Indianapolis Jazz Foundation

Indianapolis Jazz Foundation The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation is celebrating 25 years of Indy Jazz Fest! Join us for Indy Jazz Fest 2023!

Celebrating more than 20 years as innovators in the Indianapolis arts and culture scene, the annual Indy Jazz Fest, the premier event of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, returns in 2023. With a continued focus on celebrating the legacy of jazz, modern masters and new jazz stars, Indy Jazz Fest will feature a wide variety of shows under the jazz umbrella with national headliners and Naptown stars!

06/05/2026

One time for the ! 🎷🎺📯

Less than two weeks away from our official kickoff concert with .directcontact and we can already feel the music!

Mark your calendars & Get your tickets today!

June 18th at the with and the rest of the gang! Come hungry! Come thirsty! Come ready to mow your feet!

📍

Only 2 weeks until the celebration starts. 🎶Jazz at the Center kicks off with Pavel & Direct Contact, bringing a perform...
06/04/2026

Only 2 weeks until the celebration starts. 🎶

Jazz at the Center kicks off with Pavel & Direct Contact, bringing a performance you won’t want to miss. Expect good music, good food, and great vibes.

June 18 - Pavel & Direct Contact - Jazz Without Borders
July 16 - Clifford Ratliff Quintet & Sandy Lomax - Miles and Ella: A Centennial Celebration
August 20 - J Thomas & The Situation - SoulBook: Re-imagining The Great American Songbook.

Each performance supports the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation’s mission to
keep the spirit of jazz alive through education and historic preservation.

Season pass tickets here: https://app.opendate.io/e/jazz-at-the-center-full-season-package-june-18-2026-710685

06/03/2026

Congrats to Mark Sheldon on his much-deserved 2026 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award for Jazz Photography.

Based here in Indianapolis, Mark travels the country documenting jazz, blues, and beyond. Also, you may have noticed the great black-and-white photography on the JK walls through the years. That's Mark!

He’s been a fierce advocate for Naptown musicians for decades, even organizing fundraising events to support local players when they needed it most.

He literally documented Indy’s jazz lineage in 2008 by creating the iconic "Great Day in Indy" poster, which brought together 109 of our finest local musicians in a single frame. (which we probably need to do again)

Mark is also a long-standing board member for the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation & Indy Jazz Fest, continuing to protect our city's musical legacy.

We are incredibly lucky to have his dedication and his championing spirit right here in our community. Congrats, Mark!

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The start of summer means one thing: Jazz at the Center is back and welcomes the whole family!Enjoy Three concerts, all ...
06/03/2026

The start of summer means one thing: Jazz at the Center is back and welcomes the whole family!

Enjoy Three concerts, all at the terrace at the Indy Arts Center.

June 18 - Pavel & Direct Contact - Jazz Without Borders
July 16 - Clifford Ratliff ft. SANDY LOMAX - Miles & Ella: A Centennial Celebration
August 20 - Jeffery Thomas II & The Situation - SoulBook | Re-imagining the Great American Songbook

For a limited time, Get your SEASON PASS and save 20% of the price of each performance. SEASON PASS here: https://app.opendate.io/e/jazz-at-the-center-full-season-package-june-18-2026-710685

Bring Your Own Chair!

Happy birthday, Mark Buselli!A true pillar of the jazz community, Director of Jazz Studies at Ball State University Mark...
06/03/2026

Happy birthday, Mark Buselli!

A true pillar of the jazz community, Director of Jazz Studies at Ball State University Mark Buselli’s career is defined not just by his accolades - like top-tier releases in Downbeat and JAZZIZ, but by his profound contribution to the cultural fabric of Indianapolis.

His work has led him to receiving multiple awards that acknowledge his teaching and music legacy. 🙌🎷

Read more about Buselli here: https://www.indyjazzfoundation.org/inductee/mark-buselli

Need summer plans? 🔥Jazz at the Center is a summer celebration of arts, culture and music. Three shows, across the summe...
06/03/2026

Need summer plans? 🔥

Jazz at the Center is a summer celebration of arts, culture and music. Three shows, across the summer.

June 18 - Pavel & Direct Contact - Jazz Without Borders
July 16 - Clifford Ratliff Sextet ft. Sandy Lomax - Miles & Ella: A Centennial Celebration
August 20 - J Thomas & The Situation - SoulBook | Re-imagining the Great American Songbook

Each performance supports the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation’s mission to
keep the spirit of jazz alive through education and historic preservation.

Get your tickets now to join in on the experience
https://app.opendate.io/e/jazz-at-the-center-full-season-package-june-18-2026-710685

06/02/2026

☀️ Summer is back! ☀️ with ! ⬇️

Mark your calendars because we’re heating things up with the Latin sounds of .directcontact • Jun 18th at the with our series!

All ages welcome with Free entrance under 12!
Doors open at 6pm with show starting at 7pm!

Come enjoy the music, the food and the environment and let us handle the entertainment! Seating is limited but you’re welcome to (Bring your own chair)) and enjoy the lawn!

See you Thursday Jun 18th! At the center!

📍 820 E. 67th st. Indiana

Presented by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation. A celebration of the “First Family of Jazz.” Pharez Whitted - trumpetDar...
06/02/2026

Presented by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation. A celebration of the “First Family of Jazz.”

Pharez Whitted - trumpet
Darius Hampton - sax
Tamar Gray - vocals
Steve Allee Music - piano
Kenny Phelps - drums
Jonathan Wood - bass

2 shows: 4pm (all ages), 7pm (21+)
Get your tickets now.
All ages: https://calendar.thejazzkitchen.com/shows/indianapolis-jazz-collective-hampton-family-reunion-all-ages-07-jun
21+: https://calendar.thejazzkitchen.com/shows/indianapolis-jazz-collective-hampton-family-reunion-21-07-jun

06/01/2026

Series kickoff in 17 days. 🌶️🎹

Pavel & Direct Contact opens Jazz at the Center 2026 on June 18 — Dominican piano, an 8-piece salsa band, the powerhouse vocals of Leah Crane, and guest artists pulling threads from Caribbean, flamenco, African, mariachi, and folklórico traditions into one night.

We told you — this is not a sit-still kind of show.
📍 Indy Art Center · 820 E 67th Street
🚪 Doors 6PM ·
Show 7PM
👨‍👩‍👧 All Ages · 🪑 BYOC
Tickets & Season Pass → https://app.opendate.io/e/jazz-at-the-center-full-season-package-june-18-2026-710685

Address

3734 E 38th St
Indianapolis, IN
46218

Website

https://www.indyjazzfest.net/, https://www.indyjazzfoundation.org/

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