Mural dedication honors David Baker and Indianapolis jazz musicians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University Distinguished Professor David N. Baker, chair of the Jacobs School of Music Jazz Studies department, will be among the Indianapolis jazz musicians honored when the "Jazz Masters of Indiana Avenue" mural is dedicated on Saturday, July 14, at 3 p.m. on the south side of Musicians' Repair and Sales at 332 N. Capitol Ave. in Indianapolis. The event is free and open to the public.
Baker, along with trombonist Slide Hampton and photographer Duncan Schiedt, who are all depicted in the mural, will speak at the event. Fox News Anchor Fanchon Stinger will emcee.
The Serenade Jazz Orchestra and the Indianapolis Public Schools All Star Jazz Band and alumni will perform songs composed by Baker, as well as other jazz compositions.
The mural, by artist Pamela Bliss, is one of 46 that were painted for the "46 for XLVI" mural program administered by the Arts Council of Indianapolis as part of Indy's preparations for last February's Super Bowl.
The mural depicts musicians who played on Indy's historic Indiana Avenue when the district was lively with music venues during the 50s and 60s. Most of the musicians in the mural developed their skills on the avenue and went on to great success and fame. The mural was created to honor the Indianapolis jazz greats and continue their legacy.
Musicians in the mural include Wes Montgomery, Larry Ridley, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, Jimmy Coe, David Young and Baker.
Photographer Duncan Schiedt documented all of these musicians frequenting the avenue and supplied most of the photos for the imagery.
Although many of the musicians in the mural--who would have been in their 70s and 80s--have passed away, members of each family still live in the Indianapolis area.
The Starr-Gennett Foundation will give each musician, or their surviving families, a recognition award for keeping Indiana's jazz heritage alive. The foundation states that Indiana is "the cradle of recorded jazz."
For more information, call (317) 631-3301, or visit to www.indyarts.org or www.musiciansrepair.com.
The dedication is sponsored by Indy Jazz Fest, Indy Jazz Foundation, The Jazz Kitchen, The Arts Council of Indianapolis, Musicians' Repair and Sales, and Capitol Grille.
