Cultural Manifesto

This week on Cultural Manifesto, celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with music from Asian musicians and composers connected to the Hoosier state. Enjoy pop, folk, classical, and electronic music featuring Indiana musicians representing Vietnam, Myanmar, China, India and more.

This week on Cultural Manifesto listen to an interview with the legendary jazz pianist Bob James, he’ll be performing at the Jazz Kitchen later this month. Some music fans know James for writing the theme song to the hit television show Taxi. Others know James’ work through its extensive use 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 Indiana. In 1962, the Bob James Trio competed at Notre Dame’s Collegiate Jazz Festival in South Bend. The judges at that year’s festival included Henry Mancini and Quincy Jones. James carried away the festival’s top prizes and formed a lasting relationship with Quincy Jones — who signed James to Mercury Records and produced his debut album the following year. James will share his memories of the festival, and Cultural Manifesto host Kyle Long will share a rare lost recording of James’ 1962 performance. 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 Cultural Manifesto, listen to a discussion on the past, present, and future of Indianapolis R&B. Featured guests will include Damon Karl, 4Cast, and Sid Johnson of M.E.C.A.P. Music. Damon Karl and 4Cast are rising stars in the Indianapolis R&B scene. Guitarist/vocalist Damon Karl has performed across the United States, including appearances with the Indianapolis R&B legend Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. 4Cast are a three-piece R&B vocal group featuring Alvin “Big AL” Hester, Jr., Carl “Cjayy” Harris, Jr. and Shaquan “Shaq Diesel” Simms. Sid Johnson has a long career in songwriting and artist management. Along with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Johnson co-authored the classic R&B ballad “Slow Jam”, the song has been recorded by artists including Midnight Star and Usher. Johnson also co-wrote the 1988 hit “Two Occasions” for The Deele. Johnson’s work in artist management goes back to the Indianapolis R&B scene of the 1960s. During the 1970s, Johnson worked extensively with Manchild, the Indianapolis funk band that launched the career of Babyface. Johnson currently runs the artist management agency M.E.C.A.P. Music.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with the Indianapolis jazz guitarist Charlie Ballantine. Hear a preview of his new album “Love Letters and Graffiti”. Also, hear an interview with the children’s music duo 123 Andrés. They’ll be performing at Día del Niño Be My Neighbor Day! on Saturday, April 27 at Central Library.

Earlier this month the Indianapolis guitarist and bandleader Mike Woods passed away. He was 67 years old. Woods is best known for his work with the funk band Soul Relation. The group recorded their debut single “Mongo Strut” in 1972 while Woods was a student at Arsenal Tech High School. “Mongo Strut” has become an international collector’s item with music fans around the globe. So too has Woods’ 1988 LP with the electro-soul band Style. This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to a 2020 interview with Woods, along with rare and unreleased music from Soul Relation and Style.

Uncle Funkenstein, Zerfas, and Hamilton Movement may be unfamiliar names to most Hoosier music fans, but record collectors around the world pay thousands of dollars for these rare Indiana discs. This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to the top 10 most valuable Indiana LPs and 45 RPM singles of all time. Also, hear interviews with the musicians and record labels behind the music.

According to a 2023 report from Luminate, formerly known as Nielsen SoundScan, over 120,000 new tracks are uploaded to the music streaming service Spotify every day. That’s over 36,500,000 tracks per year. According to that same report, over 45 million of those tracks never received a single play. That’s bad news for musicians as Spotify recently announced that it would cease making royalty payments for songs with less than 1,000 annual streams. But all hope is not lost, Ulyssa, an Indiana-based record label, is dedicated to discovering and celebrating the vast trove of unheard music on Spotify. This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with Ulyssa founders John Williamson and Eric Deines. Ulyssa also issues a wide variety of lo-fi, electronic, and experimental music from across the globe. A recent release, titled Contrahouse, features the Grammy-winning pianist and singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby. Ulyssa has even coined a new genre of music, they call it Toejazz, a reference to the 1991 Sega Genesis video game Toejam and Earl.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with the classical music pianist Joshua Thompson, creative partner-in-residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Hear Thompson discuss his upcoming concert with the ICO titled "Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts”. Also hear interviews with Thompson’s twin brother, saxophonist Jared Thompson, and Dana Stone, executive director of the ICO. Joshua Thompson is recognized nationally for his expertise on classical composers of African descent. He’s also the host and creator of the award-winning podcast Melanated Moments in Classical Music.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, listen to an interview with the Indianapolis jazz saxophonist Rob Dixon. He’ll discuss Salon Noir, a public conversation focused on the jazz history of Indiana Avenue as it relates to the present and future state of Black creative production in Indiana. Dixon will be joined on Cultural Manifesto by the award-winning poet and educator Lasana Kazembe, jazz musician and educator Oliver Nelson Jr., and Robert Montgomery, the youngest son of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. Salon Noir is part of Dixon’s artist residency with the Center for Africana Studies & Culture at IUPUI.

This week on Cultural Manifesto, celebrate Women’s History Month by learning about the women pioneers of Hoosier music, including Vivian Carter, Dena El Saffar, Mary Byrne, Priscilla Mclean, Margaret Hills and Anna Mae Winburn. Vivian Carter was a legendary disc jockey and co-founder of Gary, Indiana’s Vee Jay Records. Vee Jay released hit songs by artists including The Impressions, The Dells, Gladys Knight, John Lee Hooker, and Gene Chandler. Vee Jay also issued significant jazz and gospel titles, including the first full-length LP by the Staple Singers, and Wayne Shorter’s debut album as a leader. In February of 1963 Vee Jay became the first American record label to issue music from The Beatles. Vee Jay’s release of ”Please Please Me” pre-dated The Beatles’ first Capitol Records release by a year. Mary Byrne is the founder of Labyris, an influential feminist lesbian bar that operated in Downton Indianapolis from 1978-1984. During the 1980s, Byrne also served as director of the National Women’s Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. Byrne’s work creating stages for women performers in Indiana was unprecedented at the time, and remains a significant achievement in the history of Indiana music. Anna Mae Winburn was raised in Kokomo, Indiana. Winburn gained international notoriety as the bandleader and vocalist for the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a trailblazing multi-racial, all female big band that was active from 1937 to 1949. The multi-instrumentalist and composer Dena El Saffar is the founder of Salaam, a Bloomington-based Middle Eastern music ensemble. The music of Salaam draws from El Saffar’s Iraqi heritage. For over 30 years, Salaam have educated audiences around the country about the music and culture of Iraq. Kokomo, Indiana's Margaret Hillis was an influential figure in American choral music and a trailblazing pioneer for women in classical music. Hillis is best remembered as the founder and director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, she led the ensemble from 1957 to 1994. Hillis’ work with the chorus earned her nine Grammy Awards. Composer Priscilla Mclean studied electronic music at IU Bloomington during the late 1960s. During the 1970s, Mclean created groundbreaking electronic music works at IU South Bend. Mclean was among the first Hoosier women to attain national notoriety in the world of electronic music.