1972 in jazz
Rune Gustafsson, Red Mitchell and Egil "Bop" Johansen, 1972.
Decade	1970s in jazz
Music	1972 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1971 in jazz – 1973 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1972.

Events

April

• 21
  • Grant Green records Live at the Lighthouse at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California.^[1]

June

• 10 – The very first Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 10 – 11).^[2]
• 16 – The 6th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (June 16 – August 20).^[3]
• 29 – The 19th Newport Jazz Festival started in Newport, Rhode Island (June 29 – July 8).^[4]

September

• 15 – The 15th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).^[5]

Album releases

Deaths

January

• 27 – Mahalia Jackson, American singer (born 1911).

February

• 19 – Lee Morgan, American trumpeter, shot dead (born 1938).

March

• 13 – Clancy Hayes, American vocalist, banjoist and guitarist (born 1908).
• 27 – Sharkey Bonano, American trumpeter, band leader, and vocalist (born 1904).

April

• 3 – Ferde Grofé, American composer, arranger, and pianist (born 1892).

May

• 5 – Reverend Gary Davis, American singer, banjoist, guitarist, and harmonica player (born 1896).

June

• 8 – Jimmy Rushing, American blues shouter, balladeer, singer, and pianist (born 1901).

July

• 3 – Marty Flax, American saxophonist (born 1924).
• 10 – Lovie Austin, 84, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1887).

August

• 5 – Mezz Mezzrow, American clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1899).
• 9 – André Ekyan, French reedist (born 1907).
• 20 – Mike Bryan, American guitarist (born 1916).
• 24 – Don Byas, American tenor saxophonist (born 1912).
• 31
  • Hideo Shiraki, Japanese drummer and bandleader (born 1933).
  • Dalva de Oliveira, Brazilian singer (internal bleeding) (born 1917).

October

• 13 – Phil Seamen, English drummer (born 1926).
• 25 – Cal Massey, American trumpeter and composer (born 1928).

November

• 24 – Hall Overton, American composer and pianist (born 1920).

December

• 3 – Bill Johnson, African-American upright bassist (born 1872).
• 5 – Kenny Dorham, American trumpeter, singer, and composer (born 1924).
• 25 – Dud Bascomb, American trumpeter (born 1916).
• 29 – Hayes Alvis, American upright bassist and tubist (born 1907).

Births

January

• 6 – Mina Agossi, French singer-songwriter.

February

• 1 – Siri Gjære, Norwegian singer.
• 14 – Daniela Schaechter, Italian singer and pianist.

March

• 7 – Katrine Madsen, Danish singer.
• 12 – Lisa Werlinder, Swedish actress and singer.
• 14 – Noriko Ueda, Japanese upright bassist, pianist, singer, composer, and arranger.^[6]
• 21 – Jesse van Ruller, Dutch guitarist and composer.
• 25 – Mimi Jones, American bassist, vocalist, composer, bandleader, and label director.^[7]

April

• 9 – Christos Rafalides, Greek vibraphonist, composer, and educator.
• 15 – Christer Fredriksen, Norwegian guitarist.
• 16 – Øyvind Nypan, Norwegian guitarist.

May

• 31 – Christian McBride, American bassist.

July

• 1 – Alex Machacek, Austrian guitarist.
• 4 – Ketil Gutvik, Norwegian guitarist.
• 29 – Roger Johansen, Norwegian drummer.

August

• 13 – Oscar Peñas, Catalan-American guitarist and composer.
• 21 – Nino Katamadze, Georgian singer.

September

• 12 – Gerard Presencer, English trumpeter.
• 27 – Lindha Kallerdahl, Swedish singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.

October

• 2 – John Daversa, American trumpeter and composer.
• 11 – Federico Ughi, Italian drummer and composer.
• 12 – Eugene Ball, Australian composer and trumpeter.
• 22 – Doug Wamble, American guitarist and vocalist.

November

• 5 – Neil Cowley, English pianist.

December

• 2 – Pasquale Stafano, Italian pianist, composer, and arranger.
• 5 – Stefano Bollani, Italian composer, pianist, and singer.
• 7 – Thomas Strønen, Norwegian drummer.
• 28 – Terreon Gully, American drummer.

Unknown date

• Anders Christensen, Danish upright bassist.
• Ari Poutiainen, Finnish violinist, violist, composer, and researcher.
• Jay Soto, American guitarist.
• Meriç Yurdatapan, Turkish singer.
• Morten Lund, Danish drummer.