Photo provided Portrait of Rob Dixon
The popular JazzIN Columbus series is returning for an encore season with four upcoming performances this year. This year’s season will feature well-known jazz artists of Indiana, beginning with saxophonist Rob Dixon and Triology on June 12.
Based in Indianapolis, Dixon said his interest in music began when a high school fusion band came to perform when he was in elementary school. He said he was enamored with the group and their ability to play their instruments, and that had inspired him to play an instrument.
Dixon later moved to New York City in the 1990s, and it was there where he worked with legendary artists like Tony Bennett, Slide Hampton, the Count Basie Big Band and many more, according to indyjazzfoundation.org. He then moved back to Indianapolis in 2003, where he had the idea to create a horn funk band that had a jazz core. That idea led to him founding the band Triology in 2005, which he said began as a contemporary jazz fusion band.
However, that initial concept evolved over the years as they began incorporating elements of different genres like rock, R&B, blues, folk and hip hop into the band all while retaining a jazz core, Dixon said. He said they also began experimenting with song forms that lean towards a certain genre.
“I had a vision and it kind of morphed into something that I had not had a vision for, which is actually pretty cool,” Dixon said.
Triology consists of Dixon on saxophone, bassist Brandon Meeks, drummer Richard Floyd and keyboardists Steven Jones and Shawn McGowan, and they will also be joined by a guitarist at their Columbus performance. The band has performed throughout the Midwest region and a few of its members have performed in Texas, but Dixon said this will be Triology’s first time playing in Columbus.
Their upcoming JazzIN Columbus performance will feature original compositions from their oldest record in addition to debuting some new music, Dixon said. He said he looks forward to having the full six or seven member band performing for the band’s debut Columbus performance and to perform in front of a new audience.
“I think (the audience will) look forward to having a high energy fusion jazz band playing for them… if they want to dance, they’ll be able to dance to this music, but they’ll be able to listen, enjoy it and I think it’s a great outdoor band. I think it’s designed for outdoors because it’s kind of high energy,” Dixon said. “So high energy, danceable ensemble to listen to.”
Rob Dixon and Triology’s JazzIN Columbus concert will take place on June 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Fourth Street between Washington and Franklin Street. All concerts in the series are free and open to the public.
JazzIN Columbus debuted last summer with The Blue Side group. Other JazzIN Columbus performances in the 2025 series include the Kenny Phelps Quartet on July 10, Steve Allee and the Magic Hour Band on Aug. 14 and Pavel and Direct Contact on Sept. 18.
The series is sponsored in partnership with the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, the Office of Downtown Development, the Columbus Area Visitors Center, the Columbus Museum of Art & Design and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.
