1985 in jazz
Ornette Coleman's Prime Time at the Caravan of Dream in 1985
Decade	1980s in jazz
Music	1985 in music
Standards	List of post-1950 jazz standards
See also	1984 in jazz – 1986 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1985.

• 29 – The 12th Vossajazz started in Voss, Norway (March 29 – 31).^[1]

• 24 – 14th Moers Festival started in Moers, Germany (May 24 – 27).^[2]
• 22 – 13th Nattjazz started in Bergen, Norway (May 22 – June 5).^[3]

• 28 – The 6th Montreal International Jazz Festival started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (June 28 – July 7).^[4]

• 4 – The 19th Montreux Jazz Festival started in Montreux, Switzerland (July 4 – 20).^[5]
• 12 – The 10th North Sea Jazz Festival started in The Hague, Netherlands (July 12 – 14).^[6]

• 16 – The 2nd Brecon Jazz Festival started in Brecon, Wales (April 16 – 18).^[7]

• 20 – The 28th Monterey Jazz Festival started in Monterey, California (September 20 – 22).^[8]

January

• 7 – Johnny Guarnieri, American pianist (born 1917).
• 10 – Cie Frazier, American drummer (born 1904).
• 11 – Kenny Clare, English drummer (born 1929).
• 18 – Georgie Stoll, American musical director, conductor, composer, and violinist (born 1905).
• 26 – Kenny Clarke, American drummer and bandleader (born 1914).

February

• 22 – Frank Traynor, Australian trombonist and entrepreneur (born 1927).
• 27 – Ray Ellington, English singer, drummer, and bandleader (born 1916).

March

• 13 – Annette Hanshaw, American singer (born 1901).
• 23 – Zoot Sims, American saxophonist (born 1925).
• 30 – Shizuko Kasagi, Japanese singer (born 1914).

April

• 21 – Irving Mills, American music publisher, musician, lyricist, and jazz artist promoter (born 1894).

May

• 2 – Larry Clinton, American trumpeter, bandleader, and songwriter (born 1909).
• 24 – Joe Darensbourg, American clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1906).
• 27 – Skeeter Best, American guitarist (born 1914).

June

• 15 – David "Buck" Wheat, American bassist, songwriter and recording artist (born 1922).

July

• 1
  • Dick Vance, American trumpeter (born 1915).
  • Lonnie Hillyer, American trumpeter (born 1940).
• 4 – Chris Woods, American alto saxophonist (born 1925).
• 11 – George Duvivier, American upright bassist (born 1920).

August

• 1 – Sam Wooding, American pianist, arranger, and bandleader (born 1895).
• 11 – Nick Ceroli, American drummer (born 1939).
• 19 – Cedric Wallace, American upright bassist (born 1909).
• 30 – Philly Joe Jones, American drummer (born 1923).

September

• 3 – Jo Jones, American drummer (born 1911).
• 6
  • Johnny Desmond, American singer (born 1919).
  • Little Brother Montgomery, American pianist and singer (born 1906).
• 15 – Cootie Williams, American trumpeter (born 1911).
• 18 – Ed Lewis, American trumpeter (born 1909).
• 19 – Charlie Holmes, American alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era (born 1910).
• George Clarke, American tenor saxophonist (born 1911).

October

• 12 – Blind John Davis, African American, blues, jazz and boogie-woogie pianist and singer (born 1913).
• Nelson Boyd, American bassist (born 1928).

November

• 4 – Richard Williams, American trumpeter (born 1931).
• 12 – Dicky Wells, American trombonist (born 1907).
• 13 – Max Miller, American pianist and vibraphonist (born 1911).
• 24 – Big Joe Turner, American blues shouter (born 1911).

December

• 9
  • Calvin Jackson, American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1919).
  • Charlie Munro, American reedist and flautist (born 1917).
• 28 – Benny Morton, American trombonist most associated with the swing genre (born 1907).

Unknown date

• Leon Prima, American trumpeter (born 1907).

January

• 2
  • André Roligheten, Norwegian saxophonist and composer.
  • Marius Neset, Norwegian saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.
• 11 – Newton Faulkner, English singer-songwriter and musician.
• 29 – Jon Rune Strøm, Norwegian upright bassist, and bass guitarist.

February

• 2 – Melody Gardot, American singer, writer and musician.
• 8 – Dario Chiazzolino, Italian guitarist and composer.
• 19 – Kristoffer Lo, Norwegian tubist, flugabonist, guitarist, and composer.

March

• 5 – Eyolf Dale, Norwegian pianist and composer.

May

• 3 – Louis Cato, American drummer, bassist, guitarist, singer, and composer.

• 14 – Tore Sandbakken, Norwegian drummer and composer.

June

• 12 – Olivia Trummer, German pianist, vocalist, and composer.
• 20 – Ellen Brekken, Norwegian upright bassist, guitar bassist, and tubist.

July

• 18 – Theo Croker, American trumpeter, singer, and bandleader from Leesburg, Florida.
• 22 – Camila Meza, Chilean singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• 25 – Tom Harrison, British alto saxophonist and flautist.
• 31 – Aaron Weinstein, American violinist and mandolinist.

August

• 14 – David Six, Austrian pianist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.
• 22 – Kim Johannesen, Norwegian guitarist.
• 30 – Rachael Price, American vocalist from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

September

• 10 – Live Foyn Friis, Norwegian singer and composer.
• 22 – Aaron Diehl, American pianist.

October

• 7 – Alfredo Rodríguez, Cuban pianist and composer.
• 15 – Øystein Skar, Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 29 – Ximena Sariñana, Mexican singer-songwriter and actress

December

• 19 – Ine Hoem, Norwegian singer.
• 29 – Alexa Ray Joel, American singer, songwriter and pianist.

Unknown date

• Paul Carnegie-Jones, New Zealand pianist.
• Per Arne Ferner, Norwegian guitarist.

• 1980s in jazz
• List of years in jazz
• 1985 in music

• History Of Jazz Timeline: 1985 at All About Jazz

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