Sunday Vibes: Premium Blend

Take it easy this Sunday with the smooth sounds of modern jazz from the jazz quartet Premium Blend.

Led by saxophonist Jared Thompson, Premium Blend is a modern jazz quartet that combines traditional elements of bebop, hard bop, R&B, and groove in their original compositions. Backed by guitarist/songwriter/producer Ryan Taylor, keyboardist/songwriter Steven Jones, bassist Brandon Meeks, and drummer/producer Richard “Sleepy” Floyd, Premium Blend’s spin on jazz resonates with die-hard jazz fans and novices alike. The band has released five studio albums—S.O.A.P-Sum Of All Parts (2015), The Road (2017), Vices (2019), and 38th & Postmodernism, a documentary made possible by a commission from the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation which has been accepted by multiple film festivals including Heartland Film Festival. Premium Blend is heavily featured in the winning Heartland Film Festival documentary Go Get Your Horn (2017), focused on the continuing mentorship and evolution of modern jazz in Indianapolis. Bandleader Thompson was the only Hoosier to receive the Map Fund grant for the 2022/23 cycle which he used to record, distribute, and provide community programming for their latest studio album released in the spring of 2023 titled Virtue.