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 nearly 30 years and as the Director of Indy Jazz Fest for over a decade, David has helped to curate literally thousands of jazz performances in Indianapolis by national and regional artists. The Jazz Kitchen has received multiple “Best 100 Jazz Clubs in the World” by Downbeat Magazine, and its sonics and ambience have inspired dozens of artists to record live albums in the venue. 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 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.