The Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble

“A songbird of a jazz vocalist” – The New York Times

Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) is an internationally acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist, actor, and educator. She is also the leader of the nine-piece Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble, whose goals are to celebrate and continue the tradition of song as a vessel of stories and lessons for the Indigenous people of the Americas. The project celebrates the diversity and vitality of Indigenous peoples in jazz: past, present, and future.

The Julia Keefe Indigenous Jazz Ensemble reflects a wide range of Indigenous identities, from South America to Canada, the Northeast to the Southwest. Together, they represent a long-silenced and often forgotten chapter of jazz history: the participation, contributions, innovations, and legacies of Indigenous jazz musicians.

Event Sponsors:

Institute of American Indian Arts

This project is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.