Chronology

1881 24 October: Tony Pastor debuts a clean, family-friendly version of Vaudeville at the 14th Street Theater in New York City.

1885 6 July: Benjamin Franklin Keith and Edward Franklin Albee II, having purchased the Boston Bijou Theatre, begin hosting continuous Vaudeville variety shows.

1895 Buddy Bolden, an African-American cornetist involved in Ragtime music in New Orleans, forms his first band.

1897 December: Tom Turpin publishes the piano rag “Harlem Rag.” It is the first rag ever published by an African-American.

1899 The “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin is published. While sales of the piece are initially slow, it would become a landmark as the first instrumental piece to sell over a million copies of sheet music.

1904 Jelly Roll Morton leaves New Orleans and moves about in the Northwestern United States, spreading the sound of New Orleans music.

1911 The Original Creole Jazz Band, led by Freddie Keppard, relocates from New Orleans to Los Angeles and is subsequently influential in spreading the music of New Orleans.

1913 Charles “Luckey” Roberts, having worked in Vaudeville as a child, becomes the first pianist from Harlem to be published, with his “Junk Man Rag.”

1915 Jelly Roll Morton’s “Jelly Roll Blues” becomes the first published jazz work.

1916 October: Charles “Luckey” Roberts becomes the first Harlem pianist to be recorded, although the recordings were never released.

1917 26 February: The Original Dixieland Jazz Band makes the first jazz recording, “Livery Stable Blues.” It would prove successful, selling a million copies.

1918 Record label OKeh releases its first record, performed by the New Orleans Jazz Band. The label would later become well known for its “race” recordings, featuring African-American jazz and Blues artists.

1920 28 October: After the override of a presidential veto, Prohibition begins in the United States. “Speakeasies” arise and serve alcohol on the black market and became synonymous with jazz music.

1922 Pianist, bandleader, and composer Fletcher Henderson begins leading his successful band in New York City with a residence at the Roseland Ballroom. July: Edward “Kid” Ory records the first record by an African American, “Ory’s Creole Trombone.” October: Recording for OKeh label, Fats Waller makes his debut with “Muscle Shoals Blues” and “Binningham Blues.”

1923 March: The New Orleans Rhythm Kings, from Chicago, record “Tin Roof Blues.” August: Sidney Bechet makes one of his first notable recordings on Clarence Williams’ “Kansas City Man Blues.” September: The Cotton Club opens in Harlem and becomes an important venue for jazz, later featuring Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra. 23 September: Pianist Bennie Moten and his orchestra make their first recordings of early Kansas City Jazz and Blues. This is the first time a Kansas City band records its material on phonograph. October: James Johnson’s Broadway show “Runnin’ Wild” debuts, featuring his hit “Charleston.”

1924 Greek-born bandleader Jean Goldkette founds the Victor Recording Orchestra, which would feature musicians such as Tommy Dorsey, Bix Beiderbecke, and Hoagy Carmichael. 12 February: George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” is performed for the first time by Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra at New York City’s Aeolian Hall.

1925 12 November: Trumpeter Louis Armstrong makes his first recording under his own name, using the band that would become known as his Hot Five.

1926 12 March: The Savoy Ballroom opens on Lenox Avenue in Harlem.

1927 4 February: Saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer records “Singin’ the Blues,” which will later be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1977. On the recording he played the C-melody saxophone, a now uncommon instrument pitched between an alto and a tenor. The recording, which along with “I’m Coming, Virginia” would prove influential in the development of the jazz ballad, also features Bix Beiderbecke on one of his most lauded solos. 7 May: Louis Armstrong records his highly regarded Hot Seven recordings in five sessions, lasting through 14 May. 6 October: The first feature film with talking sequences, The Jazz Singer, is released by Warner Bros. 26 October: “Creole Love Call” becomes the first recording credited to Duke Ellington’s orchestra.

1928 5 December: Trumpeter Louis Armstrong and pianist Earl Hines record “Weatherbird,” a trumpet and piano duet. 11 July: Drummer William McKinney and his band, McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, make their first recordings with Victor. The group would disband in 1934 due to financial stress from the Great Depression.

1929 Cladys “Jabbo” Smith makes many of his most famous recordings, including “Jazz Battle” (January), “Sweet and Low Blues” (February), and “Aces of Rhythm” (March). 2 August: Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is released. November: The Blue Devils, a band formed by bassist Walter Page in Oklahoma City, records “Blue Devil Blues.” Vocalist Jimmy Rushing makes his debut on this recording.

1930 October: Lionel Hampton plays the first recorded vibraphone solo in Louis Armstrong’s version of Eubie Blake’s “Memories of You.” 17 October: Duke Ellington records what would become his first big hit, “Mood Indigo.”

1931 March: Cab Calloway’s orchestra, replacing the Duke Ellington Orchestra, becomes the house band for the Cotton Club and records “Minnie the Moocher,” featuring Calloway’s singular scat singing.

1932 5 August: Pianist Art Tatum, known for his superb technique and Stride Piano playing, records his famous version of “Tea for Two.”

1933 21 March: Art Tatum records “Tiger Rag.” This would become the piece perhaps most associated with Tatum. Following his virtuosic recording, “Tiger Rag” would become an important piece of the jazz piano repertoire.

1934 Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt form the Quintette du Hot Club de France, producing a European jazz style not directly linked with American jazz. 26 January: In Harlem, the Apollo nightclub is opened. May: Chick Webb’s orchestra records “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” July: The jazz magazine DownBeat is founded.

1935 23 September: Eddie Durham is the first person to record an electric guitar solo in “Hittin’ the Bottle,” played by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra. 30 September: George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess premieres at Boston’s Colonial Theater. October: Tommy Dorsey records “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” featuring what would become his trademark smooth style.

1936 May: Artie “Shaw” Arshawsky and his octet perform his innovative “Interlude in B-flat.” August: Jimmie Lunceford’s band debuts Sy Oliver’s arrangement of “Organ Grinder’s Swing.” November: Lester Young, having rejoined Count Basie’s band, records highly regarded solos on “Lady Be Good” and “Shoe Shine Boy.”

1937 January: Trumpeter Roy Eldridge records one of his most celebrated solos on “Heckler’s Hop.” 20 February: Pianist and composer Raymond Scott first records his “Powerhouse,” which would later become famous from its use in Warner Bros. cartoons. 2 May: Ella Fitzgerald records “A Tisket, a Tasket” with Chick Webb and His Orchestra, which brought her wide public acclaim. 30 May: Gene Sedric, saxophonist with Fats Waller, records the first solo saxophone piece in jazz: “Saxophone Doodles.” July: Count Basie and his big band record the 12-bar Blues, “One O’Clock Jump,” which would become their first hit.

1938 16 January: Benny Goodman and his racially integrated quartet, including Teddy Wilson, Charlie Christian, Lionel Hampton, and Gene Krupa, perform at Carnegie Hall. 3 March: Gene Krupa leaves Benny Goodman and soon thereafter starts his own orchestra. Spring: Milt Gabler, owner of the Commodore Music Shop in Manhattan, New York City, starts the record label Commodore, one of the first labels devoted to jazz, as well as one of the first to list the full personnel on records.

1939 January: Willie “the Lion” Smith records “Finger Buster” and “Rippling Waters.” 20 April: Billie Holiday records the political protest song “Strange Fruit,” based on a poem by Abel Meeropol about lynching. This song would provide a surge in her popularity. May: Glenn Miller records his “Moonlight Serenade.” 8 June: Saxophonist Sidney Bechet records “Summertime,” the first hit for upstart label Blue Note. 16 June: Upon Chick Webb’s death, Ella Fitzgerald takes over his band. July: Saxophonist Charlie Barnet’s big band successfully bridges Swing and Bebop in its rendition of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee.” August: Electric guitarist Charlie Christian joins Benny Goodman’s band. 5 September: Lester Young and his small group record “Lester Leaps In,” which would influence the style of younger saxophonists of the era. 11 October: Coleman Hawkins records the popular standard “Body and Soul,” which would be considered a landmark recording in Early Jazz.

1940 March: The American Society of Composers, Artists, and Producers (ASCAP) proposes an increase of 100 percent for royalties. This would result in a considerable boost for the Pop music industry, as broadcasters shunned ASCAP in favor of Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) artists.

1941 4 March: Guitarist Charlie Christian, an innovator who helped to establish the electric guitar as a solo instrument in jazz, records his “Solo Flight” with Benny Goodman. May: Roy Eldridge is featured with Gene Krupa’s orchestra on the hit “Let Me Off Uptown.”

1942 31 July: After an announcement by the president of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), James Petrillo, a widespread recording ban begins. During the course of the ban, declared due to royalty disagreements, no union musician was allowed to record for any record company. The two largest record companies, Victor and Columbia, would hold out on a settlement until 11 November 1944. November: Saxophonist and bandleader Boyd Raeburn and his big band debut at the Arcadia Ballroom and become very successful in Chicago.

1943 23 January: Duke Ellington’s first Carnegie Hall performance. The only full-length version of “Black, Brown, and Beige,” his piece on the history of African-Americans, is recorded. November: Stan Kenton’s first orchestra records Artistry in Motion, as well as their first hit, “Eager Beaver.” 30 November: Popular jazz vocalist Nat “King” Cole records his first big hit, “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” The song was co-written by Cole and Irving Mills.

1944 22 May: Coleman Hawkins finishes the recording of his album Rainbow Mist. Included in the project were several prominent young players, including trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and drummer Max Roach. 15 December: The plane carrying bandleader and composer Glenn Miller disappears while flying over the English Channel.

1945 Italian composer Pete Rugolo becomes the chief arranger for Stan Kenton and would play an important role in the development of Kenton’s modern sound. 9 January: Trumpeter John “Dizzy” Gillespie makes his first major Bebop recordings, including “Salt Peanuts,” “Be Bop,” and Tadd Dameron’s “Good Bait.” 28 February: Dizzy Gillespie’s quintet, the All Stars, which included Charlie Parker on tenor saxophone and Al Haig on piano, record “Groovin’ High” and “Dizzy Atmosphere.” 28 March: Miles Davis records with Charlie Parker for the first time. May: Stan Kenton records his intriguing hit composition, “Opus in Pastels.” 11 May: Dizzy Gillespie’s All Stars record “Shaw ’Nuff” and Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House,” based on Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love?” 4 October: Ella Fitzgerald makes inventive and influential use of “scat” singing on a version of “Flying Home.” It would be remembered as one of the most influential vocal jazz records of the decade. 26 November: Using his newly developed harmonic language, Charlie Parker records “Now’s the Time,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Anthropology,” and “Ko Ko,” based on Ray Noble’s “Cherokee.”

1946 28 March: Charlie Parker records “Yardbird Suite” and “Ornithology” with his septet, which includes trumpeter Miles Davis. September: Woody Herman’s group, the Second Herd, records “Summer Sequence,” by pianist Ralph Burns. The group was characterized by its approach of featuring the reeds section over those of the brass and rhythm.

1947 Jazz enters academia when North Texas State University is the first to offer a degree in jazz. At the time, it was referred to as a major in Dance Band. April: Third Stream composer Bob Graettinger records his four-movement suite, “City of Glass.” May: The Claude Thornhill Orchestra records their hit “A Sunday Kind of Love.” September: The Claude Thornhill Orchestra records “Love for Love.” December: Dizzy Gillespie records George Russell’s “Cubano Be, Cubano Bop.” The recording yields some of the first experimentation with modal improvisation. 27 December: Woody Herman records Jimmy Giuffre’s “Four Brothers” with his Second Herd.

1948 28 January: Edmund Martinez Tostado, or “Don Tosti” as he was known, records his hit “Pachuco Boogie.” It would become the first million-selling Latin song.

1949 21 January: Miles Davis begins the first of three recording sessions that will result in the seminal album Birth of the Cool. 16 March: The blind pianist Lennie Tristano records two pieces with his sextet that would come to be credited as the first Free Jazz: “Intuition” and “Digression.” 8 August: Earl “Bud” Powell records “Dance of the Infidels” and “Bouncing with Bud” with trumpeter Theodore “Fats” Navarro and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins. 30 November: Charlie Parker records his first project with strings, released as Charlie Parker with Strings. The success of the album would lead to several similar sessions.

1950 January: Stan Kenton records Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra with his 40-piece orchestra, which includes a 16-piece string section.

1951 27 August: Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan records his arrangements for nonet on Mulligan plays Mulligan. November: Vibraphonist Teddy Charles Cohen makes his debut with the album The Teddy Cohen Trio. November: Vibraphonist and drummer Cal Tjader records his pioneering album The Cal Tjader Trio, important for its novel fusion of Mambo and jazz. The album also features pianist Vince Guaraldi in his first recording.

1952 Vibraphonist Milt Jackson forms the Modern Jazz Quartet, the first attempt at presenting jazz in a chamber ensemble setting.

1953 George Russell publishes the first edition of his influential book The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Improvisation. 31 January: Trumpeter Milton “Shorty” Rogers Rajonsky, a past band member with the bands of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton, completes the album Modern Sounds, along with Gerry Mulligan. The album, two years in the making, features the compositional efforts of the pair. 2 March: Dave Brubeck performs his famous concert at Oberlin College. 28 May: Stan Kenton records composer Bob Graettinger’s six-movement piece “This Modern World.” June: Lennie Tristano records Descent into the Maelstrom, featuring overdubbed piano and harsh atonality that would later influence the work of Cecil Taylor and Borah Bergman. 23 November: Hard Bop pianist Horace Silver records his first important album, Trio. 30 November: Canadian-born pianist Paul Bley records his debut, Introducing Paul Bley, with Charles Mingus and Art Blakey. 8 December: Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster achieves mainstream success with his album King of the Tenors, which also features alto saxophonist Benny Carter and pianist Oscar Peterson. It is originally released as The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster.

1954 The Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet is formed. Clifford Brown receives DownBeat’s Critics Award for Best New Star on Trumpet. February: The group that would become the Jazz Messengers releases a successful album of a live performance, A Night in Birdland. The album is credited to “The Art Blakey Quintet.” June: Miles Davis records his album Bag’s Groove, featuring several pieces by the group’s saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, whose compositions “Doxy,” “Airegin,” and “Oleo” would all become important pieces of jazz repertoire. July: George Wein holds the first Newport Jazz Festival, becoming the first outdoor jazz festival. 27 July: Pianist Erroll Garner records his composition “Misty,” which would become a popular hit. August: The notable album Clifford Brown and Max Roach is recorded by the prolific duo. The album contains pieces that would remain very important in the jazz repertoire, including “Daahoud” and “Joy Spring.” September: Trumpeter Chet Baker records Chet Baker Sextet with Bud Shank on saxophone and Bob Brookmeyer on trombone. December: The Jazz Messengers, at this early period under the direction of pianist Horace Silver, begin recording as a group.

1955 9 January: The Modern Jazz Quartet finishes recording for their hit album, Django. It is released the following year. May: Pianist Herbie Nichols records his album The Third World, his first of original music. August: Los Angeles drummer Chico Hamilton and his quintet make their debut with the album Spectacular. 19 September: Pianist Erroll Garner records his live album Concert by the Sea, featuring Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums, which becomes a best seller. October: Composer and theorist George Russell records his first album as a leader, Jazz Workshop, which features his developed system of mode-based jazz.

1956 The U.S. State Department begins sending jazz ambassadors throughout the world. January: Bassist Charles Mingus establishes himself as a creative force with his Pithecanthropus Erectus. The title piece is a four-movement tone poem that includes elements of Free Jazz that would be influential in the birth of that movement. May: Saxophonist Sonny Rollins records the album Tenor Madness using the rhythm section from Miles Davis’ band: Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The album features a tenor duel between Rollins and John Coltrane. 30 May: Guitarist Kenny Burrell begins his career as a leader with Introducing Kenny Burrell. June: Sonny Rollins records his potentially most influential album, Saxophone Colossus, which includes the Calypso “St. Thomas.” October: Japanese guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi begins his recording career with his album Swing Journal All-Star Orchestra. 15 October: Thelonious Monk records his inventive masterwork, Brilliant Corners. 5 November: The Nat King Cole Show debuts on NBC Television. Because Cole is black, the program stirs controversy during a volatile time for race/ethnicity relations in the United States. 9 November: Blind tenor saxophonist Roland Kirk makes his debut with Triple Threat. Kirk would become known for his bluesy style and use of unusual techniques, such as circular breathing and playing multiple instruments simultaneously. December: Clarinetist, flutist, and saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre records his album Jimmy Giuffre 3 with guitarist Jim Hall and bassist Ralph Peña. It is on this album that he debuts his signature “The Train and the River.”

1957 Henry “Red” Allen records what is widely considered to be one of his finest works, “Ride, Red, Ride in Hi-Fi.” Charles Mingus records “Fables for Faubus,” a statement against the refusal by the government of Arkansas to desegregate Little Rock Central High School. February: The Compilation Birth of the Cool is released, featuring Miles Davis’s nonet. It was important for its novel setting for Bebop and influenced the Cool Jazz style that followed. March: Charlie Mingus’ quintet records The Clown, which features what is perhaps his most well known piece, “Haitian Fight Song.” The album also includes his lyrical tribute to Charlie Parker, “Reincarnation of a Lovebird.” April: Trumpeter Clark Terry’s album Serenade to a Bus Seat is released and features the trumpet player’s compositional skills. 9 April: Tenor saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef records the album Jazz Mood, which is notable for featuring his sophisticated compositional style. By this point, Lateef’s writing is beginning to incorporate exotic sounds and melodies. 3 May: Trombonist J. J. Johnson with his quartet records his highly regarded album Blue Trombone. July: Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane historically collaborate on the album Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. August: The first European jazz festival is held in Sopot, Poland, called the Sopot Jazz Festival. September: Composer and arranger Gil Evans records his album Gil Evans and Ten, comprised of jazz standards arranged for large ensemble. The work features saxophonists Lee Konitz and Steve Lacy. October: Tenor saxophonist Benny Golsen records New York Scene, in which his jazz classic, “Whisper Not,” is found. 8 October: Frank Sinatra records the album Come Fly with Me, his first collaborative work with conductor and arranger Billy May. The album is released the following year to much acclaim. December: Dizzy Gillespie records and releases Sonny Side Up, featuring saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt.

1958 1 January: Latin Jazz and Mambo musician Tito Puente releases his popular album, Dance Mania. 7 January: Vocalist Sarah Vaughan records “Broken Hearted Melody,” which would represent the peak of her commercial success. February: Organist Jimmy Smith fuses jazz with Soul music in “The Sermon.” Spring: Dave Brubeck embarks on a tour across the Iron Curtain as an ambassador of the U.S. State Department. August: Fifty-seven jazz greats gather for Esquire’s famous picture, “A Great Day in Harlem.” 3 October: Jimmy Lyons presents the first annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

1959 3 February: Saxophonist John Coltrane teams up with Cannonball Adderley for their album Cannonball and Coltrane. 22 April: Miles Davis records Kind of Blue, widely considered one of his finest works. This album would be frequently cited as the best-selling jazz album ever. May: Marking his departure from Bebop, John Coltrane records “Giant Steps.” His use of unusual major-third chord movements would make this landmark piece enormously influential and significant. 22 May: Saxophonist Ornette Coleman records his groundbreaking Avant-Garde album, The Shape of Jazz to Come. This important album, which is received with shock and surprise, would be a harbinger of the Free Jazz movement. 25 June: Flutist Herbie Mann, known for his efforts in fusing jazz with various types of world music, records his album Flautista! Herbie Mann Plays Afro-Cuban Jazz. 18 August: Pianist Dave Brubeck’s Time Out is recorded. The album, representing an influential foray into odd meters, would become extraordinarily popular, quickly going platinum. 28 December: Bill Evans’ album Portrait in Jazz reflects an important milestone in the development of piano trios by featuring a more interactive, democratic conception between the musicians.

1960 Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer establish the Concert Jazz Band, which would produce critically acclaimed work for the few years of its existence. January: Guitarist Wes Montgomery records The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, which features two of his most famous compositions, “Four on Six” and “West Coast Blues.” February: Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley records his masterpiece album Soul Station. March: Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ collaborative work peaks with the album Sketches of Spain. April: Organist Jimmy Smith records his Back at the Chicken Shack, which features tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine and guitarist Kenny Burrell. 1 April: Eric Dolphy records his first album as a leader, Outward Bound. It also serves to boost the career of pianist Jaki Byard, who was recruited for the album. July: Free Jazz trumpeter Don Cherry records his first major album, The Avant-Garde, which also features saxophonist John Coltrane. September: Drummer Max Roach records his politically charged We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, featuring his nonet and vocals by Abbey Lincoln. November: Clark Terry records what is arguably his most sophisticated album, Color Changes, featuring an octet that includes saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef and pianist Tommy Flanagan. 18 November: Pianist Randy Weston records his four-movement suite, Uhuru Africa. The performers include musicians such as Yusef Lateef, trumpeters Clark Terry and Freddie Hubbard, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Max Roach, in addition to African percussionist Babatunde Olatunji and two conga players. December: Gunther Schuller, noted for his work to integrate jazz and Classical music, or “Third Stream,” records Jazz Abstractions.

1961 January: Alto saxophonist Phil Woods records his five-movement suite Rights of Swing. February: Vocalist Abbey Lincoln records her album Straight Ahead, featuring an impressive cast including Coleman Hawkins, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, and her husband, Max Roach. 23 February: Saxophonist Oliver Nelson records his most acclaimed album, The Blues and the Abstract Truth. The piece “Stolen Moments” would become his most well known from the album. 25 June: Bill Evans records Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Live). 27 June: Pianist Mal Waldron records his album of seven original sonatas, entitled The Quest. The work includes saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, and Ron Carter on cello. October: Los Angeles trumpeter Art Farmer records his album Perception, which proved to be a notable departure from Hard Bop. November: Jamaican-born alto saxophonist Joe Harriet, having developed Free Jazz independently of Ornette Coleman, releases Free Form and Abstract. 7 December: Pianist Ran Blake and vocalist Jeanne Lee complete their duo album The Newest Sound Around. Their effort was met with success in Europe, although largely ignored in the United States.

1962 14 May: Bill Evans and guitarist Jim Hall record their first collaborative album, Undercurrent. It is released the following year. September: Art Farmer records a collection of arrangements by Oliver Nelson for big band, called Listen to Art Farmer and the Orchestra. Farmer was notably featured prominently on flugelhorn instead of trumpet. 19 November: After a successful tour of Latin America for the U.S. State Department, saxophonist Paul Winter and his sextet are the first jazz group to perform at the White House. Coinciding with the trip, Winter also records his first album for Columbia, Jazz Meets the Bossa Nova, which would become a minor hit. 23 November: Pianist Cecil Taylor records his live album Nefertiti the Beautiful One Has Come with alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons and drummer Sunny Murray. This recording represents more freedom in Taylor’s approach to improvisation, as compared with his earlier recordings.

1963 January: Hard Bop trumpeter Donald Byrd records his innovative A New Perspective, featuring Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and guitarist Kenny Burrell, as well as a Gospel choir. February: Pianist Bill Evans records Conversations with Myself, in which he overdubs three corresponding piano tracks for each song. He would earn his first Grammy Award for this album. 12 October: The New York Contemporary Five, a quintet featuring Don Cherry on trumpet and John Tchicai and Archie Shepp on saxophones, complete their debut album, Consequences. Their work on the album is closely related to Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz from 1960. 18 November: John Coltrane records “Alabama,” in memory of the bombing of an African-American church in Birmingham, Alabama, in which four girls were killed. December: Trumpeter Lee Morgan’s title track on Sidewinder becomes a hit.

1964 Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Günter Hampel forms a quintet and is credited with launching Free Jazz in continental Europe. February: Clarinetist Tony Scott, after leaving the United States for Asia, collaborates with koto player Shinichi Yuize and shakuhachi flute player Hozan Yamamoto for the album Music for Zen Meditations. This is his first project involving the fusing of jazz with music from other cultures, a practice for which he would become best known. 25 February: Saxophonist, flutist, and bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy records perhaps his most important Free Jazz album, Out to Lunch. He is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, vibraphonist Bobby Hutchinson, bassist Richard Davis, and a young Tony Williams on drums. March: Saxophonist Stan Getz teams up with Brazilian João Gilberto to release Getz/Gilberto, one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. 31 March: Pianist and composer Andrew Hill, having studied notably with Classical composer Paul Hindemith, records Point of Departure, featuring Eric Dolphy. Hill’s style would come to represent a border between total Free Jazz and more traditional paradigms. 29 April: Saxophonist Wayne Shorter records his first solo album for Blue Note, Night Dreamer. Shorter’s work with Blue Note would be pivotal to his success, with such notable albums as Speak No Evil and Ju Ju appearing during this era. It is also at this time that Shorter joins Miles Davis to form Davis’ “second great quintet”—the first included John Coltrane. 10 July: Cleveland-born saxophonist Albert Ayler records the album that would become one of the most important in Free Jazz, Spiritual Unity. Accompanied by bassist Gary Peacock and percussionist Sunny Murray, Ayler’s performance is unconventional in its emphasis on soundscapes. October: Bill Dixon is responsible for organizing the October Revolution in Jazz, the first Free Jazz festival. Though himself a skilled trumpeter, he would become best known for the festival. 26 October: Horace Silver completes his album Song for My Father. Commercially a successful album, it was recorded over the span of two years and features two completely different quintets: one notably features tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, and the other, trumpeter Blue Mitchell. 30 November: Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson records the album Inner Urge. 9 December: John Coltrane’s important four-movement suite A Love Supreme is recorded. A work with spiritual significance for Coltrane, the piece served to bridge his earlier Hard Bop efforts with his later Free Jazz period. 11 December: Saxophonist and composer Sam Rivers makes his debut album as a leader with Fuchsia Swing Song.

1965 January: Post-Bop pianist Adolph “Dollar” Brand (who later changed his name to Abdullah Ibrahim) records a five-part suite, Anatomy of a South African Village. The piece is important in its novel fusion of jazz with African rhythms. Brand would continue for decades to incorporate African themes into his music. April: Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson records his successful debut album, Dialogue. Hutcherson would become known for his experiments with Free Jazz while still incorporating traditional forms and structures. 13 April: Getz/Gilberto, featuring Stan Getz and João Gilberto playing the music of Antônio Carlos Jobim, wins several Grammy Awards. May: The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is formed. The group would begin changing the nature of performance venues by organizing concerts in theaters and lofts, as opposed to playing in local clubs. September: John Coltrane invites fellow saxophonist Pharoah Sanders to join his band. Their relationship would result in several collaborative efforts over the next few years. 8 September: Trumpeter Lee Morgan records his album Cornbread, featuring Herbie Hancock, alto saxophonist Jackie McClean, and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley. His beloved Latin composition, “Ceora,” is found on this album. October: Alto saxophonist Joe Harriott and violinist John Mayer, after experimenting with Indian-Jazz fusions, record the album Indo-Jazz Suite with their group Indo-Jazz Fusions. 23 November: Tenor saxophonists John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders collaborate to record Meditations, much of which was Avant-Garde, featuring free rhythm sections and unusual saxophone techniques, such as multiphonics and squealing.

1966 Drummer Mel Lewis teams up with trumpeter Thad Jones to start the Thad Jones–Mel Lewis big band. February: The Spontaneous Music Ensemble, created by British drummer/trumpeter John Stevens and saxophonist Trevor Watts, records its first album, Challenge. March: Avant-Garde keyboardist Sun Ra with his group, “The Arkestra,” rises to an early peak in recognition and popularity. 7 June: Saxophonist Eddie Harris records his well-known piece, “Freedom Jazz Dance.” July: Pianist Joe Zawinul’s bluesy hit, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” is recorded. 3 September: The Free Jazz ensemble, the Globe Unity Orchestra, formed by German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, makes its debut at the Berliner Philharmonie. 8 September: Saxophonist Charles Lloyd records his live album, Forest Flower, which would garner wide acclaim.

1967 Dutch pianist and composer Misha Mengelberg and drummer Han Bennink co-found the Instant Composers Pool, an organization promoting Avant-Garde Dutch jazz. April: Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp records his album, The Magic of Ju-Ju, which marks the beginning of his long focus on the music and culture of the African continent. 21 April: Pianist McCoy Tyner, after his departure from John Coltrane’s quartet, records his important The Real McCoy. The album, which would become a key work in Tyner’s discography, features Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. October: Swiss pianist Irène Schweizer combines jazz with Indian music in her album Jazz Meets India. December: Drummer Han Bennink and saxophonist Willem Breuker record New Acoustic Swing Duo, a seminal recording for Dutch improvised music.

1968 Gunther Schuller’s A History of Jazz is published. The National Association of Jazz Educators (later to be renamed the International Associate of Jazz Educators, then the International Association for Jazz Education) is formed. February: Dave Brubeck’s orchestral oratorio “A Light in the Wilderness,” based on biblical teachings of Jesus, is premiered by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 9 March: Alto saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley records his seminal album, Somethin’ Else, featuring Miles Davis, pianist Hank Jones, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. April: Saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist Paul Horn records the first of his series of influential albums, Inside the Taj Mahal. This series of records, featuring solo instrumentals, also would come to include recordings made at the Great Pyramid and the Kazamieras Cathedral. June: Alto saxophonist Phil Woods debuts The Birth of the ERM with his experimental quartet, European Rhythm Machine. July: The Avant-Garde Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, led by trumpeter Michael Mantler, records the double album The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, also known as Communications. Featuring Avant-Garde Jazz musicians such as Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Steve Swallow, and Charlie Haden, the album would prove to be an important work in the history of Avant-Garde Jazz.

1969 Miles Davis begins experimenting with the electric sounds of Rock music, which would lead to his work on Bitches Brew. February: Anthony Braxton records the first album featuring entirely solo saxophone, For Alto. The pieces are dedicated to various artists, including pianist Cecil Taylor and composer John Cage. May: Beginning with his album Blues in Orbit, which was named after the composition of the same name by George Russell, Gil Evans becomes a notable pioneer in combining electric and acoustic instruments. June: German trumpeter Manfred Schoof releases European Echoes with the Manfred Schoof Orchestra. November: Munich-based record label ECM is founded by producer Manfred Eicher. The label would focus exclusively on jazz for the first several years of its existence.

1970 The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awards the first grant for jazz. 29 January: Freddie Hubbard’s venture into Jazz-Rock matures with his album Red Clay, featuring a quintet with Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Lenny White. 31 January: Canadian trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, known for his accurate and impressive upper register, releases the first of his successful M. F. Horn albums. April: Miles Davis releases his most famous Fusion offering, Bitches Brew. 25 May: The Thad Jones–Mel Lewis big band records one of their most important albums, Consummation. The best-received piece from the album was “A Child Is Born.” 13 July: British saxophonist Evan Parker records his magnum opus, Topography of the Lungs, exemplifying his violent, dissonant style. October: Chris McGregor, a pianist from South Africa, records Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, featuring aspects of Swing, Rock, and Free Jazz. 9 December: After previously working with Horace Silver and Max Roach, trumpeter Woody Shaw makes his debut as a leader on his Blackstone Legacy.

1971 The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin integrates elements of Indian music into jazz. 17 March: The band Weather Report, let by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Joe Zawinul, records its first album, Weather Report. The album would become influential for its place in early Jazz Fusion. 1 May: Dave Brubeck’s cantata Truth Is Fallen, a protest of the Vietnam War, is premiered in Midland, Michigan. June: Carla Bley’s music from Escalator over the Hill, commonly referred to as a jazz opera, is released in a triple-LP set.

1972 26 January: Saxophonist Archie Shepp, known for his civil rights involvement, records his Attica Blues in response to the Attica Prison riots from early September 1971. March: Violinist Leroy Jenkins and his Revolutionary Ensemble, a trio including bassist Norris “Sirone” Jones and percussionist Jerome Cooper, record their first album together. The Avant-Garde Vietnam, which contains elements of Jazz, Folk, and Classical music, is meant to depict the atrocities of the Vietnam War. May: Frank Zappa records his album The Grand Wazoo, an experiment with big band Jazz-Rock fusion. 15 October: Keyboardist Chick Corea and his Fusion group, Return to Forever, records the album Light as a Feather. The album features one of Corea’s most famous compositions, “Spain.” November: Polish-born vocalist Urszula Dudziak records her debut album, Newborn Light. Dudziak would become known for her use of electronics to alter the sound of her voice. 24 November: Trumpeter Donald Byrd finishes his wildly successful Black Byrd, which would become Blue Note’s biggest seller of all time. December: German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff releases Trombirds, the first of several solo albums on which he would feature his newly developed method of performing multiphonics.

1973 The Charlie Parker tribute band, called Supersax, records its first album, Supersax Plays Bird. This group would release several more such albums. May: Pianist Oscar Peterson records the album The Trio, featuring Joe Pass on guitar and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass; this work earns a Grammy the following year. September: The Headhunters, a Jazz Fusion group formed by Herbie Hancock, records their first album. The album, Head Hunters, would become one of the best-selling Fusion records of all time. 30 November: Guitarist Joe Pass records his highly regarded solo album, Virtuoso.

1974 British composer and double bassist Barry John Guy forms the group London Jazz Composers’ Orchestra to play his piece “Ode.” The group, however, would stay together for many years; the group’s active years would end in the mid-1990s. 4 April: The Toshiko Akiyoshi–Lew Tabackin Big Band records its first album, the successful Kogun. Featuring the compositions of pianist Akiyoshi, the album would be awarded a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Big Band.

1975 The Heath Brothers are formed, featuring Jimmy, Percy, and Albert “Tootie” Heath. January: Saxophonist Michael Brecker and his brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, collaborate to release Brecker Bros. The album would mark the beginning of a long and successful working relationship. 24 January: Pianist Keith Jarrett performs a concert of solo improvisation in Cologne (Köln), Germany. The recorded concert eventually would result in the album The Köln Concert, which as of 2011 remains the best-selling piano album, as well as the best-selling solo jazz album, in history.

1976 After 15 years in Europe, Dexter Gordon returns to the United States. August: Jaco Pastorius’ debut album, Jaco Pastorius, is released, and would be regarded as a breakthrough album for the electric bass. November: British bassist Graham Collier’s Avant-Garde four-movement “Symphony of Scorpions” is released.

1977 The Feminist Improvising Group is formed in London by vocalist Maggie Nichols and bassoonist/composer Lindsay Cooper. 22 February: Alto saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell records his creative double album Nonaah. Featuring solo, duo, trio, and quartet performances, the album would win him the Album of the Year Award from DownBeat magazine.

1978 Saxophonist Chico Freeman records his Free Jazz The Outside Within, although it would not be released until 1981. The magazine Stereo Review would award Freeman the Album of the Year Award for this effort. April: The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, founded by pianist Horace Tapscott in 1959, makes its first recordings: Flight 17 and The Call. The large ensemble is comprised of six reeds, two trombones, tuba, cello, two pianos, two basses, as well as two percussionists. July: Vocalist Jeanne Lee and German saxophonist Günter Hampel notably collaborate on the double LP Oasis. November: Italian percussionist Andrea Centazzo records Environment for Sextet in New York City during a live broadcast on radio station WKCR.

1979 March: Spyro Gyra, a Fusion group from Buffalo, New York, gains its first wide recognition with the album Morning Dance. Due especially to the title track, the album would go platinum, helping to establish the group’s commercial success. 31 October: The vocal group The Manhattan Transfer records Weather Report’s “Birdland.” The recording would become very popular and earn the group its first Grammy in 1980. December: Vocalist Betty Carter releases her double LP The Audience, which features a notable 25-minute version of “Sounds.”

1980 13 October: The Russia-based Ganelin Trio, featuring pianist Vyacheslav Ganelin, saxophonist Vladimir Chekasin, and drummer Vladimir Tarasov, records Ancora da Capo.

1981 1 January: Guitarist Emily Remler releases her acclaimed debut album, Firefly. 1 October: Saxophonist and flutist Henry Threadgill, a founding member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, records his first of three critically acclaimed LPs with the Henry Threadgill Sextet, entitled When Was That? 13 December: Guitarist John Scofield records his notable live album Shinola in Munich, accompanied by bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Adam Nussbaum.

1983 The Feminist Improvising Group becomes the European Women’s Improvising Group (EWIG). 29 November: Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, after working with such jazz personalities as Art Blakey and Herbie Hancock, records his first album as a leader, Scenes in the City.

1984 December: Austrian trumpeter and composer Franz Koglmann forms the Chamber Jazz Ensemble Pipetet and releases Schlaf Schlemmer Schlaf Magritte.

1985 November: Saxophonist Joe Henderson achieves commercial success with his live trio album, The State of the Tenor. 20 December: Wynton Marsalis begins his significant long-term collaboration with pianist Marcus Roberts with the recording of J Mood, referring to “J Master” Roberts.

1986 The Thelonious Monk Institute for Jazz is founded. 9 May: Saxophonist John Zorn finishes his double LP Cobra.

1987 Michael Dorf and Bob Appel open “The Knitting Factory” in New York City, a club that features jazz and experimental music. February: After recovering from a 1980 brain aneurysm, guitarist Pat Martino records his impressive comeback album, The Return. 3 October: The Lincoln Center begins hosting jazz. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s first concert is “Ladies First—A Tribute to the Great Women in Jazz.”

1988 30 August: Wynton Marsalis’ notable Standard Time: Volume I is released, winning him a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

1989 26 May: The vocal jazz group the New York Voices, after forming in 1987, record their debut album, New York Voices.

1990 Meyer Kupferman’s Atonal Jazz is published. 25 October: Clarinetist Eddie Daniels, accomplished in both jazz and Classical music, releases his album Breakthrough, combining the two.

1991 April: Soprano saxophonist Steve “Lacy” Lackritz records his “Time of Tao—Cycle” on the album Remains. On the album, Lackritz, known for his interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s work, also includes Monk’s “Epistrophy.” July: British Acid Jazz group Incognito release Inside Life, featuring the hit that brought the group wide commercial success, “Always There.” November: Tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman wins the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. After winning, despite having been accepted to Yale University’s law program, Redman would focus on his music career.

1992 30 July: In a father-son effort, established tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman features his son, Joshua, on the album Choices. This is Joshua’s first recorded appearance.

1993 Composer Maria Schneider forms what is now called the Maria Schneider Orchestra. 6 February: Avant-Garde trombonist George Lewis records his album Voyager, which utilizes software that interacts with the instrumentalists in response to their playing. Lewis is best known for this and similar interactive works with computers.

1994 29 March: Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez releases his album The Journey. The album, which would serve to thrust Perez into wider recognition, depicts the capture and enslavement of Africans brought to the United States.

1995 John Zorn founds Tzadik, a record label featuring Avant-Garde and creative music. 22 January: Tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano records Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard, for which he would earn the Album of the Year Award from DownBeat magazine. 14 April: The McCoy Tyner Trio, along with guest saxophonist Michael Brecker, records the Grammy-winning album Infinity. In addition to winning a Grammy for the album, Brecker would win the Best Jazz Instrumental Solo Award in 1996 for his solo on “Impressions.”

1996 The first Vision Festival is held in Manhattan, New York, featuring Avant-Garde Jazz. 7 February: Clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, a successful artist in both Latin Jazz and Classical music, records his notable album Portraits of Cuba. 24 September: The Count Basie big band, led by trombonist Grover Mitchell, releases Live at the Manchester Craftmen’s Guild; the album would win the ensemble its first Grammy Award in 1997.

1997 Ted Gioia’s The History of Jazz is published. The text would win the Bay Area Book Reviewer’s Association award for Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, in addition to other accolades. 11 February: Kenny Wheeler releases his drummerless album Angel Song to critical acclaim. 7 April: Wynton Marsalis is awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his slavery-inspired “Blood on the Fields.” September: The American Jazz Museum Opens in Kansas City.

1998 19 May: Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval releases his acclaimed album, Hot House, featuring Latin big band music. The album would earn Sandoval a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance. 1 October: The Esbjörn Svensson Trio garners international attention with its album From Gagarin’s Point of View.

1999 8 June: Canadian vocalist Diana Krall’s When I Look in Your Eyes is released, which would earn her the first Grammy of her career for Best Jazz Vocal Album. 27 October: Pianist Andrew Hill, who had already played an important role in the development of Free and Avant-Garde Jazz, records his album Dusk. The album would win awards for Best Album from both DownBeat and Jazz Times magazines.

2000 25 July: Béla Fleck and the Flecktones release the album Outbound. The band, which features Fleck on the banjo, draws on many genres, including Bluegrass, Fusion, and jazz. The album would earn the group its first Grammy Award in a jazz category the following year: Best Contemporary Jazz Album. 17 October: Saxophonist Bob Mintzer and his big band release An Homage to Count Basie. Featuring many favorites from the Basie repertory, the album would be awarded a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. 28 December: Shortly upon its founding, the trio The Bad Plus records its debut album. Consisting of Berklee graduates Ethan Iverson on piano, Reid Anderson on bass, and David King on drums, this album would mark the beginning of the group’s trademark reworking of Rock, Pop, and jazz repertoire.

2001 The New History of Jazz, by London Times jazz critic Alyn Shipton, is published. The text would become one of the most important on the subject. 8 January: Jazz, the 19-hour documentary by Ken Burns, first airs on PBS. 22 August: The Classical Jazz Quartet, known for its arrangements of Classical repertoire, records its first album, Classical Jazz Quartet Plays Tchaikovsky. The group features Stefon Harris on vibraphone and marimba, Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, and Bob Beldon as arranger.

2002 The Smithsonian Institution declares April to be Jazz Appreciation Month. 26 February: Vocalist Norah Jones achieves huge commercial success with the release of her debut album, Come Away with Me. April: Branford Marsalis announces the formation of Marsalis Music, a new record company that is to feature the work of creative musicians. August: Brad Mehldau releases Largo, a well-received album blending Jazz and Rock.

2003 The website and nascent business model ArtistShare is founded. The site, which features many successful modern jazz musicians, provides a way for fans to fund the creative projects of their favorite artists. 12 August: After two years of production, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel releases his first collaborative work with Hip-hop musician Q-Tip, called Heartcore. The album blends jazz with other genres, including Hip-hop, Rock, and Electronica. 28 August: The John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble records its successful and influential album, A Blessing. The album, featuring expansive compositions by the drummer Hollenbeck, makes use of unusual instrumentation, including bowed vibraphone and English horns.

2004 March: Maria Schneider records her album Concert in the Garden, which would the following year become the first Grammy Award–winning album sold exclusively on the Internet. 24 August: Guitarist Bill Frisell releases his Fusion album Unspeakable, which would earn him a Grammy in 2005 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. September: Alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan debuts his 18-piece jazz orchestra, the Björkestra, at New York City’s Knitting Factory. The orchestra performs arranged music of Icelandic Pop artist Björk. 22 October: Guitarist Ben Monder records his epic CD Oceana. Featuring the wordless vocals of Theo Bleckmann, the dense album is unusual for a jazz work in that it is almost entirely through-composed.

2005 The National Endowment for the Arts launches “NEA Jazz in the Schools.” 1 February: The British jazz group Led Bib records its debut CD, Arboretum, earning the group the Peter Wittingham Jazz Award. March: The British experimental jazz group Polar Bear achieves wide recognition with their jazz-electronica album, Held on the Tips of Fingers.

2006 January: Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, upon forming his groove-based band, Underground, releases the first of several successful albums with the group, the first simply entitled Underground. August: Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker records his final album, Pilgrimage. The well-received album would earn Brecker, who died the next year from complications of leukemia, two posthumous Grammy Awards. September: Dave Brubeck’s jazz opera, Cannery Row Suite, based on characters of author John Steinbeck, debuts at the 29th Monterey Jazz Festival.

2007 14 August: Trumpeter Terence Blanchard releases his album A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). The album features Blanchard’s quintet playing with the Northern Sinfonia, a 40-member string orchestra. The work would earn Blanchard a Grammy in 2008 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. 25 September: Herbie Hancock releases his album River: The Joni Letters, a homage to his friend, songwriter and performer Joni Mitchell.

2008 10 February: Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters becomes the second jazz album in history to receive the Album of the Year Award at the Grammy Awards. April: Saxophonist Miguel Zenón receives a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation grant, which would result in his well-received 2009 release, Esta Plena. 18 April: The International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) declares bankruptcy, putting an end to 40 years of service. September: New York alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa releases his album Kinsmen, featuring a blending of Western and Indian approaches to improvisation. The recording was a collaborative effort with Indian saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath. November: Guitarist Jim Hall teams up with his former student, Bill Frisell, to release the double-CD set Hemispheres through ArtistShare.

2009 The JVC Jazz Festival (formerly the Newport Jazz Festival) is canceled. George Wein comes out of retirement to form a new New York City jazz festival to be held in 2010, sponsored by CareFusion but retaining the iconic Newport Jazz Festival name. 6 November: Wynton Marsalis receives the French insignia of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest award given by the French government.

2010 June: The Jazz Education Network (JEN) hosts its first annual conference for performers and educators. The conference, held in St. Louis, includes nearly 1,000 educators, students, and musicians. October: Under the direction of Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra holds a six-day residency in Havana, Cuba, involving concerts and clinics for young Cuban musicians.

2011 Pianist Marian McPartland steps down as host of NPR’s Piano Jazz, having hosted the program since 1979. 13 February: Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding becomes the first jazz artist to win the Grammy for Best New Artist. 19 July: Drummer, composer, and bandleader Terri Lynne Carrington releases The Mosaic Project, which features an all-female collection of performers including Esperanza Spalding, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Ingrid Jensen, and others.