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The Walker: Leroy Vinnegar on The Avenue
July 22, 2021
This week we're celebrating the birthday of the Indiana Avenue jazz legend, Leroy Vinnegar. Leroy was known as “the walker”, a name he earned for his mastery of the walking bass jazz style.
The Gospel According Scrapper
July 15, 2021
This week we dig into the musical collaboration between the Indianapolis blues legend Scrapper Blackwell, and Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of gospel music.
Eunice Trotter
July 8, 2021
Meet the trailblazing Hoosier journalist Eunice Trotter. She began writing for the Indianapolis Recorder as a teenager during the 1960s, eventually becoming the paper’s editor-in-chief and owner.
Rap Music Samples from the Avenue
July 1, 2021
The music of Indiana Avenue has been sampled by some of the biggest rappers and producers in hip-hop, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, and more. Discover some of the Avenue’s most sampled artists.
Drag Queens and Trans Performers on the Avenue
June 24, 2021
Explore the history of drag queens and trans performers on the Avenue. The names of performers like Candy Laverne, Doris White, Valda Gray, and Tanya Dupree were commonplace on nightclub rosters.
Juneteenth on the Avenue
June 17, 2021
On June 19, 1953, an all-star Juneteenth concert was staged at Indiana Avenue’s legendary Sunset Terrace nightclub, featuring a line-up including Johnny Otis, Marie Adams, Mel Walker, and Redd Lyte.
The Organ-Nizers
June 10, 2021
Enjoy a special live session and interview with Johnny Dial and The Organ-Nizers, recorded live at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. Dial began playing the Hammond organ on The Avenue in the 1960s.
Chris Fuller
June 3, 2021
Jazz trombonist Curtis Fuller passed away in May 2021. During his career, Fuller often performed with the jazz greats of Indiana Avenue, including Virgil Jones, Freddie Hubbard, and more.
The Fabulous Moonlighters
May 20, 2021
Celebrate the music of the Fabulous Moonlighters, one of the hottest bands on Indiana Avenue during the 1960s. The group left behind a catalog of classic funk and soul releases on Indianapolis labels.
Celebrating the Legacy of Bob Porter
May 13, 2021
Explore the Indiana Avenue connection with the late Grammy-winning producer Bob Porter.
Rev. Dennis Freeman
May 7, 2021
Enjoy words and music from Reverend Dennis Freeman - one of the greatest living legends of Indianapolis gospel music. Rev. Freeman is a composer, bandleader and keyboardist.
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