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A two-day jazz festival this summer in Carmel will feature more than 30 jazz, R&B and blues acts, including legendary jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra, the city announced Wednesday.
The inaugural Carmel Jazz Fest is scheduled for Aug. 12-13 on stages at The Palladium, The Tarkington, Carmel Gazebo, Carter Green, The Studio Theatre, Midtown Plaza, Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael and Jazz on the Monon.
Other pop-up stages will be found around Carmel during the festival.
“With the full support of the City of Carmel and the wonderful backdrop of our state-of-the-art venues and greenspaces, Carmel Jazz Fest looks forward to invigorating the city with the vibrant sounds of jazz, R&B and blues music,” Carmel Jazz Fest Executive Director Blair Clark said in written remarks.
Spyro Gyra, which has released 35 albums and played more than 10,000 shows since its founding in 1974, will headline the festival with a performance at 8 p.m., Aug. 12, at The Palladium.
Additional acts will include Evelyn “Champagne” King, Josh Kaufman, Jennie DeVoe, The Dave Bennett Quartet, Freddie Fox, Brenda Williams, Premium Blend, Tad Robinson Band, Blair Clark, Pavel Polanco-Safadit, Steve Allee Big Band, Tim Cunningham, Both Sides of Joni Project (featuring Alexis Cole), Tommy Baldwin and Dysfunktion Brass.
Collegiate jazz bands from Ball State University, Butler University, Indiana University and the University of Indianapolis will also perform.
Festival passes are currently available online, and tickets for Spyro Gyra will go on sale at 10 p.m. Friday.
Ticket prices are $29 for a Friday pass and $39 for a Saturday pass, while a two-day pass costs $54. Spryo Gyra tickets will begin at $25.
Carmel Jazz Fest will be a rain-or-shine event.
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Jazz Fest? I’m not saying these artist are not good but I would not consider them jazz . This would never happen in any other music genre. Please respect and preserve our great American art form know as jazz.
They are certainly not Wes Montgomery or Stan Getz caliber. May those artists continue to rest in peace.
Miles C. I understand what you’re trying to say but they’re advertising this event as Jazz, R&B and Blues acts. So its not just jazz acts alone.
I wasn’t judging their talent I’m just saying that some of the artist that will be performing are not considered jazz musicians. Maybe they should just call it a music festival.
That was also the case way back when, in the initial years of the Indy Jazz Fest when it had big stages at IUPUI and Military Park. There were some truly fantastic national artists booked that had little to do with jazz. But it was a cool event that was perhaps a bit ahead of its time, and it was sad when one year it was nearly all rained out, a big setback that changed the event dramatically going forward.
Agreed.. I just wish they wouldn’t attach the Jazz label to the fest.
Charlie Ballentine should be on this list…as well as many others that perform often at the Jazz Kitchen…