1987 in jazz
Steve Swallow at the Münster Jazz Festival 1987
Decade	1980s in jazz
Music	1987 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1986 in jazz – 1988 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1987.

• 10 – The 14th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (April 10 – 12).^[1]

• 20 – The 15th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 20 – June 3).^[2]

• 5 – The 16th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (June 5 – 8).^[3]
• 26 – The 8th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 26 – July 6).^[4]

• 2 – The 21st Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 2 – 19).^[5]
• 10 – The 12th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 10 – 12).^[6]

• 21 – The 4th Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 21 – 23).^[7]

• 15 – The 30th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 15 – 17).^[8]

January

• 14 – Alton Purnell, American pianist (born 1911).
• 16 – Robert De Kers, Belgian trumpeter and bandleader (born 1906).

February

• 2
  • Alfred Lion, German-American record executive, Blue Note Records (born 1908).
  • Spike Hughes, British upright bassist, composer, and music journalist (born 1908).

March

• 1 – Freddie Green, American guitarist (born 1911).
• 6 – Eddie Durham, American guitarist, trombonist, composer, and arranger (born 1906).

April

• 2 – Buddy Rich, American drummer and bandleader (born 1917).
• 7 – Maxine Sullivan, American singer (born 1911).

May

• 4 — Wilbur Little, African-American bassist (born 1928).
• 12 – Victor Feldman, English pianist and percussionist (born 1934).

July

• 17 – Howard McGhee, American trumpeter (born 1918).

September

• 21 – Jaco Pastorius, American bass guitarist (born 1951).

October

• 15 – Pete Carpenter, American trombonist (born 1914).
• 29 – Woody Herman, American clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader (born 1913).

December

• 10 – Slam Stewart, American upright bassist (born 1914).
• 18 – Warne Marsh, American tenor saxophonist (born 1927).

January

• 28 – Eldar Djangirov, American pianist.

February

• 5 – Shai Maestro, Israeli pianist.
• 6 – Kaja Draksler, Slovenian pianist and composer.
• 15 – Trygve Waldemar Fiske, Norwegian upright bassist.
• 27 – Cory Henry, American organist, pianist, and music producer.

March

• 13 – Harald Lassen, Norwegian saxophonist and pianist.
• 19 – Thana Alexa, Croatian-American vocalist and composer.

April

• 11 – Joss Stone, English singer, songwriter and actress.
• 15 – Marquis Hill, American trumpeter, composer and bandleader.
• 26 – Kim-Erik Pedersen, Norwegian saxophonist.
• 30 – August Rosenbaum, Danish pianist, composer, and arranger

May

• 10 – Typh Barrow, Belgian singer, songwriter, composer and pianist.

July

• 17 – Tigran Hamasyan, Armenian pianist and composer.
• 26 – Evelina Sašenko, Lithuanian singer of Polish-Ukrainian descent.

September

• 11 – Bjørn Marius Hegge, Norwegian upright bassist and composer, Hegge.
• 18 – Luísa Sobral, Portuguese singer and songwriter.

October

• 12 – Bjørnar Kaldefoss Tveite, Norwegian upright bassist (Morning Has Occurred).
• 25 – André Drage, Norwegian drummer and composer.

November

• 12 – Jamison Ross, American drummer and vocalist.
• 13 – Hanna Paulsberg, Norwegian tenor saxophonist and composer.

December

• 12 – Marte Eberson, Norwegian pianist, keyboardist and composer.
• 25 – Julian Lage, American guitarist and composer.

Unknown date

• Anja Lauvdal, Norwegian pianist, keyboardist, and composer.
• Hanne Kalleberg, Norwegian singer and composer.
• Mario Tomić, Croatian guitarist, arranger, composer, and producer.
• Oscar Grönberg, Swedish-Norwegian pianist.
• Thea Hjelmeland, Norwegian singer and songwriter.

• 1980s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1987 in music

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1987 at All About Jazz

This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2021)