1953 in jazz
Leontyne Price from Porgy and Bess
Decade	1950s in jazz
Music	1953 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1952 in jazz – 1954 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1953.

• The musical Porgy and Bess was revived, playing in many European cities.

• Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie: Jazz at Massey Hall
• Duke Ellington: Piano Reflections
• Ben Webster: King of the Tenors
• Modern Jazz Quartet: Django
• Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy
• Jay Jay Johnson: Four Trombones
• Stan Kenton: Sketches on Standards
• Miles Davis: Blue Period
• Miles Davis: Young Man with a Horn (also known as Miles Davis, Vol. 1)
• Thelonious Monk: Thelonious
• Oscar Pettiford: The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet

April

• 23 – Peter DeRose, American Hall of Fame composer of jazz and pop music during the Tin Pan Alley era (born 1900).

May

• 16 – Django Reinhardt, French virtuoso guitarist and composer (born 1910).

June

• 3 – Mike Mosiello, Italian-born American trumpeter (born 1896).
• 26 – Julius Foss, Danish composer, organist, and guitarist (born 1879).

August

• 19 – Tiny Kahn, American drummer, arranger, and composer (born 1923).

November

• 21 – Larry Shields, American clarinetist (born 1893).

Unknown date

• Jimmy "Jammin'" Smith, American trumpet player (born 1926).

January

• 1 – Greg Carmichael, American guitarist, Acoustic Alchemy.
• 5 – Paul Wertico, American drummer.
• 6 – Jon Eberson, Norwegian guitarist and composer.
• 10 – Mike Stern, American guitarist.
• 17 – Jeff Berlin, American bassist.
• 20 – Andrew Bisset, Australian author, music educator, and singer (died 2005).
• 27 – Bob Mintzer, American saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader.
• 31 – Big Time Sarah, American singer (died 2015).

February

• 2 – Louis Sclavis, French clarinetist, bass clarinetist, and soprano saxophonist.
• 7 – T. K. Blue, American saxophonist.
• 18 – Erling Aksdal, Norwegian pianist.
• 24 – Rob Burns, English-New Zealand bass guitarist, author, and academic.
• 25 – Reggie Lucas, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2018).

March

• 1 – Gary Braith, French guitarist and composer.
• 4 – John Esposito, American pianist.
• 11 – Andy Dickens, English jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader.
• 16 – Kei Akagi, Japanese-American pianist.
• 19 – Michele Rosewoman, American pianist.
• 21 – Taborah Johnson, Canadian singer and actor.
• 22 – John Shifflett, American bassist (died 2017).^[1]
• 23 – Chaka Khan, American singer-songwriter.
• 27 – Masayoshi Takanaka, Japanese guitarist.
• 29 – Jørgen Emborg, Danish pianist.

April

• 1 – Randy Crouch, American fiddle player and multi-instrumentalist.
• 2
  • Dick Oatts, American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.
• 13
  • Charles Foster Johnson, American blogger, software developer, and guitarist.
  • Grant Geissman, American guitarist and composer.
  • Tom Olstad, Norwegian drummer.
• 16 – Kurt Maloo, Swiss singer-songwriter, composer and record producer.
• 18 – Danny Gottlieb, American drummer, Lt. Dan Band and Pat Metheny Group.
• 20 – James Chance, American saxophonist, keyboard player, songwriter, and singer.
• 24 – Trudy Silver, American pianist and composer.
• 25 – Per Kolstad, Norwegian pianist, Lava.

May

• 1
  • James Newton, American flautist.
  • Randy Halberstadt, American pianist, composer, recording artist, author, and teacher.
• 2 – James Chirillo, American guitarist, banjoist, and composer.
• 4
  • Michael Di Pasqua, American drummer and percussionist (died 2016).
  • Oleta Adams, American singer and pianist.
• 6 – Paul Dunmall, British saxophonist.
• 8 – Mike Miller, American guitarist.
• 10 – Alex Foster, American saxophonist.
• 12 – Odd Riisnæs, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 21 – Joanie Bartels, American singer.
• 22 – Jon Burr, American upright bassist and author.
• 26 – David Torn, American guitarist, composer, and producer.

June

• 2 – Vidar Johansen, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 9 – Ken Navarro, Italian-American guitarist and composer
• 26 – Gary Valente, American trombonist

July

• 3 – Bruce Kapler, American saxophonist, singer and multi-instrumentalist, CBS Orchestra.
• 8 – Ignacio Berroa, Cuban drummer.
• 10 – Attila László, Hungarian guitarist and composer.
• 13 – Sigurd Ulveseth, Norwegian upright bassist.
• 22 – Jimmy Bruno, American guitarist.
• 24 – Jon Faddis, American trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator.
• 27 – Edward Wilkerson, American composer, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, and clarinetist.

August

• 4 – Jeff Hamilton, American drummer, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
• 10 – Jennifer Leitham or Lefty, American upright bassist.
• 18 – David Benoit, American pianist, composer and producer.
• 23 – Bobby Watson, American saxophonist, composer, and educator.
• 28 – Michael Gregory, American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

September

• 1 – Don Blackman, American pianist, singer, and songwriter (died 2013).
• 2 – John Zorn, American composer, arranger, producer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist.
• 10 – Craig S. Harris, American trombonist.
• 11 – Renée Geyer, Australian singer (died 2023).
• 14 – Tom Cora, American cellist and composer (died 1998).
• 16 – Earl Klugh, American guitarist and composer.
• 26
  • Dan Knight, American pianist, composer, educator, and author.
  • Vic Juris, American guitarist (died 2019).
• 28 – Keni Burke, American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.

October

• 2
  • Big Al Carson, American singer.
  • Stein Erik Tafjord, Norwegian tubist.
• 7 – Yoshiaki Miyanoue, Japanese guitarist.
• 14 – Kazumi Watanabe, Japanese guitarist.
• 17 – Joseph Bowie, American trombonist.
• 21 – Marc Johnson American upright bassist.
• 27 – Robert Irving III, American pianist, composer, arranger and music educator.

November

• 2 – Ernest Dawkins, American saxophonist, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble.
• 3 – Azar Lawrence, American saxophonist.
• 7 – Erik Balke, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 11 – Kahil El'Zabar, American percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer.
• 13
  • Alex Coke, American saxophonist and flutist.
  • Dennis Taylor, American saxophonist and clarinetist (died 2010).
• 17 – Federico Ramos, Uruguayan guitarist, arranger, producer, and composer.
• 18 – Alan Murphy, English guitarist (died 1989).
• 27 – Lyle Mays, American pianist and composer.

December

• 5 – John Molo, American drummer and percussionist.
• 9 – Jill Saward, British singer, musician, and composer, Shakatak.
• 10
  • Diane Schuur, American singer and pianist.
  • Eugenio Colombo, Italian saxophonist and flautist, Italian Instabile Orchestra.
• 17
  • Ikue Mori, American drummer, composer, and graphic designer.
  • John Doheny, American tenor saxophonist and band leader.
• 25 – Steve Barta, American-Brazilian jazz pianist.
• 28 – Gilberto "Pulpo" Colón Jr., American pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and band leader.

Unknown date

• Darol Anger, American violinist.
• Hilario Durán, Cuban pianist.
• Kevin Toney, American pianist and composer.
• Paolo Rustichelli, Italian-American pianist, composer, and producer.
• Suzanne Davis, American pianist.

• 1950s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1953 in music

• The New Real Book, Volume I. Sher Music. 1988. ISBN 0-9614701-4-3.
• The New Real Book, Volume II. Sher Music. 1991. ISBN 0-9614701-7-8.
• The New Real Book, Volume III. Sher Music. 1995. ISBN 1-883217-30-X.
• The Real Book, Volume I (6th ed.). Hal Leonard. 2004. ISBN 0-634-06038-4.
• The Real Book, Volume II (2nd ed.). Hal Leonard. 2007. ISBN 978-1-4234-2452-9.
• The Real Book, Volume III (2nd ed.). Hal Leonard. 2006. ISBN 0-634-06136-4.
• The Real Jazz Book. Warner Bros. ISBN 978-91-85041-36-7.
• The Real Vocal Book, Volume I. Hal Leonard. 2006. ISBN 0-634-06080-5.

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1953 at All About Jazz