# 1938 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1938.

## Events

* Benny Goodman performs The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert.

## Deaths
### May

* 25 – Dick McDonough, American guitarist and composer (born 1904).

### April

* 10 – Joe "King" Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader (born 1885).

### August

* 16 – Robert Johnson, American guitarist, singer, and composer (born 1911).

### Unknown date

* Garnet Clark, American pianist (born 1917).

## Births
### January

* 13 – Daevid Allen, Australian poet, guitarist, singer, and composer, Soft Machine and Gong (died 2015).
* 17 – Alf Kjellman, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2010).
* 24 – Julius Hemphill, American composer and saxophonist (died 1995).
* 25
** Etta James, American singer (died 2012).
* 27 – Jimmie Smith, American drummer.

### February

* 1 – Jimmy Carl Black, American drummer and singer of The Mothers of Invention (died 2008).
* 11 – Slim Richey, American jazz guitarist (died 2015).
* 17 – John Coates Jr., American pianist (died 2017).
* 23 – Wilson Simonal, Brazilian singer (died 2000).
* 24 – Louie Ramirez, American percussionist and vibraphonist (died 1993).
* 28 – Mike Wofford, American pianist.

### March

* 7 – Petr Skoumal, Czech pianist and composer (died 2014).
* 9
** Lill-Babs or Barbro Svensson, Swedish singer and actress (died 2018).
** Marzette Watts, American saxophonist (died 1998).
** Roy Brooks, American drummer (died 2005).
* 15 – Charles Lloyd, American tenor saxophonist and flautist.
* 23 – Dave Pike, American vibraphone and marimba player (died 2015).
* 24 – Steve Kuhn, American pianist and composer.
* 29 – Laco Déczi, Slovak-American trumpeter and composer.

### April

* 2
** Booker Little, American trumpeter and composer (died 1961).
** Sal Nistico, American tenor saxophonist (died 1991).
* 7
** Alexander von Schlippenbach, German pianist and composer.
** Freddie Hubbard, American trumpeter (died 2008).
** Pete La Roca, American drummer (died 2012).
* 10 – Denny Zeitlin, American pianist and composer.
* 13 – Eddie Marshall, American drummer (died 2011).
* 14 – Monty Waters, American saxophonist, flautist, and singer (died 2008).
* 18
** Bob Parlocha, American jazz expert and radio host (died 2015).
** Hal Galper, American pianist and composer.
* 27 – Ruth Price, American singer.

### May

* 2 – Fred Braceful, American-German drummer (died 1995).
* 12 – Jimmy Hastings, British saxophonist, Canterbury scene.
* 13 – Ross Tompkins, American pianist (died 2006).
* 23 – Daniel Humair, Swiss drummer and composer.
* 26 – Jaki Liebezeit, German drummer (died 2017).

### June

* 6 – Luigi Trussardi, French upright bassist (died 2010).
* 9 – Eje Thelin, Swedist trombonist (died 1990).
* 11 – Stu Martin, American drummer (died 1980).
* 15 – Tony Oxley, English drummer.
* 18 – Don "Sugarcane" Harris, American violinist (died 1999).
* 20 – Dennis Budimir, American guitarist (died 2023).

### July

* 1 – Robert Schulz, American cornetist.
* 3 – Rhoda Scott, African-American organist.
* 4 – Mike Mainieri, American vibraphonist.
* 10
** Arnie Lawrence, American saxophonist (died 2005).
** Lee Morgan, American trumpeter (died 1972).
* 14 – Tommy Vig, Portuguese vibraharpist, drummer, percussionist, big band leader, and composer.
* 18
** Buschi Niebergall, German musician (died 1990).
** Dudu Pukwana, South African saxophonist (died 1990).
* 26 – Joanne Brackeen, American pianist.
* 31 – Gap Mangione, American pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader.

### August

* 13 – Michael Joseph Smith, American composer and pianist.
* 15 – Stix Hooper, American drummer.

### September

* 7 – Jon Mayer, American pianist and composer.
* 17 – Perry Robinson, American clarinetist and composer (died 2018).
* 20 – Eric Gale, American guitarist (died 1994).
* 28
** Gerd Dudek, German saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist (died 2022).
** Ray Warleigh, Australian-born saxophonist and flautist (died 2015).

### October

* 2
** Kjell Bartholdsen, Norwegian saxophonist (died 2009).
** Gugge Hedrenius, Swedish pianist and bandleader (died 2009).
* 4 – Mark Levine, American jazz pianist, trombonist, and composer (died 2022).
* 15 – Fela Kuti, Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, saxophonist, and composer (died 1997).
* 22 – Harrison Ridley Jr., American jazz presenter (died 2009).
* 24 – Odean Pope, American tenor saxophonist.
* 26 – John "Jabo" Starks, American drummer (died 2018).

### November

* 12 – Warren Bernhardt, American pianist (died 2022).

### December

* 9 – William Thomas McKinley, American composer and pianist (died 2015).
* 11 – McCoy Tyner, American pianist (died 2020).
* 19 – Pete Strange, English trombonist (died 2004).
* 28
** Charles Neville, American R&B saxophonist, The Neville Brothers (died 2018).
** Dick Sudhalter, American trumpeter and criti (died 2008).

### Unknown date

* Barry Buckley, Australian upright bassist (died 2006).
* Pat LaCroix, Canadian musician and photographer.