1 May
Shirley Horn. Born 1934.
James Newton. Born 1953.
Ira Sullivan. Born 1931.
Carlos Ward. Born 1940.

2 May 
Bing Crosby. Born 1904.
Richard "Groove" Holmes. Born 1931. 

3 May 
Jackie Chapman. Born 1949.
Jimmy Cleveland. Born 1926.
Tony DeCaprio. Born 1950.
Yank Lawson. Born 1911.
John Lewis. Born 1920.
Jimmy Merritt. Born 1926. 

4 May 
Ron Carter. Born 1937.
Maynard Ferguson. Born 1928.
Don Friedman. Born 1935.
Lars Gullin. Born 1928.
Richard Williams. Born 1931. 

5 May 
Fred Astaire. Born 1899.
Paul Barbarin. Born 1899.
Stanley Cowell. Born 1941.
Jack Walrath. Born 1946. 

6 May 
David Friesen. Born 1942. 

8 May 
Keith Jarrett. Born 1945.
Mary Lou Williams. Born 1910. 

10 May 
Ahmed Abdullah. Born 1947.
Mel Lewis. Born 1929. 

11 May 
Irving Berlin. Born 1888.
Carla Bley. Born 1938.
J C Higginbotham. Born 1906.
King Oliver. Born 1885. 

12 May 
Eddy Louiss. Born 1941.
Gary Peacock. Born 1935.
Gerald Wiggins. Born 1922. 

13 May 
Gil Evans. Born 1912.
Red Garland. Born 1923.
Woody Herman. Born 1913.
Maxine Sullivan. Born 1911. 

14 May 
Sidney Bechet. Born 1897. 

15 May 
Edmond Hall. Born 1901.
Ellis Larkins. Born 1923. 

16 May 
Eddie Bert. Born 1922.
Betty Carter. Born 1930.
Billy Cobham. Born 1946.
Michael Moore. Born 1945. 

17 May 
David Izenzon. Born 1932.
Jackie McLean. Born 1932.
Paul Quinichette. Born 1916.
Dewey Redman. Born 1931.
Peter Trunk. Born 1936. 

18 May 
Pops Foster. Born 1892.
Big Joe Turner. Born 1911.
Kai Winding. Born 1922.
Mike Zwerin. Born 1930. 

19 May 
George Auld. Born 1919.
Sonny Fortune. Born 1939.
Cecil McBee. Born 1935.
Tom Scott. Born 1948. 

20 May 
Jimmy Blythe. Born January 1901.
Charles Davis. Born 1933.
Bob Florence. Born 1932.
Rufus Harley. Born 1936.
Ralph Peterson. Born 1962. 

21 May 
Lawrence Marable. Born 1929.
Christian McBride. Born 1972.
Fats Waller. Born 1904. 

22 May
Sun Ra. Born 1914. 

23 May 
Richie Beirach. Born 1947.
Rosemary Clooney. Born 1928.
Famoudou Don Moye. Born 1946.
Ken Peplowski. Born 1959.
Randy Sandke. Born 1949.
Artie Shaw. Born 1910.
Marvin Stamm. Born 1939. 

24 May 
Charles Earland. Born 1941.
Archie Shepp. Born 1937. 

25 May 
Marshall Allen. Born 1924.
Jimmy Hamilton. Born 1917.
Phil Ranelin. Born 1939.
Wallace Roney. Born 1960. 

26 May 
Shorty Baker. Born 1914.
Miles Davis. Born 1926.
Lew Tabackin. Born 1940. 

27 May 
A. Spencer Barefield. Born 1953.
Russel Blake. Born 1961.
Dee Dee Bridgewater. Born 1950.
Ramsey Lewis. Born 1935.
Albert Nicholas. Born 1900.
Niels-Henning Ørsted-Pedersen. Born 1946.
Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Born 1963.
Bud Shank. Born 1926. 

28 May 
Russ Freeman. Born 1926.
Andy Kirk. Born 1898.
Tommy Ladnier. Born 1900. 

29 May 
Freddie Redd. Born 1927.
Hilton Ruiz. Born 1952.
Kenny Washington. Born 1958.
Eugene Wright. Born 1923. 

30 May 
Harry Beckett. Born 1935.
Sidney de Paris. Born 1905.
Benny Goodman. Born 1909.
Dave McKenna. Born 1930. 

31 May 
Otto Hardwicke. Born 1904.
Louis Hayes. Born 1937.
Red Holloway. Born 1927