The Latin sound of Billy Wooten and Virgil Jones

September 17, 2023

September is Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the month, Echoes of Indiana Avenue will spotlight the contributions Avenue musicians have made to Latin Music.

On this week’s show we’ll share music from vibraphonist Billy Wooten and trumpeter Virgil Jones.

Billy Wooten is best known for his work with the famed jazz guitarist Grant Green. From the 1960s, to his death in 2016, Wooten was a popular attraction in the Indianapolis music scene. Latin music was a big part of Wooten’s sound – he even recorded an entire album of Latin music at the Madame Walker Theatre.

Virgil Jones grew up on Indiana Avenue in the Lockefield Gardens apartments. Jones became one of the most prolific jazz trumpets of the 1960s, recording with a long list of jazz stars - including Lionel Hampton, Charles Earland, McCoy Tyner, and others. Jones played on significant Latin jazz recordings with Roland Kirk, Pharaoh Sanders, and Eddie Palmieri.