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This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll celebrate the August birthday of Les Taylor — better known as Les “Bear” Taylor, a legendary Naptown baritone sax player who started his career on the Avenue. Tune in for an hour of classic music from Bear, featuring his work with Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Doggett, and more.

This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the legendary jazz pianist Bob James. Some music fans know James for writing the theme song to the hit television show Taxi, or through the extensive use of his work in hip-hop sampling — he’s one of the most sampled artists in the history of rap music. But few know that James’ first career breakthrough happened in South Bend, Indiana in 1962. James will also discuss his collaboration with Indianapolis jazz legend Freddie Hubbard and offer his thoughts on the use of his music in sampling.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll celebrate the August birthday of Anna Mae Winburn, vocalist and bandleader for the International Sweethearts of Rhythm — a multiracial, all-female band that was active from 1937-1949. Anna Mae was raised in Kokomo and played some of her earliest gigs on the Avenue.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an hour of words and music from the Bloomington-based guitarist TJ. Jones. He’s worked with several of the most legendary bands/artists in Indiana music - including Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign, Screaming Gypsy Bandits, Caroline Peyton, and the IU Soul Review. Jones continues to make music in Bloomington today - both as a solo artist and with his band, The Dynamics.

The Indiana Avenue Jazz Festival was an annual concert series that flourished on the Avenue from 1983 to 1997. We’ll listen to music from artists who performed at the festival, with a focus on local musicians. The festival was established at a time when the Avenue was in decline. The organizers dreamed of celebrating the Avenue’s rich legacy, by bringing world-class music back to the neighborhood – and they succeeded. It started small, featuring a line-up drawn from local talent. But in a few short years, the festival attracted legendary jazz stars – including: Ahmad Jamal, Betty Carter, Ramsey Lewis, Terence Blanchard, Pharoah Sanders, and more.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with Oreo Jones, Jane Kim, and J. Brookinz — the organizers of Chreece, an all-day hip-hop festival happening in Fountain Square. This year’s Chreece lineup features over 70 local hip-hop artists, along with the influential producer 9th Wonder, known for his work with Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and others.

The artist and musician Mike Graves joins Kyle Long to discuss Mpozi Tolbert's history in Indianapolis after a mural depicting the late Indianapolis DJ and photojournalist was painted over in Broad Ripple. We also look back at Farm Aid 2023, which happened last week in Noblesville, Indiana. The all-day music festival featured performances by iconic American musicians, from Willie Nelson to Neil Young, and celebrated the work of Indiana farmers, including Lauren McCalister of Ellettsville and Denise Greer Jamerson of Princeton.

September is Hispanic Heritage Month, and throughout the month, we’ll be spotlighting the contributions Avenue musicians made to Latin Music. On this week’s show, we’ll share Latin-inspired music from the iconic Naptown trombonist J.J. Johnson. Throughout his career, Johnson recorded with prominent Latin percussionists, including Sabu Martinez, Mongo Santamaria, Patato Valdes, and Ray Barretto. Johnson also appeared on landmark Latin jazz recordings, including Dizzy Gillespie’s “Afro”, and Kenny Dorham’s “Afro-Cuban”.

The life and music of the Chicago-born bass player Richard Davis who passed away last month. Davis was ranked among the top bassists in jazz history. He performed often with the genre’s top stars, including Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. He also performed with the jazz masters of Indiana Avenue – including Freddie Hubbard, Virgil Jones, David Young, James Spaulding, Wes Montgomery, and J.J. Johnson.

This week on Cultural Manifesto Kyle Long talks with Bill Medley and Bucky Heard of the legendary R&B duo The Righteous Brothers. They are performing in Central Indiana this week. Medley will share his memories of touring with The Beatles and recording with Phil Spector. Kyle also speaks with the Indianapolis composer/instrument builder Rob Funkhouser and the clarinetist/composer Eric Salazar. They’ll tell us about their collaborative new release, “Study in Place Live.”