Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Saxophonist Alonzo “Pookie” Johnson is a legend of the Indianapolis jazz scene. Pookie was a longtime collaborator of Wes Montgomery and performed with many other jazz luminaries, including Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, and Brother Jack McDuff.

But there’s another side to Pookie’s music that you may not know about unless you were there, watching him perform at Naptown clubs — Pookie also sang the blues.

This week on Echoes of Indiana Avenue, we’ll take you back to those intimate nightclub performances, where Pookie Johnson played and sang the blues. We’ll share never-before-heard recordings of him performing live in Indianapolis. Join host Rodney Stepp as we shine a light on a different side of one of Indiana Avenue’s greatest jazz icons.

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