1939 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1939.

Events

• The earliest formal books on jazz begin to appear, including Wilder Hobson's American Jazz Music and Frederick Ramsey and Charles Edward Smith's Jazzmen.
• Fletcher Henderson becomes the first black musician who is a regular member of a white big band when he joins Benny Goodman, although he does not became a featured artist in the band.
• Charlie Christian makes some revolutionary electric guitar records which allow to the guitar to play lead with the trumpet and the saxophone for the first time.
• The Duke Ellington Band experiences major success. Django Reinhardt records "Montmartre", "Solid Old Man", "Low Cotton" and "Finesse" with the band.

Standards

Deaths

February

• 9 – Herschel Evans, tenor saxophonist (born 1909).

May

• 19 – Louis Douglas, American dancer, choreographer, and music businessman (born 1889).

June

• 4 – Tommy Ladnier, American jazz trumpeter (born 1900).
• 16 – Chick Webb, American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader (born 1905).

December

• 22 – Ma Rainey, Blues singer (born 1882).

Unknown date

• Charlie Irvis, American jazz trombonist (born 1899).
• John Robichaux, American jazz bandleader, drummer, and violinist (born 1866).

Births

January

• 3
• Brian Smith, American saxophonist.
• Dianne Brooks, American singer (died 2005).
• 15 – Hartmut Geerken, German musician and composer (died 2021).
• 19 – Sam Brown, guitarist (died 1977).
• 22 – Alan Silva, American upright bassist and keyboarder.
• 29 – Jeanne Lee, American singer (died 2000).

February

• 1 – Joe Sample, American pianist, keyboarder and composer (died 2014).
• 5 – Derek Wadsworth, English trombonist, composer, and arranger (died 2008).
• 6 – Jair Rodrigues, Brazilian singer (died 2014).
• 11 – Okay Temiz, Turkish percussionist and drummer.
• 14 – Chris Pyne, English trombonist (died 1995).
• 15 – Csaba Deseo, Hungarian violinist.
• 17 – Bruce Cale, Australian upright bassist and composer.
• 24 – Abu Talib (musician), African-American guitarist, singer, and harmonica player (died 2009).
• 26 – Trevor Watts, English alto and soprano saxophonist.
• 28 – Charles Gayle, American saxophonist, pianist, bass clarinetist, bassist, and percussionist (died 2023).

March

• 14 – Rosa King, American saxophonist/singer (died 2000).
• 19 – Mike Longo, American pianist and composer (died 2020).
• 20 – Larry Harlow, American pianist (died 2021).
• 21 – Christer Boustedt, Swedish saxophonist and actor (died 1986).

April

• 4 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, singer, and composer (died 2018).
• 23 – Patrick Williams, American composer, arranger, and conductor (died 2018).

May

• 19
• Sonny Fortune, American saxophonist (died 2018).
• Richard Teitelbaum, American keyboardist (died 2020).
• 22 – Dick Berk, American drummer and bandleader (died 2014).
• 23
• Marvin Stamm, American trumpeter.
• Michel Colombier, French keyboarder and composer (died 2004).
• 25 – Phil Ranelin, American trombonist.
• 28 – Wojciech Karolak, Polish-born organist (died 2021).

June

• 8 – Bill Watrous, American trombonist (died 2018).
• 14 – Kent Carter, American upright bassist.
• 16
• Albert Dailey, American pianist (died 1984).
• Lou Gare, English saxophonist (died 2017).
• 22 – Heikki Sarmanto, Finnish jazz pianist, composer
• 26 – George Braith, American saxophonist.
• 30 – Tony Hatch, English composer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and producer.

July

• 13 – György Szabados, Hungarian pianist (died 2011).
• 16 – Denise LaSalle, African-American blues and R&B/soul singer, songwriter and record producer (d. 2018)
• 18 – Brian Auger, English keyboardist.
• 21 – Jamey Aebersold, American saxophonist and music educator.
• 22 – Mario Rivera, Dominican saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (died 2007).
• 24 – Charles McPherson, American alto saxophonist.

August

• 9
• Butch Warren, American upright bassist (died 2013).
• Ove Stokstad, Norwegian printmaker, clarinetist and saxophonist (died 2018).
• 12 – Mike Cotton, English trumpeter.
• 16 – Mary Stallings, American vocalist.
• 18 – Harald Heide-Steen Jr., (lung cancer), Norwegian actor, comedian and jazz singer (died 2008).
• 19 – Ginger Baker, English drummer, Cream (died 2019).
• 20 – Enrico Rava, Italian trumpeter.
• 31
• Cleveland Eaton, American upright bassist (died 2020).
• Paul Winter, American saxophonist.

September

• 9 – Zbigniew Namyslowski, Polish saxophonist, flautist, cellist, trombonist, and pianist (died 2022).
• 10 – Campbell Burnap, British trombonist and broadcaster (died 2008).
• 13 – Elaine Delmar, English singer.
• 18
• Kate Westbrook, English singer, English-horn player, and flautist.
• Steve Marcus, American saxophonist (died 2005).
• 24 – Wayne Henderson, American trombonist (died 2014).

October

• 8 – Aladár Pege, Hungarian upright bassist (died 2006).
• 14 – Chris Karan, Australian percussionist.
• 15 – Joe Roccisano, American saxophonist and arranger (died 1997).
• 16 – Andrzej Jastrzebski, Polish tubist.
• 18 – Jan Erik Vold, Norwegian jazz poet.
• 19 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese pianist and composer (died 2015).
• 28 – Andy Bey, American singer and pianist.
• 31 – John Guerin, American percussionist (died 2004).

November

• 1 – Roger Kellaway, American composer, arranger and pianist.
• 3 – Joe McPhee, American multi-instrumentalist.
• 6 – Carlos Emilio Morales, Cuban guitarist (died 2014).
• 10
• Andrew Cyrille, American drummer.
• Hubert Laws, American flutist and saxophonist.
• 13 – Idris Muhammad, American drummer (died 2014).
• 16 – Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish composer and trumpeter (died 2013).
• 19 – Tommy Stewart, American trumpeter.
• 26
• Art Themen, British saxophonist.
• Greetje Kauffeld, Dutch singer.
• 29
• Claudio Fasoli, Italian tenor and soprano saxophonist, and composer
• Meco, American record producer and musician.

December

• 10 – Pekka Pöyry, Finnish saxophonist and flutist (died 1980).
• 17 – James Booker, American keyboardist (died 1983).
• 22 – Nick Ceroli, American drummer (died 1985).
• 25
• Bob James, American pianist, keyboardist, arranger, and record producer.
• Don Alias, American percussionist (died 2006).

References

External links

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1939 at All About Jazz