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Look back on the life and music of Tom Hensley — an Indiana-born pianist whose remarkable career took him from Bloomington and Indianapolis to the biggest stages in music. As a session keyboardist, he played on Hall & Oates' hit "Rich Girl," along with recordings by John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Leonard Cohen, Cher, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, and toured as pianist for Neil Diamond. Kyle Long spoke with Tom in 2017 about his time in Indiana, specifically his work with Masters of Deceit.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we'll spotlight the music of Fred Monroe, an unsung Naptown saxophonist who spent more than five decades performing on the Indianapolis jazz scene.

This is the second of our three-part series celebrating the music of the late Cecil Hunt — an Indianapolis-born percussionist whose conga drums helped define the sound of the legendary Naptown soul-jazz group Funk Inc. On this week’s edition, we’ll focus on the Funk Inc. albums “Hangin’ Out” and “Superfunk.”

Join host Rodney Stepp in celebrating one of Indianapolis's most accomplished and underappreciated vocalists and legends of Naptown soul music, Alfonzo Surrett.

Celebrate the extraordinary career of Herbie Hancock, one of the greatest living legends of American music. Over the course of his remarkable career, he has collaborated with some of Indiana Avenue’s greatest jazz artists, including the Indianapolis-born icons Wes Montgomery, J.J. Johnson, and Freddie Hubbard. Join host Rodney Stepp as Herbie Hancock reflects on his work with these legendary musicians.

Kyle Long speaks with Indianapolis pianist, composer and educator Becky Archibald. A native of Anderson, Indiana, Archibald has performed at Carnegie Hall, and her recordings have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and All Songs Considered. NPR's Bob Boilen, creator of the Tiny Desk Concerts series, praised her work, saying, "Becky's music unfolds like I expect a good story to unfold." She joins Kyle Long to discuss the new recording and her history in the Indiana music scene.

Kyle Long speaks with Herbie Hancock — one of the most celebrated artists in American music history. His groundbreaking career has earned him 14 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and recognition as an NEA Jazz Master. From his early work with Miles Davis to his genre-defying explorations of jazz, funk, and electronic music, Hancock has continually expanded the possibilities of musical expression. Hear him reflect on his work with Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis.

Saxophonist Alonzo “Pookie” Johnson is a legend of the Indianapolis jazz scene. But there’s another side to his music that you may not know about unless you were there, watching him perform at Naptown clubs — Pookie also sang the blues. Join host Rodney Stepp for never-before-heard recordings of Pookie Johnson performing live in Indianapolis.

Today, on our final new show, we hear from some of the public media reporters who routinely joined us to talk about the work they’ve done and what's coming next. We also hear a little bit from the folks behind the scenes at All IN.

Today we revisit a few of the most interesting topics we covered this week, including how Indiana fits into the larger story of American architecture, a memoir from the first African American to earn a doctorate in tuba performance, and how to have conversations about race, racism and politics in the classroom.