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"Killer" Ray Appleton
September 1, 2021
Celebrate the life and music of drummer “Killer” Ray Appleton. Throughout his career, "Killer" Ray performed with jazz legends like Wes Montgomery, David Baker, Freddie Hubbard and John Coltrane.
Generations on the Avenue
August 27, 2021
Discover how the legacy of Indiana Avenue has been passed down through generations of family tradition with entertainers Josephine Cheatham-Manns and June Rochelle.
Rock & Roll Women of Indiana Ave - Part 5
August 20, 2021
We continue our ongoing tribute to the Rock and Roll Women of The Avenue. The neighborhood was ground zero for rock and roll music, and Black women played an essential role in the genre's development.
The Music of Ricky Knox
August 13, 2021
Enjoy an hour of words and music with the great Naptown bass player Ricky Knox. By the time he was in his teens, Knox was playing at famous Indiana Avenue nightclubs like the Sunset Terrace.
Charlotte Bailey
August 6, 2021
Charlotte Bailey appears on Echoes of Indiana Avenue this week to share her memories of being a rhythm and blues singer who performed in some of the Ave’s most famous clubs, while working alongside some of Naptown’s most famous musicians.
The Music of Earl Van Riper
July 29, 2021
This week we’ll look back at the music of Earl Van Riper, an extraordinary pianist who worked with an impressive list of local and national artists including Wes Montgomery, Dinah Washington, and more.
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.
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