TICKETS are $10 General/$5 Student.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Philanthropic Services provided by grants from the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation, Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation, and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust, The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation, the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County's ArtsEverywhere initiative, and the Arts Project Support Grant and Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission. Concert support provided by the Arts Midwest Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund grant (2022-2023 season).

Charlie Ballantine - guitar

Richard “Sleepy” Floyd - drums

Jesse Wittman - bass

WEBSITE

https://youtu.be/gvJsKhG4bPQ

https://youtu.be/i7hkm-KR9qs

https://youtu.be/_jNDj-Rv63w

Named as one of the top 200 living guitarists by All About Jazz Magazine, Charlie Ballantine is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile young guitarists on the scene today. JAZZ TIMES MAGAZINE hails his playing as “teeming with intricate grooves and maniacal precision his guitar work is both beautiful and complex” and VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE described his style by stating “Jazz, rock, and folk music peacefully coexist in Charlie Ballantine’s world”. 

“Equipped with an impressive body of original compositions on albums like ‘Vonnegut’ and ‘Cold Coffee’, Ballantine also displays a great reverence for the jazz tradition through the inclusion of standards like ‘My One and Only Love’, ‘East of the Sun’ and an entire double album dedicated to the music of Thelonious Monk released September 2021. In the vein of fellow guitarists like John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, Ballantine reconciles his educational background in jazz with the stylistic background of his instrument. He approaches the gratifying tonal and harmonic language of rock/roots with the groove, ambition and improvisational focus of a jazz musician” - (JAZZIZ MAGAZINE)

After graduating from the Jacobs School of Music under the direction of David Baker, Ballantine relocated to Indianapolis and quickly developed a name for himself with a string of high energy performances at clubs like the Jazz Kitchen and Chatterbox Jazz Club. After releasing two solo albums Ballantine was able to attain global recognition with his award winning third album “Life is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan” which ALL ABOUT JAZZ named in their top ten jazz albums of the year. “From the opening bars of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" it is clear that something special is happening” - (ALL ABOUT JAZZ)

Although primarily a front man for his own projects with tours and frequent appearances throughout the US and Canada at venues and festivals such as the Indianapolis Jazz Festival, The Winnipeg International Jazz Festival and The Elkhart Jazz Festival, Ballantine also has an extensive list of side man credits having performed with names like Rob Dixon, Emmett Cohen, and Amanda Gardier helping to further solidify him as a creative force and  put him in the highest of ranks as a performer.

"Befitting a guitarist from America's heartland, Charlie Ballantine mixes jazz, folk-rock, surf/instro, blues, pop, and country into a simmering pot of guitar sound and style."  -Vintage Guitar Magazine

A native of Kokomo, Indiana, Richard "Sleepy" Floyd is a drummer, composer, and producer known for his versatility and high level of musicianship. Currently residing in Indianapolis, his playing style spans several genres including jazz, rock, hip-hop, and gospel.

A staple in the Indianapolis music scene for over 20 years, Jesse Wittman has played with everyone from Frank Glover to Rob Dixon. Jesse is a bassist, composer, educator, and recording artist based out of Indianapolis, IN. He holds a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University where he studied with David Baker and Bruce Bransby. He also holds a master’s degree in composition from Butler University where he studied with James Aikman and Michael Shelle. He currently teaches jazz bass at Butler University and has had the pleasure of working with great musicians around the country including Nicole Henry, Marvin Hamlisch, Steve Houghton, Anne Hampton Callaway, and trombonist Steve Davis.