Indianapolis vocalist Leah Crane is well known to audiences in the Hoosier state, throughout the Midwest, and beyond. The versatile singer studied at the renowned IU Jacobs School of Music. Equally at home on the international concert stage, in commercial recording studios, and in faith communities, she is also the lead vocalist for Pavel & Direct Contact Latin Jazz and Salsa.
Following her collegiate musical studies, Leah embarked on a varied and extensive career as a professional vocal soloist and choral artist. She has been featured as soloist in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and Chichester Psalms, Poulenc’s Gloria, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s The Seasons, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Ned Rorem's Evidence of Things Not Seen, and Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915.
In 2013, she was selected to be the soprano soloist in the release of composer Carson Cooman’s In Beauty Walking, recorded in the Czech Republic with Maestro Kirk Trevor and the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra. In 2019, she appeared as soloist in Carissimi’s historic mid-17th century oratorio, Jephte with Alchymy Viols. She was a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Indy Baroque Orchestra and Lafayette Symphony Orchestras, in Arvo Pärt’s groundbreaking oratorio, Passio, as well as with Anderson Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Pops concert in 2019.
Her versatility shines in recent projects as the vocalist for Latin Jazz & Salsa band, Pavel & Direct Contact. Leah is an accomplished studio session singer, and she can often be heard on national promotional recordings for various music publishers, including Walt Disney, Hal Leonard, Beckenhorst, Lorenz, Alfred, Carl Fischer, and Shawnee Press. In 2002, she finished recording a solo album of jazz and Brazilian standards with Chicago based producer/arranger Paul Langford, “Lucky to Be Me” available on all platforms. Leah has sung the National Anthem for numerous sporting events with the NBA, NFL, IMS Grand Prix, and NASCAR.
Throughout central Indiana, Leah continues her work as a musician in faith-based communities, singing as a soloist in many churches and synagogues. She is currently the Contemporary Worship leader at the historic Tabernacle Presbyterian Church. In addition to her many musical pursuits, she is a Clinical Consultant at IU Health’s Riley Hospital for Children, having earned a graduate degree in Social Work from Indiana University. She and her husband Jeff reside in Indianapolis with their children, Karis and Carson.
Pavel & Direct Contact
Latin Jazz, Salsa, and Latin-infused American Pop
bio
Pavel & Direct Contact delivers high-energy, fiery performances in the spirit of today’s leading Latin Jazz innovators. Led by internationally renowned Dominican pianist and Chicago Music Awards nominee Pavel Polanco-Safadit, the band creates an unforgettable fusion of Latin Jazz, Salsa, and Latin-infused American pop.
With members who have performed across the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, Pavel & Direct Contact brings together Indy Jazz Hall-of-Famers, acclaimed studio musicians, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra players, and internationally recognized artists. Collectively, they have shared the stage with icons such as Ray Charles, Peter Erskine, Kenny G, Dave Valentin, Max Weinberg, Patti LaBelle, Roscoe Mitchell, Gunther Schuller, The Who, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, Ben E. King, and Henry Mancini.
Their signature sound blends vibrant horns, irresistible Latin rhythms, and dynamic vocals in both Spanish and English. Since their debut The Other Side (2016), the group has released a string of celebrated albums on AireBorn Records: Rush Hour (2017), D’la Calle (2018), Americanisao (2019), and Día Bonito (2021), as well as the popular single “You” (2020) and the fan-favorite collection Essentials (2023). In 2025, Grammy-winning Dominican singer-songwriter Pavel Núñez and renowned Latin jazz pianist and composer Pavel Polanco-Safadit joined forces to release their groundbreaking new album, “De Pavel a Pavel”. The collaboration, featuring Polanco-Safadit’s acclaimed band Pavel & Direct Contact, fuses genres and cultures to create anvibrant and engaging musical journey. The album, sponsored by Indianapolis Jazz Foundation/Indy Jazz Fest, highlights Núñez’s evocative vocals and poetic lyricism alongside Polanco-Safadit’s virtuosic piano melodies and the infectious energy of Pavel & Direct Contact. Recorded in Indianapolis, IN at 416 Wabash Studios, the project represents a cultural and musical partnership between Dominican Republic and Indianapolis.
Beyond the stage, Pavel serves as “Artist in Residence” at Butler University and Eskenazi Hospital. Whether you come with dancing shoes or simply an open heart, a Pavel & Direct Contact performance will immerse you in a vibrant world of rhythm, connection, and joy.