Experience the Magic of the Indy Jazz Fest

October 1 & 2

Garfield Park, MacAllister Amphitheater, Indianapolis, Indiana Experience the Magic of the

Indy Jazz Fest

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of Indy Jazz Fest Join us this October for Indianapolis’ 2-day celebration of jazz, featuring the best-in-world, renowned jazz superstars to Indy’s local jazz heroes. Indy Jazz Fest is the premier flagship event of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation. The festival’s spectacular lineup will feature internationally and nationally renowned jazz artists, as well as several of Indy’s own extraordinary jazz artists!

Don’t miss the start of this year’s festival — the Naptown Sound Kick-Off Celebration on September 30 at The Jazz Kitchen in Broad Ripple located at 5377 N. College Ave. The VIP event will feature more than 25 local artists and set the stage, so to speak, for an unforgettable festival and tribute to Indy’s Jazz history!

A Celebration of Jazz Performance, Legacy and Education Festival Directors and musicians David Allee [owner of The Jazz Kitchen], Rob Dixon [Artistic & Education Director] and Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Board Member and musician Pavel Polanco-Safadit, spoke about the “vibe” of this year’s jazz festival, its purpose and why the organizers believe this year’s Indy Jazz Fest is going to be epic.

“Indy Jazz Festival is a nationally and internationally known [jazz] festival that began quite some time ago and is put on by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation,” Polanco-Safadit shared. “It is full of jazz culture and global culture, and it’s so much fun to be a part of! One our goals [as a foundation] is to educate the communty about jazz music, global jazz and to be more connected to the community.”

Polanco-Safadit emphasized the importance of inclusivity and engaging communities outside of the immediate jazz community in and around the Circle City.

“The foundation has done a fantastic job last year and this year, reaching out to communities outside of Indianapolis through fundraising events and by supporting other festivals by bringing jazz to them,” Polanco-Safadit said. “I just see that getting better and better as we go. So, I encourage everybody to get their tickets — this is THE year to come!”

Allee added, “We use the festival as a kick-off and to celebrate what we have here locally. From the Foundation’s perspective, it’s kind of a three-pronged approach: the festival is a huge part of what falls under the performance side of our mission in addition to a lot of other concerts throughout the year. Legacy is another big prong of what we do, and the third is education. We not only help with our own programs but

we are in schools and we help, monetarily, with projects while working with educators, administrators and band directors throughout the city.”

Explore Indy’s Jazz Scene! Dixon emphasized the importance of celebrating and exploring jazz in Indiana by coming together as a community and experiencing Indy Jazz Fest and all that it has to offer!

“Part of the Foundation’s mission is to celebrate performance and legacy, as well as educate people about the great jazz scene we have here in Indianapolis and acrosss the globe,” Dixon said. “Indy Jazz Fest gives us the opportunity to highlight a lot of local performers, as well as bring in some international and national talent. The festival also gives us a platform to showcase what we do educationally.”

Dixon added, “There is so much to explore, and there’s a lot leading up to the festival to take part of, so please check out our website. I’m sure that you’ll find something that you will love on the roster, and we’ve got a lot of great things planned this year. You don’t want to miss out!”

Tickets for Indy Jazz Fest 2022 can be purchased at indyjazzfest.net. For more information on the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, visit indyjazzfoundation. org, and be sure to check out thejazzkitchen.com for more information on The Jazz Kitchen!

INFO BOX THE LINEUP

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 • Tank and the Bangas • Lalah Hathaway • Norman Brown • Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science • From the 317

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 • Robert Glasper • Ghost-Note • Rebirth Brass Band • Butcher Brown • Jonathan Scales Fourchestra