This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1951. Events The first American Jazz festival takes place at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in the autumn. This festival precedes the first Newport Jazz Festival. The tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, a Coleman Hawkins influenced player, joins the group of Miles Davis. Album releases Stan Kenton: City of Glass Oscar Peterson: 1951 Shorty Rogers: Modern Sounds Lester Young: Lester Young Trio Standards Deaths January 21 – R.Q. Dickerson, American trumpeter (born 1898). February 7 – Shirley Clay, American trumpeter (born 1902). March 25 – Sid Catlett, American swinging drummer (born 1910). May 4 – Doc West, American drummer (born 1915). August 17 – Ray Wetzel, American trumpeter (born 1924). October 26 – Charlie Creath, American trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader (born 1890). December 3 – Cyril Blake, Trinidadian trumpeter (born 1900). 12 – Mildred Bailey, American singer (born 1903). 23 – Enrique Santos Discépolo, Argentine tango and milonga pianist, bandoneónist, and singer (born 1901). 26 – Vic Berton, American jazz drummer (born 1896). Unknown date Valentin Parnakh, Russian poet, translator, historian, explorer, musician, choreographer, ballet master, best remembered as a founding father of Soviet jazz (born 1891). Births January 1 – Ashwin Batish, Indian sitar and tabla player. 4 – Håkan Rydin, Swedish pianist. 9 – Idris Ackamoor, American multi-instrumentalist. 12 – Earl Howard, American saxophonist, synthesizer player and multi-instrumentalist. 14 – Mark Egan, American bass guitarist and trumpeter. 18 – Steve Grossman, American saxophonist. 30 Phil Collins, English drummer, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. Ralph Lalama, American saxophonist. February 2 – Alphonso Johnson, American bassist. 20 – Anthony Davis, American pianist and composer. 21 Herb Robertson, American trumpeter and flugelhornist. Warren Vache, American trumpeter, cornetist, and flugelhornist. 28 – Roseanna Vitro, American singer. March 3 – Lindsay Cooper, English bassoon and oboe player, composer, and political activist (died 2013). 7 – Rocco Prestia, American bassist, Tower of Power. 8 – James Williams, American pianist (died 2004). 13 Geoff Eales, Welsh pianist, improviser, and composer. Michael Jefry Stevens, American pianist. 18 – Bill Frisell, American guitarist and composer. 21 – Fred Sturm, American composer, arranger, and teacher (died 2014). 24 – Gregory B. Johnson, American pianist, Cameo. April 3 – Mitch Woods, American pianist and singer. 7 – Bob Berg, American saxophonist (died 2002). 9 – Hugh Ragin, American trumpeter. 10 – Steve Lodder, British keyboardist, composer, and organist. 15 – Bill