This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 2009.

Quick Facts Decade, Music ...

2009 in jazz
Ulf Wakenius with Youn Sun Nah, 2009.
Decade	2000s in jazz
Music	2009 in music
Standards	List of jazz standards
See also	2008 in jazz – 2010 in jazz

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January

• 17 – Whitey Mitchell, American jazz bassist and television writer/producer (born 1932).
• 20 – David "Fathead" Newman, American saxophonist (born 1933).
• 24 – Leonard Gaskin, American bassist (born 1920).
• 29 – Hank Crawford, American alto saxophonist, arranger, and songwriter (born 1934).

February

• 7 – Blossom Dearie, American jazz singer and pianist (born 1924).
• 9
  • Vic Lewis, British guitarist (born 1919).
  • Orlando "Cachaito" López, Cuban bassist and composer (born 1933).
• 12
  • Coleman Mellett, American jazz guitarist (plane crash) (born 1974).
  • Gerry Niewood, American jazz saxophonist (plane crash) (born 1943).
  • Mat Mathews, Dutch jazz accordionist (born 1924).
• 14 – Louie Bellson, American jazz drummer (born 1924).
• 15 – Joe Cuba, Puerto Rican jazz percussionist (born 1931).
• 18 – Snooks Eaglin, American guitarist and singer (born 1936).
• 19 – Harrison Ridley Jr., American jazz presenter (born 1938).
• 20 – Fats Sadi, Belgian jazz musician, vocalist and composer (born 1927).
• 25
  • Ian Carr, Scottish trumpeter, composer, writer, and educator (born 1933).
  • Lyman Woodard, American organist (born 1942).
• 27 – William L. Fowler, American jazz guitarist and educater (born 1917).
• 28 – Arthur Jenkins, American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and percussionist (born 1936).

March

• 11 – Lars Erstrand, Swedish vibraphonist (born 1936).
• 18
  • Eddie Bo, American singer and pianist (born 1930).
  • Moultrie Patten, American pianist and actor (born 1919).
• 25 – Tito Alberti, Argentine drummer (born 1923).

April

• 2 – Bud Shank, American alto saxophonist and flautist (born 1926).
• 3 – Charlie Kennedy, American alto saxophonist (born 1927).
• 7 – Gugge Hedrenius, Swedish pianist and bandleader (born 1938).
• 8 – Herbie Lovelle, American drummer (born 1924).
• 12 – Zeke Zarchy, American trumpeter (born 1915).
• 16 – Viktor Paskov, Bulgarian writer, singer, musicologist, and screenwriter (born 1949).
• 29 – Tom McGrath, Scottish playwright and pianist (born 1940).

May

• 14 – Buddy Montgomery, American jazz vibraphonist and pianist (born 1930).
• 15 – Wayman Tisdale, American basketball player and bass guitarist (born 1964).
• 21 – Uli Trepte, German upright bassist (born 1941).

June

• 3
  • Koko Taylor, American singer (born 1928).^[36]
  • Sam Butera, American tenor saxophonist (born 1927).
• 7
  • Hugh Hopper, British bass guitarist (born 1945).
  • Kenny Rankin, American singer and songwriter (born 1940).^[37]
• 10 – Jack Nimitz, American baritone saxophonist (born 1930).
• 11 – Jarmo Savolainen, Finnish pianist and composer (born 1961).
• 16
  • Charlie Mariano, American saxophonist (born 1923).
  • Tina Marsh, American jazz singer and composer (cancer) (born 1954).
• 22 – Eddie Preston, American jazz trumpeter (born 1925).
• 23 – Raymond Berthiaume, Canadian singer, producer, and composer (born 1931).

July

• 4 – Jim Chapin, American drummer (born 1919).
• 22 – Sonny Dallas, American bassist and singer (born 1931).
• 27 – George Russell, American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and theorist (born 1923).

August

• 11 – Kitty White, American singer (born 1923).
• 12 – Rashied Ali, American drummer (born 1933).
• 13 – Les Paul, American jazz guitarist and inventor of solid-body electric guitar, and multi-track recording (born 1915).
• 24 – Joe Maneri, American composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist (born 1927).
• 29 – Chris Connor, American jazz singer (born 1927).
• 31 – Eddie Higgins, American pianist, composer, and orchestrator (born 1932).

September

• 7 – Eddie Locke, American jazz drummer (born 1930).
• 8 – Luther Thomas, American alto saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist (born 1950).
• 14 – Bobby Graham, English session drummer, composer, arranger, and record producer (born 1940).
• 15 – Nunzio Rotondo, Italian trumpeter and bandleader (born 1924).

October

• 8 – Abu Talib, African-American guitarist (born 1939).
• 10 – Sonny Bradshaw, Jamaican bandleader, trumpeter, broadcaster, and promoter (born 1926).
• 13
  • Al Martino, American singer and actor (born 1927).
  • Winston Mankunku Ngozi, South African tenor saxophonist (born 1943).
• 14 – Jerry van Rooyen, Dutch trumpeter, conductor, and composer (born 1928).
• 21 – Sirone, American bassist and composer (born 1940).

November

• 6 – Kjell Bartholdsen, Norwegian saxophonist (stroke) (born 1938).^[38]
• 10 – Dick Katz, American pianist, arranger, and record producer (born 1924).
• 16 – Jeff Clyne, British bassist (born 1937).
• 20 – Billy James, American drummer (born 1936).
• 21 – Gerhard Aspheim, Norwegian trombonist (born 1930).^[39]
• 22 – Haydain Neale, Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1970).
• 24 – Hale Smith, American composer, pianist, educator, arranger, and editor (born 1925).
• 26 – Pia Beck, Dutch pianist and singer (born 1925).

December

• 8 – Su Cruickshank, Australian singer, actress, and writer (born 1946).
• 16 – Terry Pollard, American pianist and vibraphonist (born 1931).
• 20 – Pete King, British tenor saxophonist(born 1929).
• 25 – Rusty Dedrick, American trumpeter and composer (born 1918).

Unknown date

• Pocho Lapouble, Argentine drummer, composer and arranger (born 1942).

• List of 2009 albums
• List of years in jazz
• 2000s in jazz
• 2009 in music