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

Quick Facts Decade, Music ...

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

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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