Cultural Manifesto

This week we’ll pay tribute to Herman Whitfield III, an Indianapolis composer and pianist who died last week while in police custody. We’ll also listen to new releases from the Punjabi music trumpet player Sonny Singh, and the electronic music composer Jordan Munson.

This week we'll feature a centennial celebration of Kokomo, Indiana's Margaret Hillis - one of the most prominent Hoosier musicians of the 20th Century. Hillis was an influential figure in American choral music, and a trailblazing pioneer for women in classical music. She is best remembered as the founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, she led the ensemble from 1957 to 1994.

This week Kyle Long is joined by Richard "Sleepy" Floyd, and Bobby Young of Native Sun, an Indianapolis group that combines elements of hip-hop and jazz. Native Sun has a new album titled "Never Be King", which features guest appearances from artists including Allison Victoria, Rob Dixon, and Mariah Ivey.

Kyle Long talks with Dana Skully of Dana Skully and The Tiger Sharks, an Indianapolis band that describe their music as “dream pop punk to make your brain cry”. Plus, we'll feature another edition of Rebel Music with Karla Lopez, an ongoing series that explores the relationship between music and activism. This week Karla’s guest is Mistie Cisneros of the Immigrant Welcome Center.

This week we'll celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month by exploring the lost jazz world of Terre Haute. During the 1920s and ’30s, Terre Haute, Indiana was home to a thriving jazz scene, producing outstanding local bandleaders and attracting national talent - including Duke Ellington, who performed at Terre Haute’s Trianon club in December of 1939.

Kyle Long speaks with pianist and composer Gary Walters. Gary is best known for his work in jazz music, but he’s recorded folk, country, and classical music as well. Enjoy rare, unreleased recordings featuring his work with the legendary Indianapolis jazz fusion band Speakeasy.

This week we'll celebrate the life of Evansville, Indiana soul music legend Timmy Thomas, who passed away earlier this month. Thomas was best known for his 1972 recording “Why Can't We Live Together". The song has had an enduring presence in popular music, “Why Can't We Live Together" has been sampled by rappers including Drake, and recorded by artists like Iggy Pop, Sade, and Santana.

Celebrate Women’s History Month by listening back to some of Kyle Long's interviews with Hoosier women who've made history in the Indiana music scene, including Dena El Saffar, an Iraqi American musician based in Bloomington, Niambi Steele of the Indy soul band 24 Carat Black, and Mary Byrne, an LGBTQ+ activist who opened a feminist Indianapolis nightclub called Labyris during the 1970s.

This week we're celebrating Women’s History Month with an hour of music from the legendary soul women of Northwest Indiana, including music from The Opals, Deniece Williams, and Kellee Patterson, the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Indiana.

The composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells was born in Texas, but she grew up largely in Indianapolis. This week, Emily Wells joins Kyle Long to discuss her time in Indianapolis and to share tracks from her new album "Regards to the End”, which reflects on the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, and the present day climate crisis.

Gary, Indiana's Steeltown Records is best remembered for issuing the first ever recording from Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five - but the label was home to a fantastic collective of musicians and songwriters who deserve greater recognition. This week, dive into the music of artists connected to the Steeltown label - including Lou D. Washington, Robert Lee, Gordon Keith, and Maurice Rodgers.

When you hear the phrase Dixieland jazz, you probably don’t think of Crawfordsville, Indiana. But Crawfordsville’s De Paris brothers performed with some of the greatest legends of jazz music, including Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington and more. This week we’ll explore the music of trumpet player Sidney De Paris, and trombonist Wilbur De Paris.

This week we’ll explore the music of Hoosier jazz pianist Jack Wilson. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native recorded for some of the biggest labels in jazz music, including Blue Note and Atlantic Records; and he performed with some of the most significant figures in American music, from Dinah Washington to Roy Ayers.

In observance of Black History Month, Kyle Long will be featuring historic Black musicians from across Indiana all month long. This week, explore the music of Evansville, Indiana's Belford “Sinky” Hendricks. You may not recognize Belford Hendricks by name, but you’ve likely heard the music he wrote and arranged for artists including Nat “King” Cole and Aretha Franklin.

This week we'll listen back to our 2015 interview with Moe Whittemore, who passed away recently. In the 1970s, Moe opened the 700 West studio and record label in the living room of his family’s home in New Palestine, Indiana. During the studio’s run, Moe recorded a diverse array of Indiana music - from early electronic sounds, bluegrass, funk, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock.

Trombonist Ernest Stuart has worked extensively in the Naptown scene, performing and recording with Rob Dixon, Jared Thompson, and Clint Breeze and The Groove. He’s also performed around the world with artists including Aretha Franklin, The Roots, Red Baraat, and more. This week, Stuart joins Kyle Long to talk about his career and his admiration for Indianapolis trombone legend J.J. Johnson.

Indiana lost some of its most prominent and important musicians in 2021 - from iconic figures like the jazz legend Slide Hampton, to up and coming voices like Eugene Vincent. This week we’ll say a final goodbye to the Indiana musicians we lost last year.

This week Kyle Long speaks with house music producer Oliver Lastname, also known as Jeremy “Jace” Wallace, a prolific video director in the Indianapolis music scene. Long also talks to the experimental pop artist Percbuddy, a project created by the Indianapolis-born high school student Moses Kaufmann.

This week Kyle Long listens back at some of his favorite local music, and interviews of 2021, and looks ahead to some of the interviews he'll be featuring in 2022. Enjoy music and words from artists including Emily Wells, Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign, Skypp, 81355, Pavel and Direct Contact, Public Universal Friend, Hanna Benn, and Marcus Jade.

This week we're enjoying music from Santa Claus... Santa Claus, Indiana to be specific. We’ll look back on the work of Ray Scrivener. Ray found success working in the country music industry before moving to Santa Claus, Indiana to build his own music empire. The records Ray issued have become cult classics among fans of psychedelic garage rock, rhythm and blues, and rockabilly music.