Indy Jazz Fest won’t be a casualty of 2020.
The 22nd annual festival will be presented next month as a four-part online streaming series.
In-person Indy Jazz Fest shows aren’t happening because of the coronavirus pandemic. The four online shows, scheduled Nov. 13, 14, 20 and 21, will be free to view at indyjazzfest.net and at the festival’s Facebook and YouTube profiles. Viewers are encouraged to consider donating money to help reach a fundraising goal of $25,000.
The online shows will feature performances by Indianapolis musicians, including three creative projects commissioned by festival organizers.
The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees Indy Jazz Fest, funded new works by Premium Blend, Native Sun and Charlie Ballantine.
- “Legalize Being Black,” a hip-hop/jazz suite by Native Sun, will stream at 8 p.m. Nov. 14. Native Sun, a trio of drummer Richard “Sleepy” Floyd, bass player Brandon Meeks and MC B. Young, describes “Legalize Being Black” as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
- “Vonnegut,” the latest work by guitarist Ballantine, will stream at 8 p.m. Nov. 20. Ballantine’s compositions were inspired by Indianapolis author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
- “38th and Postmodernism,” a documentary film by Premium Blend and director Daniel Arthur Jacobson, will stream at 8 p.m. Nov. 21. Premium Blend, a quartet of saxophone player Jared Thompson, guitarist Ryan Taylor, drummer Brian Yarde and keyboard player Steven Jones, describes “38th and Postmodernism” as a tribute to artists who create despite obstacles such as racism and the global health crisis.
The other component of the virtual festival will stream first: “Celebrate Naptown All-Star Show,” a performance featuring more than 25 musicians, is scheduled 8 p.m. Nov. 13. The show was recorded this summer at Garfield Park.
For the “38th and Postmodernism” documentary, Premium Blend leader Thompson said his group made new recordings of songs that appear on its albums “S.O.A.P.” (2015), “The Road” (2017) and “Vices” (2019).
The quartet expanded to eight members for the new recordings. Flute player Amanda Gardier arranged the songs for Premium Blend and guests Brandon Meeks (bass), Richard Dole (trombone) and Ethan Hodes (flugelhorn).
Thompson cited 1968 Herbie Hancock album “Speak Like a Child” and its spotlight on flute, trombone and flugelhorn as an influence on “38th and Postmodernism’s” sound.
The film, expected to be 30 to 38 minutes in length, combines Premium Blend’s music with 17 interviews in which Indianapolis artists talk about working in the context of the pandemic and social unrest.
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Similar to Native Sun’s “Legalize Being Black,” the Premium Blend project addresses the national uprising sparked by the May 25 police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“Artists don’t just fall out and give up,” Thompson said. “When moments like this are darkest, artists understand and walk in their responsibility of uplifting and projecting that to a wider audience.”
Thompson said the roster of interview subjects includes jazz musicians, hip-hop musicians, producers, visual artists, spoken word artists and radio personalities.
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“They’re still creating art,” he said. “They’re still curating culture in Indianapolis. It comes from all kinds of mediums of art; it comes from all kinds of sexual orientations; it comes from different genders; it comes from different genres of music.”
Thompson also appears in the “Celebrate Naptown All-Star Show,” a look at the modern jazz community in Indianapolis – the city that fostered the careers of iconic musicians Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson and Slide Hampton.
Saxophone player Thompson said the Garfield Park recording session was an enjoyable chance to reconnect with peers who hadn’t been together since playing pre-pandemic “Naptown Sound” shows Jan. 10-11 at the Jazz Kitchen.
“If all of us knew what was coming in the future, I don’t think anybody would have ever left the building,” Thompson said with a laugh.
For more information about this year’s Indy Jazz Fest, visit indyjazzfest.net.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at dave.lindquist@indystar.com or 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.