Come hear Sam Butler and his Folklore Sextet at the world-famous Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis! Sets start at 7:30 and 9:30, and will feature music from the upcoming "Folklore" release, along with other original compositions and known favorites. Tickets range from $15-$25 a person. The band features:
Sam Butler - trumpet Greg Ward - alto saxophone Garrett Fasig - tenor saxophone Luther S. Allison - piano Brendan Keller-Tuberg - bass Kenny Phelps - drums
"Folklore" is the debut album from Sam Butler, an Indianapolis-based trumpeter and composer with a unique and melodic style. With release on May 5th, 2023, his bandleader debut at The Jazz Kitchen caps off a five show tour around the Midwest, including stops in Chicago and Detroit. The band and the music are energetic and free-flowing, and aim to bring melody and groove together in a combination that leaves a little something for everyone.
Originally from Fairhope, Alabama, Butler relocated to Bloomington in 2018 to pursue a degree at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and is now in the midst of his Master's Degree in Jazz Studies at IU. He has become a mainstay in the scene around Indianapolis, performing with Sean Dobbins and the Modern Jazz Messengers, the Buseli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, and the Hickey-Shanafelt 9ollective. Butler has also shared a stage with jazz greats Orrin Evans, Melissa Aldana, and Emmet Cohen while at IU.
The compositions from "Folklore," all originals by Butler, are through-composed and feature different members of the ensemble based on their musical personalities. Each musician is recognizable throughout as both a soloist and as a member of the band. With an all-star cast including some of Butler's closest musical peers and mentors, the music comes to life in the free-flowing style of each musician, always unpredictable and allowing room for improvisation. Chicago-based saxophonist Greg Ward and Cincinnati's own Garrett Fasig on tenor complete the hornline with Butler. Pianist Luther Allison from New York joins Australia's Brendan Keller-Tuberg on bass and Indianapolis staple Kenny Phelps on drums in the rhythm section.
"Folklore" aims to bring joy to the listener, and provide memorable melodies and moments from each track. The combination of contemporary jazz, folk, classical and elements of funk provide musical gestures that sound familiar to audiences while also pushing the envelope in crossing those lines. Tracks like "Storybook" and "The Primrose Path" bring in elements of R&B and funk while referencing musical themes on the album, while "Suspension (Adrift, Glide)" combines elements of swing and ECM with R&B, and "Premonition, Acuity, Flourish" combines elements of minimalism and straight-ahead jazz.