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.

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.

At the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, we believe that we cannot tell the story of Indianapolis without telling the story of Jazz, and we cannot tell the story of Jazz without honoring the Black musicians and entrepreneurs who built it.

From September 9–20, Indianapolis came alive with the sounds of jazz as the 2025 Indy Jazz Fest brought together 25 bands, 12 days of concerts, and 4 venues for one unforgettable celebration. Presented by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and Indy Jazz Fest, this year’s festival showcased everything from straight-ahead jazz to Latin grooves, soulful R&B, and smooth contemporary sounds—capturing the richness and diversity of the music we call jazz.

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, the Jazz at the Center series wrapped up its summer run with an electrifying finale. Presented by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and Indy Jazz Fest, Pavel & Direct Contact’s The Latin Tinge transformed the evening into a full-scale celebration of Afro-Caribbean rhythm, culture, and community. With dazzling performances, vibrant dance exhibitions, and a lineup of Latin All-Stars representing Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the U.S., the night pulsed with energy from start to finish.

In 2025, pianist, composer, and bandleader Steve Allee gave Indianapolis jazz fans a gift: not one, but two extraordinary albums with his big band. Both Naptown Sound and Full Circle capture the rich tradition of Indy jazz while charting bold new creative directions. As longtime jazz supporter and writer Kenneth Gotschall observed, “The records serve as a tribute to the Indianapolis jazz heritage, but Steve and the band take it to creative new places, and leave us with a towering, powerful, thought-provoking earworm of a record.”