A quarter century on the music scene in Indianapolis, Indy Jazz Fest 2023 presented a lineup of concerts across two weeks in late September with a diversity of international, national, and regional performers, various venues across our city, and offering the many threads of jazz from BeBop to Latin jazz to touches of soul and even rock.

Pat Metheny’s solo concert last night will be one of those concerts talked about for years. Although almost impossible to truly describe in a word, it was spectacular. You could feel it from the crowd that lingered in the Clowes Hall lobby as their conversations attempted to share what they had just experienced. This audience was there for Metheny – the silence, the respect for no cell phone videos, and the deafening applause – this was an audience that knew who they had come to hear.

Two-time GRAMMY-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and 7-string guitar phenom Charlie Hunter teamed up for the release of their album SuperBlue in late 2021 with grand success. Now on tour and making a welcome stop during Indy Jazz Fest, Elling and Hunter’s band hit the stage at The Cabaret on September 28, 2023.

Jazz guitarist Russell Malone and the acclaimed Indianapolis Jazz Collective played to a packed house at The Jazz Kitchen as Indy Jazz Fest heads into its final performances, culminating in the grand finale at TCU Amphitheater on Saturday, September 30, 2023.

Vocalist Lizz Wright mesmerized the sold-out audience at The Cabaret with her own blending of jazz, gospel, folk, and R&B in Indy Jazz Fest’s Sunset Series collaboration with The Cabaret on September 24, 2023. It was Sunday, after all, and there was that definite overarching gospel tone that Wright weaved across many of the tunes beautifully delivered that night.

Percussionist, drummer, singer, dancer, bandleader, songwriter, composer, and educator Pedrito Martinez and The Pedrito Martinez Group had the party swinging as Latin Jazz powered this fourth night of Indy Jazz Fest’s Sunset Series at The Jazz Kitchen on September 21, 2023. If you had been there, you could not have stood still.

Jazz pianist extraordinaire, Steinway Artist, and five-time Grammy Nominee Christian Sands made a welcome return to Indy, performing during Indy Jazz Fest and its Sunset Series at The Jazz Kitchen on September 20, 2023. Having been an American Pianists finalist in 2015, Sands is no stranger to the Indy audiences – and a homecoming for many of us as the club was packed for two sets welcoming his return.

Indy Jazz Fest kicked off its 2023 season with two nights of the effervescent Veronica Swift in their Sunset Series of club shows in partnership with the beautiful Cabaret on September 18, 2023. Veronica recently performed at the Detroit Jazz Fest but there is nothing like seeing her in a smaller club setting.

YOU make the music happen through your financial support. Whether it’s ticket purchases or a donation or both, Indianapolis Jazz Foundation couldn’t do what we do without YOU.

IJF invites your support for 2023 and is pleased to announce a generous matching challenge gift…

Indy Jazz Fest and the Indianapolis Art Center summer concert series “Jazz at the Center” wrapped up the season with the third and final concert featuring the effervescent Latin jazz of Pavel & Direct Contact on August 17, 2023.

Led by Internationally known Dominican pianist and Chicago Music Awards Nominee, Pavel Polanco-Safadit, Direct Contact brought an unforgettable experience of Latin Jazz, Salsa, and…

The Indianapolis Jazz Collective featuring guitarist Bobby Broom celebrated the 100th year of Wes Montgomery at the Indianapolis Jazz Foundations’ second concert in their Jazz At The Center series at the Indianapolis Art Center on July 20, 2023.

The internationally recognized Broom is a jazz guitarist, composer, and educator who, at 16, began playing with Sonny Rollins and was one of the few guitarists who played with Art Blakey and the Messengers…

On Thursday, June 22nd, The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation was pleased to host a new educational program. In partnership with OneAmerica, the event offered an important educational opportunity for a diverse group of motivated Indianapolis students.

OneAmerica’s Community Pathways Program is a paid, part-time opportunity for high school graduates that offers one-on-one mentoring and skills training for career success. Students who participate in the program show strong work ethics and are nominated to be part of it. The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation supports these efforts to connect educational opportunities that promote exposing the city’s youth to jazz music and music careers.

It was the perfect evening at the Indianapolis Art Center for the first 2023 Jazz at the Center concert! The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and Indy Jazz Fest are pleased to bring this amazing Summer concert series back for the third year. It’s an inclusive community event with affordable tickets. Kids 12 and under even get in free making it a friends and family-friendly event that everyone can enjoy.

An Amazing Curated Lineup of Local Talent

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and Indy Jazz Fest partnered with the Indianapolis Art Center to present an entertaining lineup of music at the 51st Annual One America Broad Ripple Art Fair. Through this event, the IJF fulfills part of its mission by reaching out to a community excited about the future of quality jazz music.

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation is Pleased to Sponsor this Free Jazz Series! Local bassist, Brandon Meeks and his band of local and regional musicians performed the 3rd Sunday Jazz concert on Sunday, May 21st. This was the third out of four monthly concerts in this series.

In this year of what would have been Wes Montgomery’s 100th birthday, the collaborative program In Our Own Sweet Way: Honoring the Artistic Legacy of Wes Montgomery was presented at The Cabaret by Links Creative Alliance, Inc. in partnership with The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation on May 13, 2023.   

This unique all-ages concert experience combined the live performance of Premium Blend’s new album combined with a creative arts video projection.

Local jazz super group Premium Blend lead by Jared Thompson performed their new album “Virtue” on Friday April 21st. The performance was presented by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation along with Elsewhere Digital Art Gallery, Boogie The Brand, Ganggang Culture, and From The 317. This premier event was held at the planetarium and the group played to two sold out crowds!

Community Outreach - Brandon Meeks Quintet

The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation is sponsoring the 3rd Sunday Jazz Concerts series featuring the Brandon Meeks Quintet. The events are held at Black Leaf Vegan Cafe.

This was the second of a series of four free concerts and was held on April 16th. These all-ages community concerts bring jazz into the neighborhood.

School started off with a musical bang on Friday, April 14 for the 360 students at Christ the King School in Indianapolis. The first through eighth-grade students assembled in the gymnasium for a special surprise to start their day. Principle Ed Seib introduced Rob Dixon and his quintet from the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation. Dixon said, “We’ll play first, and then we’ll talk,” and immediately played a long riff on his soprano sax, captivating every eye and ear in the room.

From The 317 - Collaborative Recording Sessions

From The 317 is a project led by IJF Artistic Director Rob Dixon. Indiana artists have been collaborating in the studio. They have had several recording sessions throughout April and continue to work on the new album. Jazz fans following this project are anxiously awaiting the album release which is coming soon!