NAPTOWN SOUL Release to Be Celebrated at Indy Jazz Fest by Dixon, Stryker & More
Guitarist Dave Stryker and pianist Fribush join Floyd for the Indianapolis celebration.
Saxophonist Rob Dixon, guitarist Dave Stryker, organist Sam Fribush, and drummer Richard 'Sleepy' Floyd are set to perform at Indy Jazz Fest on Saturday, September 26, at 5 p.m. to mark the release of NAPTOWN SOUL, a soul jazz album on Strikezone Records due out August 21, 2026. The performance takes place on the Grand Finale IU Health Stage at Indy Art Center / Opti Park, 820 E. 67th Street in Indianapolis, and draws on the soul jazz tradition of Indiana Avenue with nods to Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard.
Long before 'Naptown' became a widely used moniker for Indianapolis, the term emerged from the city's Black musical community. During much of the 20th Century, Indiana Avenue served as the center of Black cultural life in Indianapolis. Known for its rich jazz legacy, the Avenue scene produced internationally celebrated artists including J.J. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, and Slide Hampton. But the Avenue's musical heritage extended far beyond jazz. It was also home to thriving blues, gospel, classical, funk, and soul traditions.
Out of this environment, a distinct sound emerged — one that bridged the technical mastery and musical sophistication of jazz with the emotional depth of soul. Rob Dixon's Naptown Soul carries that lineage into the present, pushing the city's musical tradition into the 21st Century.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised near Atlanta, Georgia, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Rob Dixon has spent the majority of his adult life in Indianapolis. Early in his career, he spent four years performing with legendary saxophonist Illinois Jacquet and he has recorded and played with A Tribe Called Quest, pianist Weldon Irvine, Mike Clark of The Headhunters and guitar innovator Charlie Hunter.
Dixon's reverence for Indianapolis' musical lineage is reflected throughout Naptown Soul, most notably in the inclusion of two Wes Montgomery compositions, 'Naptown Blues' and 'Bumpin' on Sunset.' He also puts a new spin on 'Walking in Rhythm' by the Blackbyrds and contributes four in-the-pocket originals of his own. More than a tribute to a historic style, the album places Dixon within a living continuum, drawing together musicians whose own careers intersect with the soul jazz tradition from different angles including guitarist and co-producer Dave Stryker, a soul jazz veteran whose career includes long associations with Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff, organist Sam Fribush, one of the leading Hammond B-3 players of his generation, and Indianapolis drummer Richard 'Sleepy' Floyd, a versatile musician whose work seamlessly bridges jazz and soul.
Throughout this recording, Dixon demonstrates why he's become a defining voice of Indianapolis jazz. His playing moves effortlessly between power and nuance, from the roaring tenor saxophone on 'Four One' to the lyrical soprano textures of Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You.' Naptown Soul is not only a masterful celebration of soul jazz music — it's also a document of Rob Dixon's evolution as a vital voice in contemporary jazz, and a tribute to a city whose contributions to the music have often gone unrecognized, even as they helped shape jazz in lasting and profound ways.
Kyle Long / WFYI / Indianapolis
Album Details
Artist: Rob Dixon
Title: Naptown Soul
Label: Strikezone Records 8829
Release Date: August 21, 2026
UPC Code: 195269427634
Artist's Website: www.robdixon.bandcamp.com
Track Listing
01. Sly Vibe (Rob Dixon) Sidseven Music ASCAP 5:15
02. Bumpin' on Sunset (Wes Montgomery) Taggie Music Co 6:14
03. Walking in Rhythm (Barney Perry) Perryal Publishing Co 5:07
04. Naptown Blues (Wes Montgomery) Taggie Music Co 5:32
05. I Want You (Leon Ware/Arthur 'T-Boy' Ross) Jobete Music Co Inc/Almo Music Corp 5:29
06. The Earth, The Sky (Rob Dixon) Sidseven Music ASCAP 5:37
07. Fields and Valleys (Rob Dixon) Sidseven Music ASCAP 6:48
08. Four One (Rob Dixon) Sidseven Music ASCAP 4:53
Credits
Produced by Dave Stryker and Rob Dixon
Recorded at Azmyth Recording - Indianapolis IN
January 29-30, 2026 by Mitch Lohman
Mixed and Mastered at 416 Wabash Studio, Indianapolis by Mitch Lohman
Graphic Design - Christopher Drukker
Photo Credit: Chris Drukker
Photo Credit: Chris Drukker
