1998 in jazz

{{Year in jazz

|image = FredFrith June1998.jpg

|caption = Fred Frith performing at the Moers Jazz Festival, June 1998

|standards = post-1950

|prioryear = 1997

|afteryear = 1999

}}

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1998.

Events

=January=

29 – The very first Polarjazz started in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (February 29 – 31).{{cite web | url=http://www.visitsvalbard.com/en/Events/?News=25 | title=Polarjazz | publisher=VisitSvalbard.com | accessdate=2016-04-22}}

=April=

3 – The 25th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 3 – 5).{{cite web | url=https://vossajazz.no/historie | title=Vossajazz – Historie | date=30 December 2014 | language=Norwegian | publisher=Vossajazz | accessdate=2016-04-22}}

=May=

20 – The 26th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 20 – 31).{{cite web|url=http://www.nattjazz.no/historie/index.php?ID=Alle |title=Nattjazz |language=Norwegian |publisher=Nattjazz |accessdate=2016-02-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322193111/http://www.nattjazz.no/historie/index.php?ID=Alle |archivedate=2016-03-22 }}

=June=

2 – The 27th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 2 – 5).{{cite web | url=http://www.moers-festival.de/archiv.html | title=Moers Festival 1998 | publisher=Moers Festival | accessdate=2016-04-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308060230/http://www.moers-festival.de/archiv.html | archive-date=2016-03-08 | url-status=dead }}

=July=

1 – The 19th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (July 1 – 12).{{cite web | url=http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/history/1998/Default.aspx | title=Festival International de Jazz de Montréal | publisher=Montreal International Jazz Festival | accessdate=2016-04-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513132907/http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/history/1998/Default.aspx | archive-date=2016-05-13 | url-status=dead }}
2 – The 8th Jazz Fest Wien started in Wien, Austria (July 2 – 10).{{cite web | url=http://www.viennajazz.org/en/history-1998 | title=Jazz Fest Wien Festival History | publisher=Jazz Fest Wien | accessdate=2016-04-22}}
3 – The 32nd Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 3 – 18).{{cite web | url=http://www.setlist.fm/festival/1998/montreux-jazz-festival-1998-53d6b32d.html | title=Montreux Jazz Festival 1998 Setlists | publisher=Setlist.fm | accessdate=2016-04-22}}
10
The 23rd North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 10 – 12).{{cite web | url=http://www.northseajazz.com/en/program/1998 | title=North Sea Jazz Festival 1998 | publisher=North Sea Jazz Festival | accessdate=2016-04-22}}
The 33rd Pori Jazz started in Pori, Finland (July 10 – 19).{{cite web | url=http://historia.porijazz.fi/?classname=festivalyear&methodname=year&year=1998 | title=History of Pori Jazz | publisher=Pori Jazz | accessdate=2016-04-22}}

=August=

7 – The 15th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (August 7 – 9).{{cite web | url=http://www.friendsofbreconjazz.com/past-programmes/1998 | title=Brecon Jazz Programme 1998 | publisher=FriendsOfBreconJazz.com | accessdate=2016-04-22}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

=September=

18 – The 41st Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 18 – 20).{{cite web | url=http://edition.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9809/18/pat.metheny/index.html?eref=sitesearch | title=Metheny making most of Monterey | publisher=CNN | accessdate=2016-04-29}}

Album releases

Deaths

; January

1 – Dave Schildkraut, American alto saxophonist (born 1925).
8 – Jimmy Butts, American upright bassist (born 1917).
16 – Tommy Pederson, American trombonist and composer (born 1920).
22 – Anselmo Sacasas, Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer, and arranger (born 1912).
24 – Walter Bishop Jr., American pianist (born 1927).
25 – Attila Zoller, American guitarist (born 1927).
26 – Orlando DiGirolamo, American accordionist, pianist, and composer (born 1924).

; February

5 – Nick Webb, English guitarist and composer, Acoustic Alchemy (born 1954).
13 – Thomas Chapin, American composer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist (born 1957).

; March

2 – Marzette Watts, American tenor and soprano saxophonist (born 1938).
12 – Red Richards, American pianist (born 1912).
15 – Tim Maia, Brazilian musician, songwriter and businessman (born 1942).
22 – George Howard, American saxophonist (born 1956).
24 – Denis Charles, American drummer (born 1933).
27 – Jimmy Campbell, American drummer (born 1928).

; April

3 – Alvin Tyler, American saxophonist and arranger (born 1925).
9 – Tom Cora, American cellist and composer (born 1953).
21 – Helen Ward, American singer (born 1913).
24 – Mel Powell, American pianist, composer and educator (born 1923).

; May

5 – Syd Lawrence, British trumpeter and bandleader (born 1923).
7 – Blue Lu Barker, American singer (born 1913).
8 – Raymond Premru, American trombonist and composer (born 1934).
14 – Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor (born 1915).
19 – Dorothy Donegan, American pianist (born 1922).
22 – Milton Banana, American drummer (born 1935).
24 – George Kelly, American tenor saxophonist, vocalist and arranger (born 1915).
27 – Spencer Clark, American bass saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1908).
28 – Joe Dixon, American reedist (born 1917).
29 – Ted Dunbar, American guitarist, composer and educator (born 1937).

; June

8 – Harry Lookofsky, American violinist (born 1913).
10
Bobby Bryant, American trumpeter and flugelhorn player (born 1934).
Jimmy Henderson, American trombonist and bandleader (born 1921).
20 – Robert Normann, Norwegian guitarist (born 1916).
22 – Benny Green, British saxophonist (born 1927).

; July

2 – Errol Parker, French-Algerian pianist ( (born 1925).
11 – Guy Lafitte, American tenor saxophonist (born 1927).
14 – Beryl Bryden, English singer (born 1920).
25 – Tal Farlow, American guitarist (born 1921).
28 – Dorothy Sloop, American pianist (born 1913).

; August

6 – Nat Gonella, American trumpeter, bandleader and vocalist (born 1908).
11 – Benny Waters, American saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1902).
16 – Milton Adolphus, American pianist and composer (born 1913).
22 – Jimmy Skidmore, English tenor saxophonist (born 1916).
24 – Carl Barriteau, Trinidadian clarinetist (born 1914).

; September

6 – Bob Hames, American guitarist (born 1920).
15 – Barrett Deems, American drummer (born 1914).
16 – Andrzej Trzaskowski, Polish composer, pianist, and musicologist (born 1933).
26 – Betty Carter, American singer, composer, and bandleader (born 1929).

; October

8 – Glenn Spearman, American tenor saxophonist (born 1947).
31 – Sherwood Johnson, American jazz patron and the founder in 1954 of Shakey's Pizza (born 1925).

; November

12 – Kenny Kirkland, American pianist and keyboardist (born 1955).
20 – Roland Alphonso, Jamaican tenor saxophonist, The Skatalites (born 1931).
29 – George Van Eps, American guitarist (born 1913).

; December

2 – Bob Haggart, American upright bassist, composer and arranger (born 1914).
4 – Egil Johansen, Norwegian-Swedish drummer (born 1934).
26 – Dick Grove, American pianist and composer (born 1927).

; Unknown date

David Earle Johnson, American percussionist, a composer and a music producer (born unknown date).

Births