Historic New Album Pays Tribute To Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Big Radio Records artist Christopher Wyze & The Tellers release their new album, Naptown Blues. The 11-track project pays tribute to the rich blues history of Indianapolis and the groundbreaking work of blues legends Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell. Inspired by their original 1929 recordings, the album honors the music that helped establish Indianapolis as an influential force in the blues while giving Wyze & The Tellers an opportunity to bring their own voice and perspective to the songs and stories that shaped the city’s musical and cultural legacy.
To purchase/stream: CWyze.lnk.to/NaptownBluesAlbumPR
Christopher Wyze & The Tellers are celebrating two notable chart achievements with Naptown Blues, landing at #1 on The Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Indiana Albums Chart while also reaching #6 on the Roots Music Report Acoustic Blues Album Chart.
For frontman Christopher Wyze, who also calls Indianapolis home, the project became as much about finding the men behind the music as recording their songs.
“We went looking for the men behind Naptown Blues,” says Wyze. “We tracked down the Indianapolis places where Leroy and Scrapper met, lived, recorded, and played, even the sad places connected to their deaths and where they’re buried. The more I learned about them, the more this became something much bigger to me than simply recording a collection of old blues songs.”
Wyze handles lead vocals and harmonica, with John Boyle III on guitars and Gerry Murphy on acoustic bass guitar. Boyle also co-arranged 10 of the album’s 11 tracks.
The three-piece lineup gives Naptown Blues an intentionally lean sound. As with the recordings of Carr and Blackwell, there are no drums or percussion on the album. Six tracks are entirely acoustic, while five add restrained electric textures.
“We wanted the sound of this album to reflect the spirit of those early Indianapolis blues recordings,” says Wyze. “We kept things intentionally simple, leaving drums and percussion out and building the arrangements around guitar, bass, and harmonica. That stripped-down approach gave the vocals and storytelling room to breathe while allowing us to honor Carr and Blackwell’s original sound and still put our own stamp on the music.”
Why This History Matters:
Naptown Blues highlights the significance of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell’s pioneering works. Their distinctive style defined the sound of Indianapolis blues, helping to establish the city as an important contributor to American blues music in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Their recordings brought a sophisticated, relaxed approach to the blues, blending Carr’s distinctive piano and vocals with Blackwell’s elegant guitar work to create a sound that influenced generations of blues, R&B, and rock musicians. Their 1928 recording of “How Long, How Long Blues” helped popularize the piano and guitar duo format, while recordings such as “Midnight Hour Blues,” “In the Evening,” and “Hurry Down Sunshine” introduced their Indianapolis sound to audiences across the country. Blackwell’s “Kokomo Blues” also provided the foundation for Robert Johnson’s later classic “Sweet Home Chicago.” Together, Carr and Blackwell helped define an Indianapolis blues sound that would leave a lasting mark on American music, influencing artists from Robert Johnson and Ray Charles to Charles Brown and Eric Clapton.
Naptown Blues Track Listing:
01 I’m Going Back To Tennessee
02 Naptown Blues
03 How Long – How Long Blues
04 The Truth About The Thing
05 My Own Lonesome Blues
06 Midnight Hour Blues
07 Kokomo Blues
08 Tired Of Your Low Down Ways
09 You Got To Reap What You Sow
10 Prison Bound Blues
11 Birthday In Jail
For more information, visit christopherwyzeandthetellers.com.
About Christopher Wyze & The Tellers:
Christopher Wyze & The Tellers blend the grit of traditional blues with the storytelling spirit of Americana, creating a sound that’s raw, soulful, and unmistakably their own. Led by frontman and songwriter Christopher Wyze, the band’s music captures life’s highs, heartbreaks, and hard-earned lessons with honesty and fire. Their debut album, Stuck in the Mud, earned international acclaim and won the 2025 Blues Blast Music Award for Best New Artist Debut Album, landing on blues charts around the world. With authentic lyricism, powerhouse musicianship, and an energy that connects across generations, Christopher Wyze & The Tellers are redefining what modern blues can be—real, rootsy, and relentlessly human.
# # #
