1970 in jazz

January

• 16 – Lem Davis, American alto saxophonist (born 1914).
• 17 – Billy Stewart, American singer, drummer, and pianist (born 1937).

March

• 2 – Emile Barnes, American clarinetist (born 1892).
• 21 – Jack Sels, Belgian saxophonist and composer (born 1922).

April

• 10 – Ralph Escudero, Puerto Rican bassist and tubist (born 1898).
• 20 – Perry Bradford, African-American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer (born 1893).

May

• 10 – Frankie Lee Sims, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1917).
• 11 – Johnny Hodges, American alto saxophonist (born 1906).
• 24 – Cliff Jackson, American pianist (born 1902).

June

• 16 – Lonnie Johnson, American singer and guitarist (born 1899).

July

• 26 – Fernando Arbello, Puerto Rican trombonist (born 1907).
• 31 – Booker Ervin, American saxophonist (born 1930).

August

• 4 – Scoops Carry, American saxophonist and clarinetist (born 1915).
• 5 – Otto Hardwick, American saxophonist (born 1904).

September

• 18 – Maxwell Davis, American saxophonist, arranger, and record producer (born 1916).

October

• 11 – Phil Spitalny, American bandleader (born 1890).
• 12 – Barney Rapp, American drummer and orchestra leader (born 1900).

November

• 20 – Don Stovall, American alto saxophonist (born 1913).
• 25 – Albert Ayler, American saxophonist and singer (born 1936).

December

• 14 – Elmer Schoebel, American pianist and composer (born 1896).

Eldbjørg Raknes at the 2007 Moers Festival.

Live Maria Roggen at Sentralen during the 2016 Oslo Jazzfestival.

Yinka Davies 2005.

Ingrid Laubrock 2006.

Susie Ibarra 2014.

January

• 1 – Karen Souza, Argentin singer.
• 4 – Michel Bisceglia, Belgian pianist.
• 5 – Jesper Bodilsen, Danish upright bassist.
• 19 – Iiro Rantala, Finnish pianist, Trio Töykeät.
• 24 – Adam Pierończyk, Polish saxophonist and composer.

February

• 9 – Eldbjørg Raknes, Norwegian singer.
• 13 – Adam Cruz, American drummer.
• 20
  • Craig Taborn, American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer.
  • Éric Legnini, Belgian pianist and bandleader.
• 27 – Lina Nyberg, Swedish singer and composer.

March

• 11 – Justin Hayford, American singer and pianist.
• 19 – Harald Johnsen, Norwegian upright bassist (died 2011).
• 22 – Live Maria Roggen, Norwegian singer and composer, Come Shine.

April

• 1 – Tone Lise Moberg, Norwegian singer.
• 15 – Michael Schiefel, German singer.
• 20 – Avishai Cohen, Israeli bassist, composer, singer and arranger.
• 25 – Kjersti Stubø, Norwegian singer.

May

• 1 – Sacha Perry, American pianist and composer.[5]
• 4
  • Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian pianist.
  • Jeremy Davenport, American trumpeter and singer.
• 6 – Juliet Kelly, British singer and songwriter.[6]
• 22 – Jimmy Bennington, American drummer.

June

• 2 – Matt Garrison, American bassist.
• 10 – Dwayne Burno, American upright bassist (died 2013).
• 12 – Dave Maric, British composer and musician.
• 13 – Ron Westray, American trombonist, composer and educator.
• 16 – Gregory Hutchinson, American drummer.
• 21 – Eric Reed, American pianist and composer.
• 22 – Goran Kajfeš, Swedish trumpeter.
• 24 – Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese pianist and film composer (died 2012).

July

• 6
  • Médéric Collignon, French vocalist, cornettist and saxhorn player.
  • Roger Cicero, German singer (died 2016).
• 13 – Glenn Corneille, Dutch pianist (died 2005).
• 14 – Jacob Young, Norwegian guitarist.
• 15 – Frank McComb, American soul singer and pianist.
• 16 – Yinka Davies, Nigerian vocalist, dancer, and lyricist.
• 17 – Alvester Garnett, American drummer.
• 25 – Brian Blade, American drummer, composer and singer-songwriter.
• 30 – Susanne Abbuehl, Swiss-Dutch singer.

August

• 1 – Kishon Khan, Bangladeshi-British pianist, composer, arranger, and music producer.
• 21
  • Marlon Jordan, American trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.
  • Simone Eriksrud, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 22 – Erik van der Luijt, Dutch pianist, composer, and band leader.
• 23 – Brad Mehldau, American pianist, composer, and band leader.
• 24 – Chris Tarry, Canadian bass guitarist.

, September

• 3 – Haydain Neale, Canadian singer-songwriter (died 2009).
• 24 – Ingrid Laubrock, German soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophonist.
• 28 – Neil Yates, British trumpeter.

October

• 5 – Tord Gustavsen (October 5), Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 8 – Maria Kannegaard, Danish-born Norwegian pianist.
• 16 – Heine Totland, Norwegian singer.
• 19 – Jacob Karlzon, Swedish pianist and composer.
• 20 – Håvard Lund, Norwegian clarinetist and saxophonist.
• 22 – Manuel Mota, Portuguese guitarist.
• 23 – Tobias Sjögren, Swedish guitarist and composer.
• 24 – Jesse Harris, American singer-songwriter.
• 28 – Kurt Rosenwinkel (October 28), American guitarist and keyboardist.
• 29 – Toby Smith, British keyboardist and songwriter for Jamiroquai (died 2017).

November

• 15 – Susie Ibarra, American composer and percussionist.
• 20 – Geoffrey Keezer, American pianist.
• 22 – Chris Fryar, American drummer.

December

• 14 – Anna Maria Jopek, Polish singer.
• 18 – Norman Brown, American guitarist.
• 24 – Marco Minnemann, German drummer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.

Unknown date

• Andreas Paolo Perger, Austrian guitarist, improviser, and composer.
• Anna Mjöll, Icelandic singer and songwriter.
• Dominic Green, British writer and guitarist.
• Kate McGarry, American singer.
• Keith Anderson, American saxophonist.
• Lullaby Baxter, Canadian singer.
• Matt Lavelle, American trumpet, flugelhorn and bass clarinet player.
• Peter Martin, American pianist.
• Tom Brantley, American trombonist.

• 1970s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1970 in music

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1970 at All About Jazz