Echoes of Indiana Avenue

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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.

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.

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.