For hundreds of years, songs have been the vessels for stories, lessons, and prayers for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. One of the newest additions to this world is the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, which presented its very first concert in 2022. The band focuses on reimagined traditional melodies made famous by Indigenous jazz musicians from the past, like singer Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and saxophonist Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke), as well as new works that push the genre forward.

Led by the celebrated vocalist and luminary Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), the ensemble brings charisma, passion, and purpose to every stage, leaving audiences both inspired and educated. The band has quickly gained a reputation for deepening and challenging our understanding of the “uniquely American” art form known as jazz. The goals of the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band are to celebrate and continue that tradition, to compose and perform new music inspired by traditional backgrounds, and to create a community of like-minded peoples from all backgrounds to uplift the next generation of Indigenous jazz musicians.

Indigenous jazz musicians, ensembles, and big bands have their place in the contemporary jazz world and jazz history. Following 19th-century federal policies to remove Indian children from their homes and indoctrinate them into European culture (Indian Boarding Schools), small ensembles and big bands began to flourish on reservations across the US and Canada in the first half of the Twentieth Century. Indigenous musicians started to ascend to celebrity with jazz as their medium – including Russell “Big Chief” Moore, Mildred Bailey, Oscar Pettiford, and Jim Pepper – but were never duly credited as Indigenous visionaries in the genre.

The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band reflects a wide range of Indigenous identities, from South America to Canada, Northeast to Southwest. Together, they represent a long-silenced, long-forgotten chapter of jazz history: the participation, contribution, innovation, and legacy of Indigenous jazz musicians. This is a legacy that seasoned composers and arrangers Julia Keefe and co-founder Delbert Anderson (Diné) carry forward through original works inspired by songs and rhythms of their Native heritage, reimagined through the language and stylings of jazz.

Presented in partnership with the University Musical Society, the talk will be followed by the band's performance presented by UMS, beginning at 8 PM.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.
Series presenting partners: Detroit PBS, ALL ARTS, and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Public.