Freddie Hubbard Memorial Jazz Band Fest 2026
Excitement was in the air at the Arsenal Tech High School auditorium. Photo by Mark Sheldon.
The auditorium of Arsenal Tech High School was alive with the sounds of music on Feb. 13th, as over 100 students across Indiana came together for the Freddie Hubbard Memorial Jazz Band Fest.
The fifth annual celebration honored the legacy of Freddie Hubbard, an Indianapolis jazz legend who forged his own sound, leaving a strong mark on the Indianapolis and global jazz community. At the festival, the excitement in the auditorium was apparent, as each of the 8 schools prepared to perform.
Showcased at the fest were 6 high schools, 1 middle school, and 1 university. The day commenced with George Washington High School performing at 2:30, followed by Arsenal Tech High School, Crispus Attucks High School, Perry Meridian High School, Brownsburg High School, Northview High School, Harshman Middle School, and Butler University.
Each school's performance received feedback from accredited jazz ensemble adjudicators. After each performance, ensembles broke into clinic rooms, where one of the guest judges provided feedback and worked with the ensemble.
7 schools performed this year. Photo by Mark Sheldon.
This year's judges were Jarrard Harris from Purdue University, Ansyn Banks from the University of Louisville, Sam Butler from Indiana University, and Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame Inductee, Steve Allee.
At 4pm, the Gene Markiewicz Band took the stage, providing a special performance. At the end of the evening, the awards ceremony was presented, and the Indianapolis Jazz Collective, with special guest Marlin McKay closed out the evening with a performance that encompassed the feel of the whole day.
Each year, the Freddie Hubbard Memorial Jazz Fest not only celebrates the early careers of the next generations of jazz musicians, but also honors the legacy of musicians such as Freddie Hubbard who have inspired years of music and creativity.
Students performed for this year's judges. Photo by Mark Sheldon.
About Freddie Hubbard:
Born and raised in Indianapolis, Freddie Hubbard began his music career at Arsenal Technical High School. John H. White, Hubbard's music teacher, insisted that he learn the flugelhorn.
In his early career, Hubbard worked and recorded with the Montgomery Brothers. His first recording session was for an album titled “The Montgomery Brothers and Five Others.” During this period, he assembled his first band - the Jazz Contemporaries.
Hubbard then enrolled in Butler University, where he studied trumpet with Max Woodbury, the principal trumpeter for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. During the 1960s, after his move to New York City, Hubbard played with many jazz groups. His sound was uniquely his own, his music spreading the genres of bebop, hard bop, and post-bop, and influencing new perspectives on modern jazz and bebop.
By the end of his career, he had fifty solo recordings and countless collaborations with some of the most prominent jazz artists of his era. In 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts accorded Hubbard its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award.
Read more about Hubbard here: https://www.indyjazzfoundation.org/inductee/freddie-hubbard
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