Sara and Rachel Caswell

Indiana is not known as a hotbed of live jazz like the south side of Chicago or New Orleans. But take a closer look at the talent in the Hoosier state, especially in Bloomington and Indianapolis. Bloomington is home to Indiana University, boasting one of the premier jazz artists and composers of our time, Professor David N. Baker. At the end of June, Baker debuted his Festival Jazz Orchestra, an unprecedented assembly of I.U. faculty and his former students and will conduct the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, a special tribute to Quincy Jones, on August 12. Judging from the Orchestra concert, this is a performance not to be missed! Check back for an interview with David Baker and more about the upcoming event on July 21.

Bill Lancton

In July, the Indiana University Art Museum offers weekly jazz concerts on Friday nights beginning at 6:30 p.m. The artwork of artist James McGarrell, an I.U. faculty member from 1959 to 1980, will be the subject of a jazz-inspired exhibition and gallery talk on July 28. Jazz Fables continues its weekly Thursday early gig beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Bear’s Place. The Indy Jazz Fest has already taken place this summer, but a special concert will take place in Indianapolis on July 20. Jazz in July in Indiana:

Indiana University Art Museum

The sounds of jazz will fill the air on four Friday nights starting July 7 at 6:30 p.m. as the IU Art Museum hosts its annual summer series of free concerts. All concerts are free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so plan to get there early. The concerts will be held outside on the Sculpture Terrace. In the case of rain, the concert will be moved inside the IU Art Museum.

July 7, Rachel and Sara Caswell . Sisters Sara and Rachel Caswell will display their considerable musical talent as they open the concert series. Sara, an award-winning jazz violinist and Rachel, an award-winning jazz vocalist, are among the best of their generation’s emerging jazz talents.

July 14, Indianapolis Guitar Summit . Formed in 2002 by Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame guitarist Bill Lancton, the Indianapolis Guitar Summit features Indy's top guitarists playing everything from straight-ahead jazz to funk. This band will appeal to jazz-lovers of all styles and is a must-see if you play or love the guitar.

Craig and the Crawdads:

July 21, Craig and the Crawdads. Called “a fine and funky pianist” by Living Blues magazine, Craig Brenner, leader of Craig and the Crawdads will provide the audience with foot-stomping, New Orleans-influenced zydeco, blues, jazz, and swing. Gordon Bonham (guitar/vocal), Lori Wallace (percussion/vocal), Jeff Chapin (drums/vocal), and Andrea Fielder (violin/vocal) round out the band.

July 28, Kwyjibo. Since its inception in 2003, the dynamic jazz fusion quartet Kwyjibo thrives on rocking rhythms and ample, yet tight, improvisation as well as an array of eclectic jazz, world, funk, and blues influences.

Friday, July 28, 2006, 5:30–6:00 p.m. ,Jazz in July Gallery Talk:. James McGarrell and the Art of Jazz (Special Exhibitions Gallery, first floor).Nan Brewer, the Lucienne M. Glaubinger Curator of Works on Paper, will discuss musical influences in the works of James McGarrell.

Through August 6, Visual Improvisation: James Mcgarrell and the Art of Jazz
(Hexagon Gallery, Special Exhibitions Gallery). James McGarrell, a professor of painting on the IU faculty from 1959 until 1980, is an artist for whom music, particularly jazz, is both a passion and an inspiration. In addition to frequently including musicians as a motif in his paintings and prints, McGarrell incorporates the language of music into his artistic process. Central to this installation is a complete suite of fifteen prints from the artist’s 1965 Two Part Inventions portfolio.

David Miller

Trumpeter David Miller holds weekly jazz ensemble performances. For information about performances including music samples, visit: http://www.culver.lib.in.us/miller_jazz.htm

Indianapolis Jazz on the Canal Series

Hot Club of Naptown

July 20, 5:30-7:30 pm, Hot Club of Naptown performs the unique acoustic swing and jazz music of 1930’s Paris at the Indiana Historical Society. For in-depth information about this one-of-a-kind group, visit: http://www.hotclubofnaptown.com/about/index.html

Jazz From Bloomington

For a comprehensive calendar with listings for Bloomington, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and other nearby communities, visit: http://www.jazzfrombloomington.org/calendar2/calendar.pl

Indianapolis Jazz Foundation

For a list of Indianapolis venues offering jazz, check out the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation’s site: http://www.indianapolisjazz.org/mainpages/page3.htm.

T. C. Lower is a freelance writer and author living in Bloomington, Indiana and can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it