In Our Own Sweet Way: Honoring the Artistic Legacy of Wes Montgomery
Featuring Rob Dixon, Manon Voice, Bashiri Asad, Lasana Kazembe, and The Indianapolis Jazz Collective featuring acclaimed guitarist Bobby Broom

Part of the Jazz at The Cabaret Series

Presented by: Links Creative Alliance, Inc.

In Partnership with: The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation

One Night Only:
Saturday, May 13 | 8 PM

Ticket Prices:
Premium 2-tops: $55 | Premium: $50 | Banquettes: $45 | High Cocktail: $35 | Main Floor: $25

Known and celebrated internationally for his creativity and groundbreaking technical innovations, guitarist Wes Montgomery was a transformative musical pioneer who shaped the modern jazz sound. Join us for a special evening in honor of the 2023 Wes Montgomery Centennial Observance. In Our Own Sweet Way is a creative tribute honoring the life, legacy, and creative spirit of Indianapolis native, Wes Montgomery.

The evening features a dynamic fusion of spoken word poetry, vocalese, and live jazz. Rob Dixon & the Indiana Jazz Collective are joined by spoken word artists Manon Voice, Bashiri Asad, and Lasana Kazembe (The Cabaret Artist in Residence) to celebrate the music and living memory of one of the true pioneers and innovators of modern jazz music.

Lasana D. Kazembe is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) where he teaches in the School of Education and in the Africana Studies Program. He is a published Poet, Spoken Word Artist, educational consultant, and scholar of Global Black Arts Movements and the Black Radical Tradition in Education. Dr. Kazembe has performed throughout the U.S., and venues in Canada and Africa. His aesthetic sensibilities are steeped in the deep, rich, and sentient genealogy of the African Diasporic experience. With and within this space, he inspects, reflects, and leverages history, memory, meanings, traditions, culture, art, and accumulated folk experiences. His work is interlaced with storied traditions found in jazz, blues, spirituals, hip-hop, and the deep well of Africana/Black American cultural traditions both spoken and written. Dr. Kazembe’s project, The Voodoo of Hell’s Half-Acre: The Travelin’ Genius of Richard Wright, A Blues Poetry Opera, was a poetic meditation on the art, life, and legacy of world-renown author Richard Wright and has been broadcast on public television across the country. Dr. Kazembe’s latest (edited) book, Keeping Peace: Reflections on Life, Legacy, Commitment, and Struggle, was published (2018) by Third World Press Foundation.