Music at Butler: Benny Golson Jazz Festival

Marlin McKay and Shelby Yount headline the Benny Golson Jazz Festival at the Schrott Center for the Arts on Monday, December 7, 2026. It's the fifth annual edition of the festival, presented by the Butler University School of Music. McKay takes the trumpet and Yount the voice, and they're backed by the Butler University Jazz Ensemble and the Festival Honor Band.

There's a bit more to this than just the concert. Throughout the day, guest students and directors take part in educational activities, so the evening performance is the culmination of a full day of workshops. The festival itself was created to celebrate the legacy of saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, who received an honorary doctorate from Butler University in 2019. If you can't make it to the venue in person, there's a live stream available.

McKay brings some local jazz roots to the bill. He studied jazz at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and at the Indiana University-Jacob School of Music in Bloomington, and has shared the stage with artists across a range of genres. He'll be leading the trumpet line alongside Yount's vocals, with the university's jazz ensemble and the festival's honor band filling out the sound.

The concert starts at 7:30 PM at the Schrott Center for the Arts on the Butler University campus. Admission is free and open to the public, and no ticket is required.