Echoes of Indiana Avenue

17/08/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to the final episode in our two part series of exploring the music of Rapture, a legendary Indianapolis funk band led by keyboardist Rodney Stepp. During the late 1970s, Rapture was a dominating force in the Indianapolis club scene. A new compilation of Rapture’s music was recently issued by Now Again Records in California. The album features previously unreleased music Rapture recorded in 1977.

Hear interviews with Rapture’s Rodney Stepp, Lonnie Williams and Greg Russell. The Indianapolis soul music legend Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds will also share his memories of Rapture. Edmonds’ band Manchild was one of Rapture’s biggest rivals.

Rodney Stepp was born in Indianapolis in 1952. He was raised in the historic Flanner House Homes neighborhood, directly adjacent to Indiana Avenue. Stepp rose to prominence in the Naptown music scene as a teenager, during the 1960s. His high school band the Diplomats performed with major R&B stars and scored a local hit with the song “Hum-Bug”, issued by Lamp Records in 1969. Stepp’s follow-up recording “Young Girl” was issued in 1970 under the name Jazzie Cazzie and the Eight Sounds. During the early 1970s, Stepp toured the world as a keyboardist and assistant music director for The Spinners. Stepp eventually grew tired of working as a sideman with The Spinners. Yearning to explore his own musical concepts, he returned to Indianapolis in the late 1970s to form Rapture.

10/08/2025

Nearly 50 years after their debut recording session, the music of Rodney Stepp's Rapture has finally been released.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, Rodney will join us to share the history of Rapture, a legendary Naptown funk band that thrived during the late 1970s.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

20/07/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll share the first episode in our three part series celebrating the music of Gilbert "Honey" Hill, an important Indianapolis blues pianist known for his work with Little Bill Gaither and Bumble Bee Slim (all three are pictured together on the left.)

Hill was born in Indianapolis on January 8, 1912. His parents, Frank and Emma Hill migrated to Indiana from Kentucky. Hill spent much of his childhood living on the city’s Eastside, including an address at 1508 Yandes Street.

Honey Hill entered into adulthood at a time when the Indianapolis blues duo of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell were dominating the blues scene, both locally and nationally. Hill partnered with the Indianapolis blues singer and guitarist Bill Gaither to start his own duo, modeled on the music of Carr and Blackwell. They made their first recordings together during the winter of 1935 — just a few months after the untimely death of Leroy Carr. Many of their recordings were issued under the name “Leroy’s Buddy”, a reference to their strong connection to Carr.

From 1936 to 1940, Hill and Gaither recorded over 70 songs together. During that time, they also cut over a dozen sides with the blues singer Bumble Bee Slim, who is speculated to have maintained a residency in Naptown during the 1930s.

During his career, Hill recorded only one session under his own name. Issued in 1939, his piano instrumentals "Boogie Woogie" and "Set 'Em" received national attention. In 1940, Hill's recording of "Boogie Woogie" was featured on a Decca Records compilation alongside legendary pianists, Albert Ammons, Mary Lou Williams, and Meade "Lux" Lewis.

By the 1940s, Hill had retired from the music business, and began working as a truck driver for the Indianapolis school system, a job he kept until his death on June 24, 1953. Hill's cause of death was listed as Cerebral Thrombosis. He was just 41 years old. Hill was living at 1121 E. 19th Street at the time of his death.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

13/07/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll celebrate the life of the Indianapolis teacher and vocalist Lexie Webster, she passed away earlier this year at the age of 96.

Lexie Webster was the widow of the acclaimed Indianapolis jazz saxophonist Russell Webster. In 2023, she appeared on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, along with her daughter Bonita Webster-Coleman, to discuss Russell’s musical legacy. On this week's show, we'll share excerpts from that interview, along with classic recordings from Russell Webster.

Lexie Webster was born in Indianapolis on June 20, 1929. Her parents, James and Iva Staples, migrated to Indiana, from Tennessee. Webster attended Crispus Attucks High School, graduating with honors at age 16. ‘ From there, she attended Knoxville College and later earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana University. Webster worked as a kindergarten teacher for the Indianapolis Public School system for 35 years. During that time, she also performed as a vocalist with the Indianapolis Opera Company, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church and many other organizations.

(Air dates/times in the comments section.)

22/06/2025

For the next three weeks on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll explore the music of Reunald Jones, an important jazz trumpet player with deep connections to the Avenue neighborhood. During his legendary career, Jones performed with the biggest stars in American music, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Dinah Washington, Quincy Jones, Nat King Cole and many others. But he’s best known for his work with Count Basie (Jones is pictured to the right of Basie in the photo below.) Jones was a member of the Count Basie band from 1952 to 1957. During that time he led the band’s trumpet section.

Jones was born in Indianapolis in 1922. Music was part of his family legacy, his father John Wesley Jones was a musician, and his cousin Roy Eldridge, was a famous jazz trumpet star. Jones’ family had strong ties to the Avenue neighborhood. During the early 1900s, his father was a choral director for the Bethe A.M.E. church and a bandleader for the Senate Avenue YMCA. In the 1930s, his sister, Louise Fields, was an editor for the Indianapolis Recorder.

After spending the first decade of his life in Indianapolis, Jones moved with his family to Muncie, Indiana. By age 15, Jones was playing trumpet in a local Muncie band that included Doc Wheeler on trombone. Wheeler became a star on the Avenue scene during the 1930s. In the early 1940s, Jones and Wheeler reunited for a series of recordings with Bluebird Records.

By age 20, Jones left Muncie to pursue a life in music. He performed with a variety of regional territory bands, including Speed Webb’s Hoosier Melody Lads, where he had the chance to play with his cousin Roy Eldridge. By the mid 1930s, Jones was in New York, where he began his recording career.

On this week’s episode, we’ll focus on Jones’ early recordings with Mezz Mezzrow, Lil Hardin, Don Redman, Jimmie Lunceford and more.

(Air times/dates in the comments section below.)

19/06/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue!

In April of 2025, a new Indiana state historical marker was placed in the Indiana Avenue neighborhood. The marker honors the history of the Phillis Wheatley YWCA. During the era of segregation, the Phillis Wheatley YWCA was a crucial institution for Black women in Indianapolis, providing a safe space for community, education, and advocacy.

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The Phyllis Wheatley YWCA also offered a space for cultural expression. The Harriet Jordan Music Hall, located within the YWCA building, hosted concerts on a weekly basis. Many of these events focused on the artistry of Black classical musicians. During the mid 20th Century, the Avenue was home to a vibrant classical music culture, and the Phillis Wheatley YWCA was one of the neighborhood’s premier classical music venues.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, celebrate the musical legacy of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA by listening to music from artists who performed there. Listen to rare recordings from local and internationally known performers, including Felicia Weathers, Sarah McLawler, Eva Jessye, Shirley Graham Du Bois, Larry Ridley, David Hardiman and more.
Indiana Historical Society

01/06/2025

In May of 2025, the legendary Indianapolis keyboardist DeMorris “Dee-Gee” Smith passed away. This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll pay tribute to Smith with an hour of music featuring his work as a keyboardist.

DeMorris Smith was a beloved figure in the Naptown funk scene, known for his soulful keyboard work, and his dedication to the local music community. Smith’s career in music spanned generations. He worked extensively with Naptown bands, like Epoxy, Redd Hott, Klas, Below Zero, and The Downstroke Band. He also performed and recorded with national acts too, including The Bar-Kays, The Deele and R.J’s Latest Arrival.

Outside of his work in music, Smith was a successful radio producer, working for WIBC for two decades.

Smith came from a musical family. His father Sonny Smith, was a drummer who performed on the Avenue for decades with his band The Original Chromatics. Over the years, Sonny played with legendary Naptown musicians like David Baker and Erroll Grandy. Sonny was also a professional athlete, who played basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters and played baseball in the Negro Leagues with the Chicago American Giants.

Smith’s mother Margaret Smith, was a music teacher in the Indianapolis Public School system. His brother Sparky Smith, achieved success as a flute player in the local jazz scene. Sparky played with many local jazz legends, including David Young, Pookie Johnson and Billy Wooten.

Join us this week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, to hear Smith’s work with bands including Epoxy, Redd Hott, The Bar-Kays, The Deele, Klas, etc.

(Air times/dates in the comments section.)

25/05/2025

Today is the 86th birthday of the legendary Indianapolis jazz trombonist Phil Ranelin. This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll share the final episode in our three part series exploring the music of Phil Ranelin.

On this week's edition, Phil his work with Freddie Hubbard - from their time at Arsenal Tech High School in the 1950s, to their recordings together in the '70s/'80s.

Air times/dates in the comments section.

18/05/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll share the second episode in our three part series exploring the music of Phil Ranelin, a legendary Naptown jazz trombonist.

Check out this 1985 flyer for The Place to Start (currently The Jazz Kitchen,) featuring Phil performing with Indianapolis jazz great David Young, and his Tribe Records co-founder Wendell Harrison.

11/05/2025

On May 25th, the legendary Indianapolis jazz trombonist Phil Ranelin will turn 86 years old. For the next three weeks on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll celebrate the anniversary of Phil’s birthday by exploring his extraordinary work in music.

We’ll also listen to a recent conversation Phil recorded with WFYI’s Kyle Long. This is Phil's first in depth interview since returning to Indiana.

Check the comments section below for air dates/times.

Phil Ranelin was born in Indianapolis in 1939. He lived on the city’s east sice in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood and attended Arsenal Tech High School, where jazz icon Freddie Hubbard was also a student. Nearly two decades later they would record three albums together.

In addition to his education at Tech, Phil studied music privately with David Baker and attended music workshops at Crispus Attucks High School.

During the 1960s, Phil was active on the local jazz scene — performing with Naptown music greats like Wes Montgomery, Mel Rhyne, and Pookie Johnson.

Around 1968, Phil left Naptown for Detroit, becoming deeply involved in the city’s dynamic music scene. While in Detroit he worked as a session musician and touring performer for Motown Records, working with artists like Stevie Wonder and The Temptations. But it was his work with Tribe jazz collective that elevated his legacy in music.

Phil co-founded Tribe in the early 1970s with saxophonist Wendell Harrison. Tribe started as a musical ensemble, but soon expanded into a record label, magazine and artist collective. Their work was explicitly political — advocating for Black empowerment and self-determination.

Phil’s work with Tribe Records produced a number of seminal albums including “The Time Is Now” and “Vibes from the Tribe.” These recordings blended traditional jazz with funk, and avant-garde techniques, helping to redefine the boundaries of the genre.

Phil spent much of the last 40 years, living in Los Angeles, California. But he recently returned to his hometown of Indianapolis after suffering a debilitating stroke in 2021.

Join us for the next three weeks as we celebreate the 86th annversary of Phil's birth!

04/05/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, bassist and Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign co-founder Lester Johnson will join us to discuss his early years in music. Lester began performing on the Avenue as a teenager with Harvey Cook and The Blue Tones.

In this clip, Lester and his Ebony Rhythm bandmates Ricky Jackson and Pam Tanner discuss some of the Avenue clubs where they performed.

(Air times/date in the comments section below.)

27/04/2025

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, listen to music from Herve Duerson and Turner Parrish, two important pianists who were active in the Indianapolis scene during the 1920s and ’30s. Though they were not linked together professionally, they shared many common traits. Both men recorded blues and jazz music for Richmond, Indiana’s Gennett Records, and both worked with the Naptown blues singer Teddy Moss.