January

February

March

• Blue Note Entertainment Group expands into China, opening a location in Beijing^[1]

April

• April 15-April 24 - The 2016 Coachella event occurs. Jazz musicians in attendance include Kamasi Washington, and GoGo Penguin^[2]

May

June

July

August

September

• 24-26 - The Joy of Jazz Festival, one of the premiere Jazz festivals in South Africa, occurs^[3]

October

November

December

January

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Unknown date

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A

• Quiet Revolution (Newvelle) by Ben Allison solo piano (vinyl LP).^[117]

D

• Return (Newvelle) by Jack DeJohnette solo piano (vinyl LP).^[118]

F

• Strength and Sanity (Newvelle) by Don Friedman Piano Trio (vinyl LP).^[119]

K

• Meantime (Newvelle) by Frank Kimbrough (vinyl LP).^[120]

P

• Some Other Time (Newvelle) by Noah Preminger (vinyl LP).^[121]

January

• 3 – Paul Bley, Canadian pianist (born 1932).^[122]
• 4 – Long John Hunter, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (born 1931).^[123]
• 6 – Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros, Cuban trumpeter(born 1928).
• 7 – Alan Haven, English organist (born 1935).
• 16 – Hubert Giraud, French composer and lyricist (born 1920).
• 31 – Janusz Muniak, Polish saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer (born 1941).

February

• 4 – Maurice White, American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and bandleader, Earth, Wind & Fire (born 1941).
• 19 – Harald Devold, Norwegian saxophonist (cancer) (born 1964.^[124]
• 25 – John Chilton, British trumpeter and writer (born 1932).

March

• 9 – Naná Vasconcelos, Brazilian percussionist (born 1944).^[125]
• 10
  • Ernestine Anderson, American jazz and blues singer (born 1928).
  • Keith Emerson, English pianist and keyboardist (suicide), Emerson, Lake & Palmer (born 1944).^[126]
• 11 – Joe Ascione, American drummer (born 1961).
• 15 – Ryo Fukui, Japanese pianist (born 1948).
• 16 – Frank Sinatra Jr., American singer, songwriter, and conductor (born 1944).^[127]
• 22 – Selçuk Sun, Turkish upright bassist and composer (born 1934).
• 24 – Roger Cicero, German singer and songwriter (born 1970).^[128]
• 26 – David Baker, American symphonic jazz composer (born 1931).

April

• 2 – Gato Barbieri, Argentine saxophonist (born 1932).^[129]
• 3
  • Bill Henderson, American singer and actor (born 1926).^[130]
  • Don Francks, Canadian singer and actor (born 1932).^[131]
• 4 – Getatchew Mekurya, Ethiopian saxophonist (born 1935).^[132]
• 5 – Zena Latto, American clarinetist and saxophonist (born 1925).
• 6 – Dennis Davis, American drummer (cancer) (born 1949).^[133]
• 13
  • Jeremy Steig, American flautist (born 1942).
  • Mariano Mores, Argentine tango composer and pianist (born 1918).^[134]
  • Pete Yellin, American saxophonist and educator (born 1941).
• 21 – Prince Rogers Nelson, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (born 1958).^[135]
• 24
  • Billy Paul, Congolese singer and musician (born 1934).^[136]
  • Papa Wemba, American soul singer (born 1949).^[137]

May

• 1 – Doug Raney, American guitarist (born 1956).
• 6
  • Candye Kane, American singer and entertainer (pancreatic cancer) (born 1961).^[138]
  • Johannes Bauer, German trombonist (born 1954).
• 11 – Joe Temperley, Scottish saxophonist (born 1929).
• 13 – Buster Cooper, American trombonist (born 1929).
• 16 – Fredrik Norén, Swedish drummer and band leader (born 1941).^[139]

June

• 8 – Terje Fjærn, orchestra conductor ("La det swinge") (born 1942).^[140]
• 16 – Charles Thompson, American swing and bebop pianist, and organist, composer (born 1918).
• 17 – Willy Andresen, Norwegian pianist and band leader (born 1921).^[141]
• 21 – Pat Friday, American singer (born 1921).
• 23 – Shelley Moore, English-born American singer (born 1932).
• 24 – Bernie Worrell, American keyboarder and composer, Parliament-Funkadelic (born 1944).
• 26 – Mike Pedicin, American saxophonist and bandleader (born 1917).^[142]
• 30 – Don Friedman, American pianist (born 1935).

July

• 15
  • Charles Davis, American saxophonist and composer (born 1933).
  • Roland Prince, Antiguan guitarist (born 1946).
• 16 – Claude Williamson, American pianist (born 1926).
• 167 – Peter Appleyard, British–Canadian vibraphonist, percussionist, and composer (born 1928).
• 22 – Dominic Duval, American free jazz bassist (born 1944).
• 31 – Jon Klette, Norwegian saxophonist (born 1962).^[143]

August

• 5 – David Attwooll, British drummer, poet, and publisher, Henry Cow (born 1949).
• 6 – Pete Fountain, American clarinetist (born 1930).^[144]
• 13 – Connie Crothers, American pianist (cancer) (born 1941).^[145]
• 15 – Bobby Hutcherson, American vibraphone and marimba player (born 1941).^[146]
• 17 – John Fischer, American pianist, composer, and visual artist (born 1930).
• 18 – Fred Nøddelund, Norwegian flugelhornist and band leader (born 1947).^[147]
• 19
  • Derek Smith, British pianist (born 1931).
  • Horacio Salgán, Argentine tango pianist (born 1916).^[148]
• 20
  • Irving Fields, American pianist and lounge music artist(born 1915).^[149]
  • Louis Stewart, American guitarist (born 1944).
• 22 – Toots Thielemans, Belgian and American harmonica player and guitarist (born 1922).^[150]
• 25 – Rudy Van Gelder, American recording engineer (born 1924).^[151]
• 29 – Michael Di Pasqua, American drummer and percussionist (cancer) (born 1953).^[152]

September

• 24 – Buckwheat Zydeco, American accordionist and zydeco musician (lung cancer) (born 1947).^[153]
• 26 – Karel Růžička, Czech jazz pianist, composer, and music teacher (born 1940).

October

• 2 – Steve Byrd, English guitarist, Gillan and Kim Wilde (heart attack) (born 1955).^[154]
• 13 – Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thai monarch and saxophonist (born 1927).
• 18 – Mike Daniels, British trumpeter and bandleader (born 1928).
• 24 – Shirley Bunnie Foy, American singer, songwriter, and percussionist (born 1936).
• 27 – Bobby Wellins, Scottish tenor saxophonist (born 1936).

November

• 1 – Pocho La Pantera, Argentine cumbia singer (born 1950).
• 2 – Bob Cranshaw, American bassist (born 1932).
• 3 – Kay Starr, American singer (complications of Alzheimer's disease) (born 1922).
• 9 – Al Caiola, American guitarist, composer, and arranger (born 1920).
• 11 – Victor Bailey, American bass guitarist (born 1960).
• 12 – Guilherme Franco, Brazilian percussionist (born 1946).
• 13 – Leon Russell, American musician and songwriter (born 1942).
• 15 – Mose Allison, American pianist and singer (born 1927).^[155]
• 20 – Hod O'Brien, American pianist (born 1936).
• 24 – Chuck Flores, American drummer (born 1935).
• 28 – Carlton Kitto, Indian guitarist (born 1942).
• 30 – Ivar Thomassen, Norwegian folk singer, songwriter, and jazz pianist (born 1954).^[156]

December

• 6
  • Alonzo Levister, American composer, arranger, music producer, and pianist (born 1925).
  • Michael White, American violinist (born 1933).
• 7 – Greg Lake, English guitarist, bassist, singer, songwriter, and music producer (born 1947).^[157]
• 15 – Dave Shepherd, English clarinetist (born 1929).
• 18 – Léo Marjane, French singer (born 1912).
• 21 – Betty Loo Taylor, Hawaii-American pianist (born 1929).
• 23 – Carlos Averhoff, Cuban tenor saxophonist (born 1947).
• 26 – Alphonse Mouzon, American drummer and the owner of Tenacious Records (born 1948).^[158]
• 28 – Knut Kiesewetter, German trombonist, singer, songwriter, and producer (born 1941).