Cloudy skies and a stormy forecast did not stop artists at the annual B’Town Jazz Fest from playing loud and clear.
Originally, the festival was to be an outdoor event Saturday at the Monroe County Courthouse, but it was relocated indoors to the Monroe County Convention Center.
While scattered storms hit Bloomington in the afternoon, spectators of all ages gathered in the convention center to listen to a number of different jazz artists.
Viewers were also treated to food and drink from local vendors, including Dats on Grant and Oliver Winery.
David Miller, the festival’s artist booking chairperson, said this year B’Town Jazz Fest was dedicated to the late IU professor emeritus of jazz David Baker.
Baker was the creator of the IU Jacobs School of Music Jazz Studies program. He died March 26.
Miller’s group, the Jazz Fables Quintet+2, took the stage later in the afternoon and played some of Baker’s work.
“How about a hand for David,” Miller said before his group’s performance. “David has meant so much to all the members of this group. It’s really impossible to think of this festival even being in existence without David.”
As the largest jazz event in Bloomington, the festival had 11 bands in. Together the bands contributed a variety of music for the audience.
Though he doesn’t play jazz music, Klotz said he greatly enjoys the music and being a part of B’Town Jazz.
“We do a lot of jazz education, a lot of work with the high schools, and we give scholarships to young musicians,” he said. “That’s what it’s really about.”
Ron Klotz, a volunteer and member of B’Town Jazz Club, said this wasn’t the festival’s first weather complication.
“Two years ago, it was great until about 6 o’clock, and then there was a downpour,” Klotz said. “It was a disaster, so everybody was scrambling to get everything out of the rain.”
Jackie Flores, IU sophomore and member of the all-campus jazz band, said she enjoyed her second time at the festival.
“This was probably one of the first main events I heard about in Bloomington, so I really wanted to immerse myself in it,” she said.
Lianna Gekker, a jazz student at the Jacobs School of Music, said she appreciated the city’s support for this particular genre.
“I think these festivals are really important because jazz isn’t mainstream music,” Gekker said. “Especially since Bloomington has a huge jazz department, I think stuff like this is really good for more of a general kind of festivity.”
