Local jazz musician Brandon Meeks is hitting the ground running in 2026.
Meeks, best known for his talent on the standing bass, is the winner of the Creative Capital State of the Art Prize for Indiana 2026, an unrestricted project progress grant that uplifts innovative artists. Announced earlier this month, Meeks said the award was like receiving “validation of my work on a national level.”
“It means a lot to me because (there’s) so much great work that happens here in Indianapolis, and beyond Indianapolis — cities that aren’t your coastal jazz cities… A lot of the talent and potential that’s here gets overlooked,” Meeks said. “This is an opportunity for me to elevate what’s happening here — not just my own work, but those that I look up to.”
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The Creative Capital State of the Art prize positions him for the next phase of his career, which Meeks said includes pivoting toward more national tours, pursuing more national grants and elevating the work he’s doing here in Indianapolis.
However, Creative Capital isn’t the only funding Meeks has received for 2026, as the Indy Arts Council and the City of Indianapolis recently awarded Meeks a project grant, which he intends to use to expand his summer concert series at the amphitheater at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus.
“Unsung Giants,” the performance project for which Meeks received grant funding, was initially designed to be a nationally touring project, but now will be the theme of these outdoor concerts, Meeks said.
“Unsung Giants” is comprised of conversations with under-recognized, living jazz legends from Indiana and the broader Midwest, and transforms them into new compositions for a live performance with multimedia elements, Meeks said.
“It’s meant to take our living history and present it as a living, evolving thing,” Meeks said. “Each concert will highlight the work of a living jazz history maker here in the city, and it’ll feature compositions based on the works of those people, based on conversations I’ve had with those people.”
Cliff Ratliff is the first jazz musician to be featured in the “Unsung Giants” program, but Meeks said he is also looking to have some conversations with Kenny Phelps and Billy Foster — a jazz pianist from Meeks’ hometown, Gary, Indiana.
“Of course, we have historical figures like Wes Montgomery and Freddy Hubbard, but the things that are happening right now in 2026 — that’s kind of overlooked as far as the national conversation around Jazz,” Meeks said. “I think the opportunity that’s come to me, even the Creative Capital State of the Art Prize, is kind of a moment to insert Indianapolis and Indiana back into the national conversation around jazz.”
Meeks said his biggest priority for the year is to make sure he’s continuing to carry jazz forward, both as a mentor and a musician, and make sure it’s part of the landscape in 2026 — especially as far as young people are concerned — and making sure it has its place in Indiana history and Black American history.
“What I really hope to see is the work that I’m doing kind of become a stepladder and stepping stone for other artists in the community. Getting national recognition — I can leverage that in a way that brings credibility and legitimacy to Indianapolis and other musicians, whether jazz or jazz adjacent, if it creates an opportunity where those artists can elevate themselves.”
On Feb. 7, Meeks will share the Jazz Kitchen stage with Meagan McNeal, a contestant on The Voice who’s coming down from Chicago. Then, in March, Meeks will join Sy Smith on tour. Meeks is also launching a Kickstarter campaign in February, which will finance a vinyl release of his jazz trio’s “Unsung Giants” performance at the Jazz Kitchen last October.
The “Unsung Giants” outdoor concert series will take place every third Sunday during June, July and August at Fort Ben Cultural Campus, 8950 Otis Ave.
For more information, visit Brandonmeeksmusic.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
