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Indy Jazz Fest celebrates 20 years

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It makes sense for Rayford Griffin to make his way home to perform at the 20th anniversary of Indy Jazz Fest. 

Griffin, a drummer, hasn’t visited the city in a few years so it’s a homecoming of sorts. And while he’s performed in his hometown with greats such as Anita Baker, Stanley Clarke, Kirk Whalum and others, he’s never performed here under his own name. 

Griffin’s performance will feature songs from his latest work, “Reflections of Brownie,” which is dedicated to his late uncle, Clifford Brown, who died at age 26 in a car accident. Griffin created the album as a modern tribute of how Brown would play music today. 

“He was a pretty phenomenal musician,” Griffin said. “Anybody who plays trumpet is aware of his work. We used to listen to his records at home. I always wanted to do something with his music.”

The Indy Jazz Fest offers 10 days of jazz from internationally known artists as well as regional and local performers. In 2009, the Jazz Fest began using venues throughout the city as a way to celebrate the diversity and history of Indianapolis’ jazz scene.

“I kind of cut my teeth in Indianapolis and everything I did subsequent was a result of the work, study and playing that I did while I was there,” Griffin said of his Indianapolis roots.

Making sure Indianapolis youth have the same opportunity as Griffin to learn and play jazz locally is why saxophonist Rob Dixon is educational director for Indy Jazz Fest and Indianapolis Jazz Foundation. 

“I enjoy teaching young people about music, particularly jazz,” Dixon said. “It’s so much a part of America’s history, America’s culture. I think sometimes it’s not completely explained in schools. It’s just a way to learn about our culture. Jazz is one of the only true American art forms.”

Dixon, who is performing with WOW, a collective of three tenor saxophonists, a B3 swinger and a drummer, will play songs from his latest album, “Close to the Crossroads.” 

While pianist Billy Childs isn’t a Hoosier native, he did start playing jazz while growing up in Los Angeles. He started taking music seriously around age 14 when he realized he wanted to actually perform it for a living.

“I had always been interested in the combination, the marriage of classical with jazz,” Childs said. “I studied classical composition when I was at USC. I’ve always thought that music is kind of the same — European music and Black music in America — you’re going for the same thing. You’re going for the expression. These divisions are man made.

“It comes from the same well, but a lot of times we put labels on it to make us feel more comfortable. I’ve always seen a commonality between European, which they call Classical music, and jazz, which is America’s classical music.”

Childs, who won a Grammy in 2018 for Best Instrumental Album, will perform with the Billy Childs Quartet featuring Steve Wilson.

“I love this band,” Childs said. “Steve Wilson, who is kind of like a brother to me, I’ve been playing with him for over 20 years. It’s going to be a great time.”

Contact Editor Oseye Boyd at 317-762-7850. Follow her on Twitter @oseye_boyd.

Indy Jazz Fest 20 

Tickets for the 2018 Indy Jazz Fest are available at IndyJazzFest.net. The 2018 Indy Jazz Fest featured lineup includes:

7 p.m. Sept. 13

IJF Band | Tribute to Freddie Hubbard

Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center, 1400 E. Hanna Ave.

Tickets: Free, all ages event

7 p.m. Sept. 14

Harold López-Nussa Trio | Oscar Micheli Trio — Double Bill

Latin Jazz Piano

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Yats, 5363 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $35-45, 21 and over

 3-7 p.m. Sept. 15

IUPUI Jazz ConNEXT

IUPUI Jazz Ensemble, 3 p.m.

Indy Jazz Fest Jazz Futures,  4p.m.

Indiana All-State Jazz Band featuring saxophonist Tim Warfield, 4:45 p.m.

Heartland Trio – Hannah Marks (bass), Barclay Moffitt (sax), Rocky Martin (drums), 6 p.m.

IUPUI Campus Center, 

420 University Blvd.

Tickets: Free, all ages event

7:30 p.m., 10 p.m. Sept.15

Billy Childs Quartet featuring 

Steve Wilson 

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $40-50, 21 and over

8 p.m. Sept. 15 

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles

IPS Shortridge High School Caleb Mills Auditorium, 3401 N. Meridian St.

Tickets: $40-60, all ages event

3-4:30 p.m. Sept. 16 

Pavel & Direct Contact | 

Puerto Rico Edition

Indianapolis Central Library, 

40 E. Saint Clair St.

Tickets: Free, all ages event

7 p.m., 9 p.m. Sept. 16

WOW featuring Tim Warfield, Eddie Bayard, Rob Dixon, Kendall Carter, James Gaiters

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $25-35, 21 and over

6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 

Anat Cohen & Trio Brasileiro | Amanda Gardier – Double Bill

The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St.

Tickets: $40-60, all ages event

7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Sept. 18 

Rayford Griffin’s Reflections of Brownie

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $25-35, 21 and over

6:30 p.m. Sept. 19 

The Blue Side | Charlie Ballantine – Double Bill

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $20-30, 21 and over

 

7:30 p.m. Sept. 19

Larry Carlton 

The Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St.

Tickets: $50-75, all ages event

 

6-10 p.m. Sept. 21

Jazz in Speedway

Farrelly Markiewicz Jazz Quintet, 6-7:30 p.m.

Bill Lancton / Jimmy Davis Band, 

8-10 p.m.

Daredevil Brewing Co., 

1151 N. Main St., Speedway

Tickets: Free, all ages event 

7:30 p.m., 10 p.m. Sept. 21

Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $40-50, 21 and over

8 p.m. Sept. 21 

Steve Allee Big Band featuring Sean Jones – Tribute to Freddie Hubbard

The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St.

Tickets: $40-60, all ages event

 

3 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sept. 22 

IJF Block Party 2018 — 13 bands on two stages

The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave.

Yats, 5363 N. College Ave.

Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 21 and over

 Outside Yats stage:

Kenny Phelps Experience, 3:15 p.m.

Charlie Ballantine – “Life is Brief, The Music of Bob Dylan,” 4:30 p.m.

Tad Robinson featuring Kevin Anker, 5:45 p.m.

Tucker Brothers — Nick Tucker, Joel Tucker, Brian Yarde, Sean Imboden, 

7 p.m.

Premium Blend — Jared Thompson, Ryan Taylor, Steven Jones, Brian Yarde, 8:15 p.m.

Bashiri Asad & Xenobia Green, 

9:30 p.m.

Inside The Jazz Kitchen stage:

Avenue Indy featuring Rachel Caswell — Jeff Conrad, Rich Cohen, Larry Sauer, 3:45 p.m.

Ball State Sextet — Mark Buselli, Freddie Mendoza, Scott Routenberg,

Cassius Goens, Nick Tucker, 5 p.m.

Dave Stryker Organ Trio, 6:15 p.m.

Steve Allee Trio featuring Sophie Faught and Frank Glover, 7:30 p.m.

The Rad Trads, 8:45 p.m.

Clint Breeze and The Groove, 10 p.m.

Pavel & Proyecto 54 Salsa Band, 11:15 p.m.

Rayford Griffin returns home. (Photo/mikechimeri.com)

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