2026 Hall of Fame Induction & Annual Fundraiser — Recap

May 7, 2026  ·  The Cabaret  ·  Indianapolis

On Thursday, May 7, the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation held its 2026 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Annual Fundraiser at The Cabaret. The room was full. Four artists were inducted. The Foundation raised more than $50,000 for its year-round programs.

Four artists joined the IJF Hall of Fame this year. Vocalist Wendy Reed. Pianist and organist Kevin Anker. Trumpeter and educator Pharez Whitted. And drummer Jozell S. Carter, inducted posthumously — his daughter Giselle Carter-Williams & Adrian Watkins accepted on his behalf. Each of them has spent a career shaping the sound of jazz in Indianapolis.

[ Photo: The Cabaret room — Angelo Martinez ]

The Indianapolis Jazz Collective opened the night on stage — Rob Dixon, Steve Allee, Kenny Phelps, Jesse Whitman, and Richard “Sleepy” Floyd. Five musicians who have shaped this city's sound, on one stage, for one night.

[ Photo: The Jazz Collective on stage/ Rob Dixon  — Tony Vasquez ]

Later in the evening, The Jazz Futures took the stage — the IJF's high school ensemble, under the direction of Candice Tugby, featuring Ollie Warner on drums, Santiago Barrios on saxophone, Dominick Davila on piano, Nick Saunders on guitar, and Cassie Lewis on saxophone. They are the next generation of this scene, and on Thursday they played like it.

[ Photo: The Jazz Futures performing — Tony Vasquez ] 

Between the music, auctioneer Travis Brown ran a live auction built around the experiences that make up jazz in Indianapolis — dinner and a show at The Jazz Kitchen, a VIP evening at The Cabaret, seats at the Indianapolis Jazz Collective Legacy Concerts — and the underwriting and scholarship lots that fund the work directly.

That work includes the IJF Jazz Futures Scholarships, the Hall of Fame Oral History project, School Convocations, Indianapolis Jazz Collective Legacy Concerts, “From the 317” Recordings, and the Jazz101 Program. More on each at indianapolisjazzfoundation.org.

Thank you to Lilly Endowment Inc., Citizens Energy Group, and the Indy Arts Council, whose support makes this work possible. And thank you to every donor, sponsor, and member of the Indianapolis community who has stood with us — for years, in many cases, and again on Thursday.

[It was a night of celebration and legacy at the Cabaret. Photo by Angelo Martinez.]

Double Your Impact — Through September 30

If you weren't able to be in the room on May 7, there's still a way to show up. Every dollar donated to the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation through September 30 is matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $60,000. A $50 gift becomes $100. A $500 gift becomes $1,000.

Your contribution funds youth education, scholarships, school convocations, and the Indianapolis Jazz Collective Legacy Concerts — year-round.