Episode 44: David Allee

David Allee wears many hats: club owner, musician, music producer, and community non-profit leader, to name a few. As the owner of the Jazz Kitchen for 30 years and as the Director of Indy Jazz Fest for over a decade, David has curated literally thousands of jazz performances in Indianapolis by national and regional artists. David, along with jazz artist/community leader Rob Dixon, re-energized the Indy Jazz Fest over a decade ago, and has continued to grow the Fest and the Indy Jazz Foundation, “to preserve the legacy and promote the future of jazz in Indianapolis.” David also owns The Jazz Kitchen, which has received multiple “Best 100 Jazz Clubs in the World” honors from Downbeat Magazine, and which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. David and I had a conversation in 2022 about his life, what inspired him to start the Jazz Kitchen, and his vision for preserving and growing Indianapolis’ rich jazz history.