The local music organization, B’Town Jazz, will put on virtual performances by local jazz artists on the first Saturday of every month starting at 8 p.m. Saturday for their new series Homegrown Hip. The first performance will feature the local Postmodern Jazz Quartet led by IU political science professor Jeff Isaac.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many restrictions against large gatherings, such as the annual B’Town Jazz Fest. To adjust to these restrictions, John Porter, president of B’Town Jazz, and local sponsors have created Homegrown Hip as a way to bring music and art to the community.
“You have to be creative and you have to be open-minded to the things that living through a pandemic is forcing you to do,” Porter said.
Other artists that will perform at Homegrown Hip are jazz vocalist Rachel Caswell and the Drive-By Big Band directed by Clark Hunt. Jamey Aebersold, jazz musician and consistent figure at the Jazz Fest, will also be performing during this series.
“Connecting the community through music of any kind is really important when we are all stuck at home and not really able to go out and do the things in mass as we’ve been used to,” Porter said.
To watch Homegrown Hip, visit the B’Town Jazz Facebook page, which links to their YouTube channel where performances can be watched for free.
