  We report the results of a series of RXTE and ATCA observations of the
recently-discovered X-ray transient IGR J17497-2821. Our 3-200 keV PCA+HEXTE
spectral analysis shows very little variations over a period of ~10 days around
the maximum of the outburst. IGR J17497-2821 is found in a typical Low Hard
State (LHS) of X-ray binaries (XRB), well represented by an absorbed
Comptonized spectrum with an iron edge at about 7 keV. The high value of the
absorption (~4 e22 cm-2) suggests that the source is located at a large
distance, either close to the Galactic center or beyond. The timing analysis
shows no particular features, while the shape of the power density spectra is
also typical of LHS of XRBs, with ~36% RMS variability. No radio counterpart is
found down to a limit of 0.21 mJy at 4.80 GHz and 8.64 GHz. Although the
position of IGR J17497-2821 in the radio to X-ray flux diagram is well below
the correlation usually observed in the LHS of black holes, the comparison of
its X-ray properties with those of other sources leads us to suggest that it is
a black hole candidate.
