Vocalion Records’ historic 1928 Indianapolis sessions

In the summer of 1928, the Vocalion Record Company visited Indianapolis in search of the city’s best musical talent. The label’s trip to Indianapolis was a success, Vocalion discovered and recorded several early stars of Indianapolis country, blues, jazz, and pop music — including blues legends Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, Black country music pioneers Lulu Jackson and James Cole, and more. This week on Cultural Manifesto we’ll listen to Vocalion’s historic Indianapolis recordings.