1962 in jazz

Events

May

• 29 – The 4th Annual Grammy Awards were held at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
• Best Jazz Performance – Soloist or Small Group
• *André Previn for André Previn Plays Harold Arlen
• Best Jazz Performance – Large Group
• *Stan Kenton for Kenton's West Side Story
• Best Original Jazz Composition
• *Galt MacDermot for "African Waltz" performed by Cannonball Adderley

  July

• 6 – The 7th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island.

  Unknown dates

• Several recordings are made at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California: Curtis Amy, Tippin' on Through; The Jazz Crusaders, The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse.

  Album releases

• Art Blakey and The Afro-Drum Ensemble: The African Beat
• Bill Evans and Jim Hall: Undercurrent
• Dexter Gordon: Go
• Freddie Hubbard: Ready for Freddie
• Milton Jackson
• *"Big Bags
• *"Bags Meets Wes!"
• *"Invitation"
• *"Statements"
• Stan Kenton
• *Adventures In Jazz
• *Adventures in Time
• *Sophisticated Approach
• Jackie McLean
• *Bluesnik
• *A Fickle Sonance
• Hugh Masekela: Trumpet Africaine
• Charles Mingus: Epitaph
• Modern Jazz Quartet
• *The Comedy
• *"Lonely Woman"
• Wes Montgomery: Full House
• Oscar Peterson
• *Affinity
• *Bursting Out with the All-Star Big Band!
• *West Side Story
• André Previn and Doris Day: Duet
• Sonny Rollins: The Bridge
• George Russell: The Stratus Seekers
• Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti
• Jimmy Woods: Awakening!!

  Standards

Deaths

• 17 – Claude Jones, American trombonist.

• 5 – Doug Watkins, American upright bassist.
• 11 – Leo Parker, American baritone saxophonist.

• 24 – Jean Goldkette, American pianist and bandleader.

• 13 – John Graas, American French horn player, composer, and arranger.
• 25 – Eddie South, American jazz violinist.

• 8 – Donald Lambert, American stride pianist.

• 12 – Roger Wolfe Kahn, American musician, composer, and bandleader.
• 28 – Eddie Costa, American pianist.

• 11 – Israel Crosby, American upright bassist.

• 13 – Harry Barris, American singer, composer, and pianist.

  Births

• 7 – Tor Haugerud, Norwegian drummer, Transjoik.
• 22 – Jimmy Herring, American guitarist.

• 2 – Tapani Rinne, Finnish saxophonist, composer and record producer.
• 4 – Jude Abbott, English vocalist and trumpeter.
• 25 – Snorre Bjerck, Norwegian percussionist.
• 28 – Caroline Henderson, Danish–Swedish singer.

• 13 – Terence Blanchard, American trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and arranger.
• 24 – Renee Rosnes, American pianist, composer and arranger.

• 2 – Thomas Blachman, Danish drummer and composer.
• 3 – Dennis Mackrel, American drummer, composer, and arranger.
• 9 – Arthur Maia, Brazilian jazz and samba bassist and composer.
• 27 – Kenn Smith, American guitarist, bassist, composer, educator and journalist

• 9 – Jon Klette, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 11 – Robert Balzar, Czech upright bassist and composer.
• 12 – Aydin Esen, Turkish pianist, keyboarder, and electronics player.
• 18 – Huw Warren, Welsh pianist and composer.
• 20
• * Cynthia Sayer, American banjoist and vocalist.
• * Ralph Peterson Jr., American drummer and bandleader.
• 30 – Darrell Grant, American pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator.

• 2 – Ian Shaw, Welsh singer.
• 4 – Winard Harper, American drummer.
• 16 – Femi Kuti, Nigerian singer, songwriter and saxophonist.
• 23 – Andrej Šeban, Slovak guitarist.

• 12 – Mike Walker, English guitarist.
• 21 – Lee Aaron, Canadian singer.
• 29 – Lisa Ono, Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer and guitarist.

• 2 – Billy Kilson, American drummer.
• 9 – Edsel Gomez, Puerto Rican pianist.
• 10 – Julia Fordham, British singer-songwriter.
• 11 – Mike Jones, American pianist.
• 19 – Angelo Debarre, French Romani guitarist.
• 31 – Joanna Connor, American singer, songwriter and guitarist.

• 7
• * Paul Tobey, Canadian pianist.
• * Rob Bargad, American pianist, organist, songwriter, arranger, educator, and producer.
• 8
• * Cecilia Coleman, American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
• * Glauco Venier, Italian pianist and composer.
• 25 – Craig Handy, American tenor saxophonist.

• 1 – Fred Lonberg-Holm, American cellist.
• 12 – Chris Botti, American trumpeter and composer.
• 19 – Bendik Hofseth, Norwegian saxophonist and singer.
• 20 – Dado Moroni, Italian pianist and composer.

• 11 – James Morrison, Australian trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.
• 12 – Eddie Benitez, Puerto Rican guitarist.
• 28 – Ronny Jordan, American guitarist.

• 8
• * Olaf Kamfjord, Norwegian bassist.
• * Tim Armacost, American saxophonist.
• 9 – Mia Žnidarič, Slovenian singer.
• 15 – Nils Einar Vinjor, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
• 28
• * Brian Kellock, Scottish pianist
• * Michel Petrucciani, French pianist.
• * Rachel Z, American pianist and keyboardist.

• Christina von Bülow, Danish saxophonist and flautist.
• Juliet Roberts, British singer songwriter.
• Karoline Höfler, German bandleader and bassist.
• Per-Ola Gadd, Swedish upright bassist.
• Thomas Agergaard, Danish saxophonist, flautist, and composer.
• Tony Buck, Australian drummer and percussionist.