Echoes of Indiana Avenue

02/02/2025

For the next three weeks on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll share the complete recordings of the late Alonzo “Pookie” Johnson, a legendary Indiana Avenue jazz saxophonist.

Many local jazz fans consider Johnson to be one of the greatest saxophonists in Indianapolis history. During his six decade career, Johnson performed with the greatest jazz players in Naptown, including Wes Montgomery, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Coe, Carl Perkins, Virgil Jones, David Baker, Errol Grandy, Freddie Hubbard, and many more.

Johnson was born in Indianapolis in October of 1927. He studied music at Crispus Attucks High School, and the Jordan Conservatory. Johnson was a veteran of the Avenue club scene, performing at legendary venues such as the Sky Club, George’s Bar, The P&P Club, Henri’s, the Golden West, Sunset Terrace, and the British Lounge.

Join us this week, as we explore the early recordings of Pookie Johnson.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

26/01/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, join us for a remembrance of Rev. Dennis H. Freeman, an important figure in Indianapolis gospel music. reeman passed away on January 15, 2025 at the age of 84. Listen to a 2021 interview WFYI’s Kyle long recorded with Freeman, along with rare recordings of his music.

Rev. Dennis H. Freeman was a keyboardist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and choir director. In a monumental career, that stretched over eight decades, Freeman performed alongside the greatest names in gospel music, including James Cleveland, Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes, The Caravans, Raymond Raspberry, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Dorothy Norwod, The Soul Stirrers, The O’Neill Twins, and many others.

Freeman began working professionally in music as a teenager in the 1950s, playing organ at churches around the Indiana Avenue neighborhood. In 1959, he formed the Freeman Singers, a talented ensemble of singers that included the Indianapolis jazz vocalist Everett Green.

By the 1960s, Freeman had become a fixture of gospel music in Indiana. Freeman took part in many historic events in Hoosier gospel music, including Mahalia Jackson’s 1966 concert at Clowes Hall, and the first Indiana Black Expo in 1971.

Air times/dates in the comments section, along with information about upcoming memorial services for Rev. Freeman.

19/01/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with an hour of gospel music from artists who performed on the Avenue, as we explore the connection between gospel music and the struggle for civil rights.

Also, hear an interview with the Indianapolis-based historic preservationist Claudia Polley, she attended King’s 1959 speech in the Avenue neighborhood.

Gospel music played a profound role in the civil rights movement, serving as both a source of spiritual nourishment and a rallying cry for social change. Enjoy music from local and national artists, including The Wandering Travelers, Staple Singers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates, and more.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

12/01/2025

For nearly 100 years, the term Naptown has been used as a nickname for the city of Indianapolis. The origin of the name Naptown has been a subject of debate for many decades. While the exact origins may never be known, one thing is clear: the usage of Naptown was popularized on Indiana Avenue, and the name was spread nationally by Indianapolis blues and boogie-woogie musicians.

The first known printed use of Naptown appeared in a January 1927 issue, of the Indianapolis Recorder, Indiana’s longest-running Black newspaper. The term would not appear in white-owned newspapers until many years later.

By the 1930s, the Recorder frequently used the name Naptown, and in 1936, the Recorder began publishing a weekly column, titled “Naptown After Dark”, written by Wesley O. Jackson.

In the pages of the Recorder, the name Naptown was used often to refer specifically to the Indiana Avenue neighborhood, or Black Indianapolis at large.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to an hour of music celebrating Naptown from local jazz, blues, and soul musicians, as we explore the origins of the name Naptown.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

05/01/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll explore the life and music of saxophonist Eddie Chamblee - best known for his work in jazz and R&B music.

Eddie Chamblee worked with many legendary performers, including Lionel Hampton, T-Bone Walker, Memphis Slim, and Dinah Washington. In fact, Chamblee was married to Dinah Washington in 1957.

Eddie Chamblee was born, in Atlanta, Georgia in 1920. By 1928, he was living in Indianapolis. His father, Robert Chamblee, was president of the Citizens Life Insurance Company. Their offices were located at 229 Indiana Avenue.

After spending several years in Indianapolis, Chamblee’s family moved to Chicago. But Chamblee would eventually return to Indianapolis. From 1953, to 1955, Chamblee held down a series of steady gigs at the Indiana Avenue club George’s Bar, where he became famous for playing his sax while swinging from the club’s rafters.

During the 1950s, Chamblee performed at many Indiana Avenue venues, including Sunset Terrace, the Walker Theatre, The Royal Roost, and Ferguson Hotel.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

03/01/2025

In February of 2024, the legendary Avenue jazz drummer and entrepreneur Al Coleman passed away. Tonight on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll share interviews with Al's brother, organist Phil Coleman, and his friend and bandmate, guitarist Steve Weakley.

Al Coleman was born in Indianapolis in 1927. He graduated from Crispus Attucks High School and studied music at the Jordan Conservatory. During his career, Coleman played with legendary Naptown musicians, including Wes Montgomery, Leroy Vineggar, and Jimmy Coe. But he’s best known for his work with the Three Souls, a jazz trio he co-founded during the late 1950s.

Coleman was also a celebrated entrepreneur. He owned a vending machine company, car wash, and the Cole-Smith Manor motel. But his best known business venture was Al’s British Lounge, an Indiana Avenue jazz club. The British Lounge has been called the last great jazz club on the Avenue.

Coleman also gave back to his community. In 1978, he opened the Jacer Inn Family Retreat in Rochdale, Indiana. The Jacer Inn offered a variety of health and social services to inner-city residents.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

22/12/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue we'll share our annual tribute to the Indianapolis Recorder's midnight Christmas benefit concerts at the Walker Theatre.

Thee concerts ran from midnight to 6 a.m. and featured as many as 60 acts on stage - including fire-eaters, snake handlers, drag queens, burlesque dancers, comedians, funk bands, jazz players, and rock & roll stars - all coming together to raise money for families in need.

The midnight Christmas shows developed from the Indianapolis Recorder Cheer Fund. Established in 1929, the Cheer Fund was an annual holiday fundraiser that supported families in financial need. During the 1930s the Cheer Fund evolved into a benefit concert. These concerts attracted star performers, including the legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson who performed at the Recorder’s 1938 benefit show. The Recorder's midnight Christmas benefit concerts thrived until the 1980s.

Listen to interviews with Indianapolis musicians and media personalities who performed at the Christmas benefit shows, including: Henry Hinch, Josephine Cheatham, Rodney Stepp, Reggie Gammon, Debbie Nelson, Tyrone Caldwell, Richard Hamilton, Eunice Trotter, Geno Shelton and the late Joe Trotter.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

15/12/2024

On December 19 of 1970, the Indianapolis affiliate of the Southern Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket held a “Black Christmas Parade” on Indiana Avenue. The parade featured marching bands, floats, and local celebrities. The grand marshal of the parade was the Soul Saint, an Afrocentric version of Santa Claus.

The “Black Christmas Parade” was part of a full day of events, that also included a keynote speech from Reverend Jesse Jackson. The day ended with a ”Black Christmas Party” at Foster’s Motor Lodge, featuring the greatest funk and soul bands in Indianapolis, including The Highlighters, The Moonlighters, The Turner Brothers, Indy 5, The Perfections, and others.

The purpose of the “Black Christmas Parade” was bigger than spreading holiday cheer. A spokesperson for Operation Breadbasket said the parade was created to raise awareness of the services and products available through local Black business owners, and to develop a sense of Black pride in the Indianapolis community.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to a tribute to the “Black Christmas Parade”, featuring an hour of music from Indianapolis bands that performed at the event.

08/12/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to a tribute to the legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes. He passed away last November at the age of 99. Hear an hour of classic jazz music from Haynes, featuring his work with the jazz masters of Indiana Avenue.

Roy Haynes was among the greatest and most influential drummers in the history of jazz music. Though Haynes spent the majority of his life in New York, he performed with many legends of the Indiana Avenue jazz scene, including Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, Larry Ridley, Bill Jennings, James Spaulding and more.

Haynes was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1925. He began playing drums professionally, as a teenager during the early 1940s. His crisp and distinctive sound on the drums earned him the nickname “Snap Crackle”. By the end of the 1940s, Roy was playing with the greatest stars in jazz, including Lester Young, and Charlie Parker. In the following decades, Roy continued to be a dominating force in jazz, performing with Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Chick Correa, and dozens of other iconic jazz artists.

The photo below features Larry Ridley on left, and Roy Haynes on right.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

29/11/2024

Tonight at 8!

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to the second episode in our three-part series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of trombonist J.J. Johnson, one of the greatest jazz icons to emerge from Indianapolis.

📻 Tune in for on Sundays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m. 90.1
📲 Stream more with the podcast: https://bit.ly/3itERQN
🎧 at WFYI.ORG/LISTEN
🗣️ Tell your smart speaker to play WFYI

On this edition, we’ll focus on Johnson’s work in bebop and hard bop music. Johnson worked with many of the greatest legends in bebop, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and many others.

22/11/2024

Tonight!

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to the first episode in our three-part series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of trombonist J.J. Johnson, one of the greatest jazz icons to emerge from Indianapolis.

📻 Tune in for on Sundays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m. 90.1
📲 Stream more with the podcast: https://bit.ly/3itERQN
🎧 at WFYI.ORG/LISTEN
🗣️ Tell your smart speaker to play WFYI

On this edition, hear a discussion recorded live at the Jazz Kitchen, featuring an all-star panel of jazz musicians discussing Johnson’s work.

The event was moderated by WFYI’s Kyle Long, and features commentary from musicians Phil Ranelin, Steve Turre, Rob Dixon, Steve Allee and Pharez Whitted. J.J. Johnson’s widow Carolyn Johnson also made a special appearance onstage.

10/11/2024

"Boy this brings back some amazing memories - like sleeping on Wes Montgomery's floor when I used to come through Naptown with the Lionel Hampton band." - Quincy Jones, from his liner notes for "Wes Montgomery - In the Beginning".

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll pay tribute to Quincy Jones by exploring his work with the jazz masters of Indiana Avenue.

During his historic career, Jones worked with many legendary Indianapolis musicians, including Freddie Hubbard, David Baker, Pookie Johnson, Virgil Jones, J.J. Johnson, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Montgomery, Monk Montgomery and more.

It's very likely Jones played on Indiana Avenue. From 1951 to 1953, Jones was an arranger and trumpet player for the Lionel Hampton band. Hampton played at Indiana Avenue's Sunset Terrace on Thanksgiving day of 1952.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

03/11/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, explore the music of the Indianapolis trumpet player Joe Mitchell. He performed with many legendary bandleaders including Ray Charles, Count Basie, Jimmy Coe, and Earl Bostic.

Mitchell was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1929. By the 1940s, he was living in Indianapolis. Mitchell attended Crispus Attucks High School and by the age of 19 he was playing with the greatest jazz musicians in Indianapolis, including Pookie Johnson, Willis Kirk, Reginald Duvalle, Monk Montgomery, Carl Perkins and others.

20/10/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll share an hour of music from the trombonist, disc jockey, and bandleader Doc Wheeler Morin.

Doc was a star of the Avenue music scene during the early 1930s. He was born in Franklin, Indiana in 1910, and grew up in Muncie. By age 18, Doc was living in Indianapolis, performing in the pit orchestra at the newly opened Madame Walker Theatre.

In 1935, Doc started his own orchestra. The band was a hit on the Avenue, playing at neighborhood venues including the Walker Casino, Dee’s Paradise, and the Trianon Ballroom.

During the late 1930s, Doc left Naptown for New York. He found success as bandleader for the Sunset Royal Serenaders, later known as the Sunset Orchestra. In 1941 they cut a series of recordings for RCA’s Bluebird label.

Doc’s music influenced some of the biggest stars of big band music, including Tommy Dorsey.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

17/10/2024

The Ink Spots were founded around 1933 by four young Indianapolis singers, Deek Watson, Orville Jones, Charlie Fuqua, and Jerry Daniels. They would go on to become one of the most influential acts in American music, inspiring an entire generation of doo-wop, R&B, and rock and roll musicians.

In 1989 the Ink Spots were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the only Indianapolis act to receive this honor. Jerry Daniels left the Ink Spots in 1936, though his time with the group was short, he played a large role in establishing their unique sound.

Join us for an hour of music from Daniels, featuring his early work with the Ink Spots, and his last recordings during the 1980s.

06/10/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll explore the music of the late Naptown trumpet player Michael Ridley.

Michael played on some legendary jazz album's - including Archie Shepp's "Attica Blues" and Clifford Thornton's "Gardens of Harlem".

Michael Ridley was born in Indianapolis in 1939. At that time, his family lived in Lockefield Gardens. Michael attended Shortridge High School, and performed with the school band. He also studied music at the MacArthur Conservatory on Indiana Avenue.

There was music in Ridley’s home too. His older brother, Larry Ridley, is a legendary jazz bassist known for his work with Thelonius Monk, and Freddie Hubbard.

Tune in this week for an hour of music from Michael Ridley.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

03/10/2024

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue:

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to a tribute to the Philadelphia saxophonist and composer Benny Golson. He passed away on September 21 at the age of 95.

📻 Tune in for on Sundays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at 8 p.m. 90.1
📲 Stream anytime with the podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EchoesWFYI
🎧 at WFYI.ORG/LISTEN
🗣️ Tell your smart speaker to play WFYI

Throughout his career, Golson performed with legends of the Indiana Avenue jazz scene, including Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnson.

Hear an hour of music featuring Golson’s collaborations with Indianapolis jazz musicians, along with recordings of Golson’s music from notable Avenue jazz stars, like Wes Montgomery and Slide Hampton.