith III Trio | Whirlwind | |
| February | 13 | Heat | Knut Reiersrud Band | Jazzland | |
| February | 16 | Descansado - Songs for Film | Norma Winstone | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| February | 16 | For 2 Akis | Shinya Fukumori Trio | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| February | 16 | Romaria | Andy Sheppard Quartet | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| February | 16 | Run Boy, Run | Gurls (Hanna Paulsberg, Ellen Andrea Wang, Rohey Taalah) | Grappa | GRCD4571 |
| February | 16 | Travelers | Nicolas Masson, Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret, Lionel Friedli | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| February | 23 | A Novel Of Anomaly | Andreas Schaerer | ACT | Produced by Siggi Loch |
| February | 23 | Lala Belu | Hailu Mergia | Awesome Tapes from Africa | |
| February | 23 | Opus | Al Di Meola | earMUSIC | |
| February | 23 | Pilgrim | Janne Mark with Arve Henriksen | ACT | Produced by Esben Eyermann and Janne Mark |
| February | 26 | Animal Image | Verneri Pohjola, Mika Kallio | Edition | |
| February | 28 | Visions: Coast to Coast Connection | Bob Holz feat. Stanley Clarke | MVD Audio | |
| March | 2 | After the Fall | Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette | ECM | |
| March | 2 | Ravensburg | Mathias Eick | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| March | 9 | Atonement | Bendik Hofseth | C+C Records | Jazz |
| March | 9 | Joy | Karin Krog | Meantime Records | Jazz (vinyl) |
| March | 9 | Traces of You | Kristin Asbjørnsen | Global Sonics / Øra | |
| March | 23 | In-House Science | Arild Andersen with Paolo Vinaccia, and Tommy Smith | ECM | |
| March | 23 | Oslo | Michael Wollny, feat. The Norwegian Wind Ensemble and Geir Lysne | ACT | Produced by Siggi Loch |
| March | 23 | Notis | Kjersti Stubø Quintet including additional Jørn Øien, Håvard Stubø, Mats Eilertsen, and Håkon Mjåset Johansen | Bolage | |
| March | 23 | Powered By Life | Dalia Faitelson | Losen | Produced by Dalia Faitelson |
| March | 23 | Returnings | Jakob Bro with Palle Mikkelborg, Thomas Morgan, and Jon Christensen | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| March | 23 | Wartburg | Michael Wollny Trio Live | ACT | Produced by Siggi Loch |
| March | 23 | The Questions | Kurt Elling | Okeh Records | with Marquis Hill, Branford Marsalis, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. |
| March | 30 | Your Queen Is a Reptile | Sons of Kemet | Impulse! Records | |
| April | 6 | Breaking English | Rafiq Bhatia | Anti- Records | |
| April | 6 | Polarity | Hoff Ensemble - Jan Gunnar Hoff, Anders Jormin, Audun Kleive | 2L | Produced by Morten Lindberg |
| April | 20 | Barxeta II | Per Mathisen & Jan Gunnar Hoff feat. Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez | Losen | Produced by Jan Gunnar Hoff and Per Mathisen |
| April | 20 | Freedoms Trio II | Steinar Aadnekvam | Losen | Produced by Steinar Aadnekvam |
| April | 20 | Kudu | Anteloper (Jaimie Branch, Jason Nazary) | International Anthem Recording Company | Produced by Jaimie Branch, Jason Nazary |
| April | 20 | Swagism | Ghost-Note | Ropeadope Records | |
| May | 18 | A Suite of Poems | Ketil Bjørnstad, Anneli Drecker, poems by Lars Saabye Christensen | ECM | |
| May | 25 | Still Dreaming | Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Scott Colley, Brian Blade | Nonesuch | Produced by Joshua Redman |
| June | 15 | Open Land - Meeting John Abercrombie | John Abercrombie | ECM | DVD |
| June | 22 | Heaven and Earth | Kamasi Washington | Young Turk Recordings | |
| July | 18 | e.s.t. songbook - Volume 2 - Buch | Esbjörn Svensson Trio | ACT | |
| August | 31 | Helsinki Songs | Trygve Seim | ECM | |
| August | 31 | Living Being II - Night Walker | Vincent Peirani | ACT | Produced by Vincent Peirani |
| August | 31 | The Other Side | Tord Gustavsen Trio | ECM | |
| September | 7 | Temporary Kings | Mark Turner and Ethan Iverson | ECM | |
| September | 14 | Marcin Wasilewski Trio Live | Marcin Wasilewski Trio | ECM | |
| September | 28 | The Dream Thief | Shai Maestro, Jorge Roeder, and Ofri Nehemya | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| September | 28 | The Window | Cécile McLorin Salvant | Mack Avenue Records | |
| September | 28 | Summerwind | Lars Danielsson | ACT | Produced by Siggi Loch |
| October | 5 | Bay Of Rainbows | Jakob Bro, Thomas Morgan, and Joey Baron | ECM | |
| October | 5 | Where The River Goes | Wolfgang Muthspiel, Ambrose Akinmusire, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, and Eric Harland | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| October | 12 | Crime Zone | Connie Han | Mack Avenue Records | |
| October | 19 | La Fenice | Keith Jarrett | ECM | |
| October | 19 | 12 Little Spells | Esperanza Spalding | Concord Records | Awarded Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards |
| October | 26 | Universal Beings | Makaya McCraven | International Anthem Recordings | |
| October | 26 | Christmas With My Friends VI | Nils Landgren | ACT | Produced by Nils Landgren with Johan Norberg |
| October | 26 | My Soul Kitchen | Ida Sand | ACT | Produced by Nils Landgren and Siggi Loch |
| November | 2 | Lebroba | Andrew Cyrille, Wadada Leo Smith, and Bill Frisell | ECM | |
| November | 2 | Lucent Waters | Florian Weber, Ralph Alessi, Linda May Han Oh, and Nasheet Waits | ECM | Produced by Manfred Eicher |
| November | 9 | The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Associated Ensembles | Art Ensemble of Chicago | ECM | 21xCD |

## All critically reviewed albums ranked
### AnyDecentMusic

| Number | Artist | Album | Average score | Number of reviews |
| 1 | Kamasi Washington | Heaven and Earth | 8.3 | 29 reviews |
| 2 | Jon Hassel | Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) | 7.8 | 10 reviews |
| 3 | Kadhja Bonet | Childqueen | 7.8 | 10 reviews |
| 4 | Kamaal Williams | The Return | 7.5 | 6 reviews |
| 5 | Unknown Mortal Orchestra | IC-01 Hanoi | 6.2 | 10 reviews |

### Metacritic

| Number | Artist | Album | Average score | Number of reviews |
| 1 | John Coltrane | Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album | 90 | 11 reviews |
| 2 | Miles Davis | The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 [Box Set] | 87 | 5 reviews |
| 3 | Entourage | Ceremony of Dreams: Studio Sessions and Outtakes 1972-1977 [Box Set] | 87 | 4 reviews |
| 4 | Kamasi Washington | Heaven And Earth | 86 | 22 reviews |
| 5 | Makaya McCraven | Universal Beings | 86 | 5 reviews |
| 6 | Sons of Kemet | Your Queen Is a Reptile | 81 | 12 reviews |

## Deaths
### January

* 4 – Ray Thomas, British flautist and singer, The Moody Blues (born 1941).
* 14
** Bill Hughes, American trombonist and bandleader (born 1930).
** Marlene VerPlanck, American singer (born 1933).
* 20 – Terry Evans, American singer and guitarist (born 1937).
* 22 – Billy Hancock, American singer, guitarist, bassist, and multiinstrumentalist (born 1946).
* 23 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, singer, and composer (born 1939).
* 25 – Tommy Banks, Canadian pianist (born 1936).
* 28
** Eddie Shaw, American saxophonist (born 1937).
** Coco Schumann, German guitarist (born 1924).
* 29 – Asmund Bjørken, Norwegian accordionist and saxophonist (born 1933).

### February

* 3 – Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, American drummer (born 1952).
* 5 – Ove Stokstad, Norwegian printmaker, clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1939).
* 7 – John Perry Barlow, American lyricist, poet, and essayist (born 1925).
* 8 – Algia Mae Hinton, American guitarist and singer (born 1929).
* 9 – Wesla Whitfield, American singer (born 1947).
* 11 – Vic Damone, American singer, songwriter, and actor (born 1928).
* 18 – Didier Lockwood, French violinist, Magma (born 1956).
* 22 – Errol Buddle, Australian bassoonist and saxophonist (born 1928).

### March

* 4 – Russell Solomon, American entrepreneur, art collector, and founder of the Tower Records (born 1925).
* 7 – Jerzy Milian, Polish vibraphonist (born 1935).
* 12 – Olly Wilson, American composer, pianist, upright bassist, and musicologist (born 1937).
* 16 – Buell Neidlinger, American upright bassist and cellist (born 1936).
* 22 – Morgana King, American singer and actress (born 1930).
* 29 Jimmy Woods, American alto saxophonist (born 1934).

### April

* 1 – Audrey Morris, American singer and pianist (born 1928).
* 3 – Lill-Babs or Barbro Svensson, Swedish singer and actress (born 1938).
* 5 – Cecil Taylor, American pianist and poet (born 1929).
* 8 – Nathan Davis, American saxophonist, flautist, and multi-instrumentalist (born 1937).
* 11 – Jim Caine, British pianist and radio presenter (born 1926).
* 12 – Gyula Babos, Hungarian guitarist (born 1949).
* 14 – Brian Rolland, American guitarist, composer, and songwriter (born 1954).
* 16 – Dona Ivone Lara, Brazilian samba singer (born 1921).
* 17 – Peter Guidi, Scottish saxophonist and flutist (born 1949).
* 23 – Bob Dorough, American pianist, composer, and vocalese singer (born 1923).
* 26 – Charles Neville, American R&B saxophonist, The Neville Brothers (born 1938).
* 27 – Gildo Mahones, American pianist (born 1929).
* 28 – Brooks Kerr, American pianist (born 1951).

### May

* 1 – John "Jabo" Starks, American drummer (born 1938).
* 11 – Mikhail Alperin, Ukrainian born pianist, Moscow Art Trio (born 1956).
* 17 – Jon Sholle, American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1948).
* 18 – Jack Reilly, American pianist (born 1932).
* 19 – Reggie Lucas, American guitarist and songwriter (born 1953).

### June

* 4 – Norman Edge, American upright bassist (born 1934).
* 5 – Brian Browne, Canadian pianist and composer (born 1937).
* 9 – Lorraine Gordon, American jazz music advocate, Village Vanguard jazz club (born 1922).
* 11 – Wayne Dockery, American bassist (born 1941).
* 12 – Jon Hiseman, British drummer, recording engineer, and record producer, Colosseum, Colosseum II, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (born 1944).
* 13 – D. J. Fontana, American drummer (born 1931).
* 15 – Matt Murphy, American guitarist, The Blues Brothers (born 1929).
* 17 – Rebecca Parris, American singer (born 1951).
* 21 – Bob Bain, American guitarist (born 1924).
* 26
** Big Bill Bissonnette, American trombonist, drummer and producer (born 1937).
** Fedor Frešo, Slovak bassist (born 1947).

### July

* 2
** Henry Butler, American pianist (born 1948).
** Bill Watrous, American trombonist (born 1939).
* 8 – Tab Hunter, American actor, singer, and author (born 1931).
* 15 – Theryl DeClouet, American singer, Galactic (born 1951).
* 23 – Duke Carl Gregor of Mecklenburg, member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and a music and art historian (born 1933).
* 25 – Patrick Williams, American composer, arranger, and conductor (born 1939).
* 29 – Tomasz Stanko, Polish trumpeter and composer (born 1942).

### August

* 10 – Ken Pickering, Canadian jazz promoter, Vancouver Jazz Festival co-founder (born 1952).
* 16 – Aretha Franklin, American singer and songwriter (born 1942).
* 18 – Jack Costanzo, American percussionist (born 1919).
* 22 – Lazy Lester, American singer and guitarist (born 1933).

### September

* 1 – Randy Weston, American pianist and composer (born 1926).
* 12 – Erich Kleinschuster, Austrian trombonist and bandleader (born 1930).
* 14 – Max Bennett, American bassist, L.A. Express, The Wrecking Crew (born 1928).
* 16
** Maartin Allcock, British multi-instrumentalist, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull (born 1957).
** Big Jay McNeely, American saxophonist (born 1927).
* 29 – Otis Rush, American singer and guitarist (born 1935).

### October

* 1 – Jerry González, American trumpeter (born 1949).
* 3 – John Von Ohlen, American drummer, Blue Wisp Big Band (born 1941).
* 4 – Hamiet Bluiett, American saxophonist, World Saxophone Quartet (born 1940).
* 10 – Theresa Hightower, African-American singer (born 1954).
* 17 – Chuck Wilson, American saxophonist (born 1948).
* 25 – Sonny Fortune, American saxophonist (born 1939).
* 27 – Fred Hess, American tenor saxophonist (born 1944).

### November

* 2 – Roy Hargrove, American trumpeter (born 1969).
* 15 – Ivan Smirnov, Russian guitarist (born 1955).
* 25 – Shep Shepherd, American drummer and trombonist (born 1917).
* 27 – Johnny Maddox, American pianist (born 1927).
* 28
** Norio Maeda, Japanese composer and pianist (born 1934).
** Roger Neumann, American saxophonist, flutist, and composer (born 1941).

### December

* 1 – Calvin Newborn, American guitarist (born 1933).
* 2 – Perry Robinson, American clarinetist and composer (born 1938).
* 7 – The Mascara Snake or Victor Hayden, American avant-garde clarinetist, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (born 1948).
* 13 – Nancy Wilson, American singer (born 1937).
* 15 – Arthur Maia, Brazilian jazz and samba bassist and composer (born 1962).
* 30 – Miúcha, Brazilian singer and composer (born 1937).
* 31 – Urbie Green, American trombonist (born 1926).