The iconic jazz trumpet player Freddie Hubbard was born in Indianapolis on April 7th of 1938. During his extraordinary career, Hubbard made enormous contributions to hard bop and fusion music, performing on landmark albums by John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and many others. Hubbard also issued many classic recordings as a bandleader. Nine of those albums appeared on the Billboard charts and his 1972 LP First Light earned a Grammy award for "Best Jazz Performance by a Group". Hubbard’s technical mastery of the trumpet earned widespread critical acclaim and drew comparisons to legendary musicians like Miles Davis. Freddie 

Hubbard passed away in 2008 at the age of 70, but his impact on music endures. His influence extends beyond jazz, shaping hip-hop as well. His recordings have been sampled by some of rap’s most respected artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, Raekwon, Common, J Dilla, and MF DOOM. In this episode, we’ll celebrate Hubbard’s birthday by exploring the use of his music in hip-hop.

The legendary jazz musician Roy Ayers passed away earlier this year. Born in Los Angeles, California in 1940, Ayers is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in jazz, funk, and soul music. 

Ayers released over 30 albums and performed with iconic jazz musicians including including Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson and many more. During his early career, Ayers worked extensively with Indiana musicians, including the Fort Wayne pianist Jack Wilson and the Indianapolis bassists Leroy Vinnegar and Monk Montgomery.

On this episode, listen to music featuring Ayers' work with Naptown musicians.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with music featuring the early blues women of Naptown. During the 1920s and ‘30s, Indiana Avenue was a Mecca for blues music, thanks in part, to the legendary Indianapolis blues duo of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell. Women also played a large role in the early Naptown blues scene, including Alura Mack, Bessie Brown, Laura Smith, and Nina Reeves, her 1923 single “Indiana Avenue Blues” was among the first wave of blues records released.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with music from the soul women of Indiana Avenue.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, R&B, soul, and funk music flourished in the nightclubs of Indiana Avenue. Women played a large role in the Naptown soul scene, from girl groups including The Indy’s and The Pearls, to solo singers like Johnnie Mae and Lois Blaine.

Hear music from Debbie Nelson, Pam Tanner, Elaine Livingston, Josephine Cheatham, Care Package, Charlotte Bailey and more.

Celebrate Women’s History Month as we look back at Hazel Johnson’s Women in Jazz festival. The festival ran from 1986 to 1991 at the Madam Walker Theatre and featured many important women from the Indianapolis jazz scene, including Flo Garvin, Aretta La Marre, Mary Moss, Cherryl Hayes, Vickie Daniels, Anita Walker, Brenda Walls, Margaret Floyd, Cyann Proffitt, Salathiel Latrell, and others. Listen to music from artists who performed at the festival, including never-before-heard live recordings of Hazel Johnson.

Johnson started the Women in Jazz festival, to provide young and veteran women an opportunity to perform together. In a 1987 article published by the Indianapolis Star, Johnson said, “For many years men have dominated the jazz field. We feel the time is right for women to step out and receive the recognition we’ve been told we deserve.” The first Women in Jazz festival was held on October 12, 1986 and was hosted by the legendary Indianapolis broadcaster Barbara Boyd.

Johnson was born in Indianapolis in 1944. She grew up in the Avenue neighborhood and attended Crispus Attucks High School. Johnson began singing as a child. By age 14, she was performing professionally with the Naptown bandleader Larry Liggett. During her long career, Johnson played at many Avenue venues and she performed with many significant Indianapolis musicians, including Pookie Johnson, Jimmy Coe, Mel Rhyne, Thurston Harris, Carl Bailey, Johnny Dial, Errol Grandy and many more. 

During her final years, Johnson spent much of her time managing the Inner-City Music School, a program she co-founded in 1994 with her husband Mack Strong. The school provided free music education for Indianapolis youth. Johnson’s contributions to jazz music were honored in 2007, when she was inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame. Hazel Johnson died in 2011. She was 67 years old.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with music from The Hampton Sisters, a legendary Indianapolis jazz quartet featuring Dawn, Virtue, Carmelita, and Aletra Hampton.

They were born in Middletown, Ohio. Their birth dates spanned from 1915, when Aletra was born, to 1928, when Dawn, the youngest sister, was born. Their parents, Deacon and Laura Hampton, were both musicians. They had 12 children and together, they toured across the country as the Hampton Family Band. The experience they gained as children would serve them well later in life, as several members of the family pursued music as a professiom, including Slide Hampton, who became a world-renowned trombonist and arranger.

In 1938, the Hampton Family settled in Indianapolis. During the 1940s and ‘50s the Hampton family band were stars on the Avenue. They appeared at local clubs including George’s Bar, Walker Casino, Rum Boogie, Sky Club, Cotton Club, Paradise, Sunset Terrace, and the P&P Supper Club. The Hampton Family also performed at legendary venues outside of Indianapolis, including the Apollo, Carnegie Hall, and the Savoy Ballroom. The Hampton Sisters formed as an independent band during World War 2, when many male musicians were serving in the Armed Forces.

Explore the music of Arthur “Montana” Taylor, an important blues and boogie-woogie pianist who performed on Indiana Avenue during the 1920s. Montana is best known for a series of recordings he made in 1929 with the Vocalion Record Company. Among those recordings was an instrumental composition titled “Indiana Avenue Stomp”.

Very little is known about Montana Taylor’s early life. Some sources say he was born in Indianapolis in 1903, others list his place of birth as Butte, Montana. In a 1947 interview with Jazz Record magazine, Montana recalled growing up in Indianapolis. He began playing piano at 16 and by the age of 20 he was performing on the Avenue. Montana worked in Avenue venues including the Golden West Cafe and the Hole in the Wall. Montana was discovered by Vocalion Records while performing on the Avenue, when the label’s Indianapolis talent scout, John Guernsey, spotted Montana playing in a neighborhood bar. 

During his career as a recording artist, Montana cut over a dozen tracks, including instrumental compositions and collaborations with blues singers Chippie Hill and Lil Johnson.

Listen to the final episode in a three-part series exploring the complete works of Alonzo "Pookie" Johnson, a legendary Indianapolis jazz saxophonist. Johnson was a veteran of the Avenue music scene and performed with many legendary Naptown jazz musicians, including Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard.

On this edition, we’ll share music from Johnson’s 1996 album “Legacy” and his 2003 recording with The Hampton Sisters.

Listen to the second episode of our three-part series exploring the complete works Alonzo "Pookie" Johnson, a legendary Indianapolis jazz saxophonist.

On this edition, we’ll share rare and unreleased recordings featuring Johnson’s work with Uncle Funkenstein, Jimmy Coe, Billy Wooten, and Steve Allee.

Enjoy the first in our three-part series on the complete recordings of the late Alonzo “Pookie” Johnson, a legendary Indiana Avenue jazz saxophonist. This episode explores his early recordings. 

Many local jazz fans consider Johnson to be one of the greatest saxophonists in Indianapolis history. During his six-decade career, Johnson performed with the greatest jazz players in Naptown, including Wes Montgomery, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Coe, Carl Perkins, Virgil Jones, David Baker, Errol Grandy, Freddie Hubbard, and many more. 

Johnson was born in Indianapolis in October 1927. He studied music at Crispus Attucks High School, and the Jordan Conservatory. Johnson was a veteran of the Avenue club scene, performing at legendary venues such as the Sky Club, George’s Bar, The P&P Club, Henri’s, the Golden West, Sunset Terrace, and the British Lounge.