Indy Jazz Fest honors traditions of jazz while celebrating new legacies

Rob Dixon, musician and longtime artistic director for the festival, performed at Indy Jazz Fest in 2021. (Photos provided by Indy Jazz Fest).

Indy Jazz Fest will return to Garfield Park for a two-day outdoor festival Oct. 1-2.

The festival will feature Grammy award-winning and local artists starting with the Naptown Sound Kick-Off Celebration on Sept. 30 at the Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave. The VIP event will feature more than 25 local artists performing micro-sets that consist of two or three songs, said Rob Dixon, musician and longtime artistic director for the festival.

Headliners for the festival include Robert Glasper, Tank and the Bangas, Lalah Hathaway and Norman Brown.
“I think the lineup is really strong,” Dixon said. “The music committee is really behind the festival. We’re going to go to the next level in terms of attendance.”

Cory Henry performed at Indy Jazz Fest in 2021. (Photos provided by Indy Jazz Fest)

Richard “Sleepy” Floyd is lead curator and, like Dixon, also a musician performing at the festival. Booking artists for the festival is a tedious process, Floyd said, but trying to figure out how to portray the festival is the hardest part.

Members in the audience at Indy Jazz Fest dance along to music. (Photos provided by Indy Jazz Fest).

Floyd said he wants people to see and feel modern jazz and its influences of many subgenres, while celebrating the legacy of jazz. By bringing in a variety of artists, he hopes people can see aspects of R&B and hip-hop while honoring jazz traditions. The best way to describe it, he said, is a “big beat with a big sound coming from all angles.”

Among all the artists, more than 30 Grammys will be represented, something Floyd said he is most excited to see. He also likes the mix of local artists that will perform, too.
“This is gonna be one big party for the city,” Floyd said. “Great music, great culture, great vibes.”

INDY FAZZ FEST
When: Oct. 1-2. Gates open at 2 p.m.
Where: Garfield Park MacAllister Amphitheater, 2450 Conservatory Drive

Tickets can be purchased at Indy Jazz Fest’s website.

Oct. 1
Tank and the Bangas
Lalah Hathaway
Norman Brown
Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science
From the 317 – Josh Kaufman, Bashiri Asad, Sarah Scharbrough, Rob Dixon
Charlie Ballantine, Rusty Redenbacher, Brandon Meeks & Richard “Sleepy” Floyd

Oct. 2
Robert Glasper
Ghost-Note
Rebirth Brass Band
Butcher Brown
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra

Contact staff writer Jayden Kennett 317-762-7847 or by email JaydenK@IndyRecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @JournoJay