This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2015.

January

• 1 – Jeff Golub, American guitarist (born 1955).
• 3 – Ivan Jullien, French trumpeter (born 1934).
• 4 – Pino Daniele, Italian singer, songwriter, and guitarist (born 1955).
• 19 – Ward Swingle, American vocalist and pianist, The Swingle Singers (born 1927).

February

• 3 – William Thomas McKinley, American composer and pianist (born 1938).
• 12 – Richie Pratt, American drummer (born 1943).
• 21 – Clark Terry, American trumpeter (born 1920).^[112]
• 22 – Erik Amundsen, Norwegian upright bassist (born 1937).^[113]

March

• 8 – Lew Soloff, American trumpeter, composer, and actor (born 1944).
• 13 – Daevid Allen, Australian poet, guitarist, singer, composer, and performance artist, Soft Machine and Gong (born 1938).
• 15
  • Bob Parlocha, American saxophonist and gourmet cook (born 1938).
  • Mike Porcaro, American bassist, Toto (born 1955).
• 20 – Paul Jeffrey, American tenor saxophonist, arranger, and educator (born 1933).
• 21 – Jørgen Ingmann, Danish guitarist (born 1925).^[114]
• 26 – John Renbourn, English guitarist and songwriter (born 1944).
• 27 – Johnny Helms, American trumpeter and bandleader (born 1935).
• 31 – Ralph Sharon, Anglo-American pianist and arranger (born 1923).

April

• 6 – Milton DeLugg, American pianoist, accordionist, and composer (born 1918).^[115]
• 27 – Marty Napoleon, American pianist (born 1921).

May

• 3 – Ben Aronov, American pianist (born 1932).
• 6 – Jerome Cooper, American drummer (born 1946).
• 14 – B.B. King, American guitarist (born 1925).^[116]
• 20
  • Bob Belden, American saxophonist (born 1956).^[117]
  • Simon Flem Devold, Norwegian clarinetist and columnist (born 1927).^[118]
• 23 – Marcus Belgrave, American trumpeter (born 1936).^[119]
• 28 – Ray Kennedy, American pianist (born 1957).
• 31 – Slim Richey, American guitarist (born 1938).^[120]

June

• 8 – Paul Bacon, American musician and book and album cover designer (born 1923).
• 9 – James Last, German composer and big band leader, James Last Orchestra (born 1929).
• 11 – Ornette Coleman, American saxophonist (born 1930).^[121]
• 12 – Monica Lewis, American singer and actress (born 1922).^[122]
• 13 – Big Time Sarah, American singer (born 1953).
• 19 – Harold Battiste, American saxophonist, pianist, and composer (born 1931).
• 21 – Gunther Schuller, American composer, conductor, and horn player (born 1925).^[123]
• 30 – Eddy Louiss, French Hammond organist, Les Double Six (born 1941).

July

• 6 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese jazz pianist and composer (born 1939).
• 15 – Howard Rumsey, American upright bassist (born 1917).^[124]
• 17 – John Taylor, British pianist and composer (born 1942).
• 19 – Van Alexander, American bandleader, arranger, and composer (born 1915).^[125]

August

• 13 – Harold Ousley, American tenor saxophonist and flautist (born 1929).
• 14 – Jazz Summers, British music manager (lung cancer), Scissor Sisters, The Verve, and Snow Patrol (born 1944).^[126]
• 30 – Hugo Rasmussen, Danish bassist (born 1941).

September

• 27 – Wilton Felder, American saxophonist and bassist, The Crusaders (born 1940).
• 29 – Phil Woods, American saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer (born 1931).^[127]

October

• 3 – Dave Pike, American vibraphone and marimba player (born 1938).
• 9 – Larry Rosen, American drummer, entrepreneur, and music producer (born 1940).^[128]
• 20 – Don Rendell, English saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist (born 1926).
• 22 – Mark Murphy, American singer (born 1932).^[129]
• 24 – Nat Peck, American trombonist (born 1925).

November

• 5
  • Kjell Öhman, Swedish pianist, hammond organist, and accordionist (born 1943).
  • Nora Brockstedt, Norwegian singer (born 1923).^[130]
• 9 – Andy White, Scottish drummer (born 1930).
• 17 – Al Aarons, American trumpeter (born 1932).
• 23
  • Bengt-Arne Wallin, Swedish composer, arrangeur, trumpeter, and flugelhornist (born 1926).
  • Cynthia Robinson, American trumpeter and vocalist, Sly and the Family Stone (born 1944).
• 25 – Svein Christiansen, Norwegian drummer (born 1941).^[131]

December

• 9 – Rusty Jones, American drummer (born 1942).
• 28 – Joe Houston, American tenor saxophonist (born 1926).
• 31
  • Natalie Cole, American singer, songwriter, and actress (congestive heart failure) (born 1950).^[132]
  • Dal Richards, Canadian big band leader (born 1918).^[133]

• List of 2015 albums
• List of years in jazz
• 2010s in jazz
• 2015 in music