Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Kroger’s Indy Jazz Fest returns this year from June 18–20, reverting back to a three-day, multistage set-up.
Three music stages will be in action, along with a food court featuring both chains and local restaurants. There will also be plenty of children’s activities, including educational opportunities, arts and crafts, and a “petting zoo” where kids can try out a number of different instruments.
Tickets run for $15 per day in advance and $25 per day at the gate, except for Sunday, which is $15 either way. A three-day pass is available only in advance and runs for $35. Children under 14 get in for free.
Lineup for the Jazz Heritage Stage (located in Indy’s Military Park)
Friday: Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and the Poncho Sanchez Band.
Saturday: Notemen Jazz Combo, Cynthia Layne, Adam Birnbaum (American Pianists Association’s Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz), Brad Mehldau Trio, The John Scofield “Real Jazz” Trio with Bill Stewart and Steve Swallow, 7 Pleasures, and Nancy Wilson and Ramsey Lewis’ “Simple Pleasures.”
Sunday: Minister Stanley Daniels and Company, Y-Zone Gospel Choir, Jimmy Coe Tribute, Lamar Campbell & Spirits of Praise, Kenny Garrett Quartet, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
Lineup for Jazz Central (located in Military Park)
Friday: Benito DiBartoli & The Black Voodoo Band, Rodney Step & BSB, Monika Herzig & Friends: A Tribute to Women in Jazz, and Larry Calland’s Conga Jazz.
Saturday: Cathy Morris, On Cue, Jeff DeHerdt Group, Jay Majors & Hook Up, Mina Keohane, Ipanema, Clave Caribe, Vallento, and Diego del Rio with DJ Elkin Zuluaga.
Sunday: No Regrets, Hot Club of Naptown, Betheny Dunlap and Neapolitan, Gregg Bacon, and EN2.
Lineup for the Blues and Roots Stage (located on the IUPUI Library Lawn)
Friday: Sindacato, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Buddy Guy, and Isaac Hayes.
Saturday: Middletown, Otis Gibbs, Gordon Bonham Blues Band, Shaggy, The Black Keys, Solomon Burke, and Patti LaBelle.
For more information or to order tickets, call (800) 344-4639 or visit www.indyjazzfest.net
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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