Indianapolis’ jazz legacy is one of the finest in the nation.
Area musicians have brought innovation to the genre for more than a century, and today’s crop of talent continues to challenge listeners. The annual Indy Jazz Fest is a showcase for both the past and the future of the music.
So a global pandemic wasn’t going to keep local artists from celebrating the music they love.
“Indy Jazz Fest is one of the times during the year when we as musicians can all get together, whether that’s on the bandstand or just hanging out waiting for our set. That’s a very special, almost sacred time for us,” said Jared Thompson, a jazz saxophonist and band leader. “That’s not really an option this year, so to be able to be chosen to create something that helps to embody that means a lot.”
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The Indy Jazz Fest will go on this year, just in a new way. “Celebrate Naptown” is an all-virtual four-part concert series features the best of the Indianapolis jazz scene, including an all-star mashup concert, as well as new compositions from exciting musicians such as Native Sun, Charlie Ballantine and Jared Thompson & Premium Blend.
The online concerts will be released free of charge, while viewers are asked to consider a donation to help reach organizers’ overall fundraising goal of $25,000 to support music and musicians throughout the area.
“The year 2020 has produced a multitude of emotions,” said David Allee, Indy Jazz Fest director and owner of the Jazz Kitchen. “These works will provide an emotional look at the way these artists’ mentors and society have affected their artistry. Ultimately, we view these concerts and commissions as the perfect way to continue the crucial support of our artists right here in Indianapolis as we continue to navigate through the challenges brought forth by the pandemic, racial tensions, and a year of introspection.”
The online concerts will be available for viewing online at IndyJazzFest.net and via the organizations’ Facebook Live and YouTube platforms.
Festival performances kicked off Friday, with the showing of the “Celebrate Naptown All Star Show.” More than 25 local musicians gathered safely in Garfield Park’s historic MacAllister Amphitheater in the summer for the taping of the show.
In addition, festival organizers commissioned three different musicians to create brand new performances. Through the Indy Jazz Fest Commission Series, the works provide an emotional look at the way these artists’ mentors and society have affected their artistry, as well as spotlight the challenges brought forth by the pandemic, racial tensions and a year of introspection, said Rob Dixon, artistic and education director for the Indy Jazz Fest.
“Jazz by nature is a very creative and adaptive art form. We didn’t really alter a lot of it, we just recorded it and packaged it. So we’re definitely exploring some new things we haven’t done before,” he said. “But the gist of it is, great musicians are performing and we’re trying our best to get it to the audience to enjoy it.”
The hip-hop trio Native Sun, consisting of Richard Floyd on drums, Brandon Meeks on bass and MC Bobby Young, put together the suite “Legalize Being Black.” Their compositions, which aired on Saturday, addressed the Black Lives Matter movement and the worldwide recent protests of police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd.
Jazz scene mainstay Ballantine has put together a performance honoring one of Indianapolis’ favorite literary figures. “Vonnegut” features original compositions inspired by the works of the celebrated writer, in conjunction with the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library. Ballantine’s recording will be shown at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
The final performance of the festival comes from Thompson and his band Premium Blend. When the opportunity to be part of the Commission Series came up, Thompson and guitarist Ryan Taylor started planning on a suite of performances to put together. They enlisted 17 different artists — jazz musicians, hip-hop artists, spoken word performers, authors and others — to get their take on the different issues facing the community.
“38th & Post Modernism” examines a part of the city in many people elicits negative connotations, Thompson said. But under that superficial surface lies a tight-knit community that is more dynamic that people realize.
The piece addresses the complex narrative of systemic racism as it pertains to the black communities in Indianapolis today.
“Some of these are artists live on the far eastside, they perform on the far eastside, so it humanizes that area, that everything that goes on over there isn’t terrible,” Thompson said. “These are areas of the city where artists do live, where they create, where they inspire, where they try to be the change. We wanted to hear from them.”
The documentary featuring interviews with these different artists, as well as the soundtrack by Premium Blend, will be shown at 8 p.m. Nov. 21. Seeing it all come together has been rewarding and refreshing in a difficult year, Thompson said.
“I hope it resonates in a way that it’s intended,” he said. “The most important thing about the project is, the intention is not to persuade or indict or absolve or answer some kind of universal truth. It literally is a product that represents Indianapolis, this is Indianapolis art, in a year where there are so many issues going on that affect people.”
All of the performances of the Indy Jazz Fest are free to watch, as organizers want to ensure that the music is heard by as many people as possible. Still, the festival also wants to support the city’s thriving music scene.
People are encouraged to donate at the Indy Jazz Fest website.
“We have an obligation to the arts and the jazz community here in Indianapolis. These guys were the first ones where their gigs all got shut down and they’re still not really back. If there is anything we can do to salvage some of that income for them, then we’re all about it,” Dixon said.
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Indy Jazz Fest
What: An annual event celebrating the legacy of Indianapolis’ jazz scene. This year’s event will be all virtual, with a four-part concert series which started Friday.
Schedule
“Legalize Being Black” — Native Sun, 8 p.m. Nov. 14. The hip-hop trio featuring Richard Floyd (drums) Brandon Meeks (bass) and Bobby Young (MC) present a hip-hop/jazz suite addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and the worldwide recent protests of police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd.
“Vonnegut” — Charlie Ballantine, 8 p.m. Nov. 20. In partnership with the Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, Ballantine will present the performance of original compositions inspired by the works of celebrated Indianapolis writer Kurt Vonnegut.
“38th and Post Modernism” — Jared Thompson & Premium Blend, 8 p.m. Nov. 21. Thompson & Premium Blend present an original music suite that addresses the complex narrative of systemic racism as it pertains to the black communities in Indianapolis today.
How to watch: The concerts will be available for viewing online at IndyJazzFest.net and via the organizations’ Facebook Live and YouTube platforms.
How to help: The online concerts will be released free of charge and viewers will be asked to consider a donation to help reach the overall fundraising goal of $25,000 to support local music initiatives. Go to IndyJazzFest.net to donate.
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