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/song writer/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 four 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.”