Christopher Wyze & The Tellers spotlight Indianapolis blues history with new single and video

Christopher Wyze & The Tellers have released “Naptown Blues,” a title track that ties the band’s next album to Indianapolis blues pioneers Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell. The new video from HIP Video Productions uses archival imagery to reinforce the song’s focus on local music history and why it still matters now.

Why it matters: - Christopher Wyze & The Tellers are using a new single to push attention back to Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, two Indianapolis blues musicians Wyze считает deserve wider recognition. - The project connects a local music legacy to a new album rollout, giving the band a clearer hometown identity. - The accompanying video pairs the song with archival images, which helps frame Carr and Blackwell as part of Indianapolis history, not just blues trivia.

What happened: - Christopher Wyze & The Tellers premiered the new music video for “Naptown Blues” through HIP Video Promo and Music-News.com. - The song is the title track from the band’s new album. - The release dates to September 1, 2026. - The band is Indianapolis-based.

The details: - “Naptown Blues” draws directly from the story of Carr and Blackwell. - Christopher Wyze previously recorded “I’m Going Back to Tennessee,” his version of the duo’s 1928 song. - Carr and Blackwell made nearly 200 recordings across an eight-year stretch from 1928 through 1935. - Their 1928 recording of “How Long Blues” for Vocalion was made with portable equipment inside an empty office at a local radio station in the Indianapolis Athletic Club building. - Blackwell later recorded Live at 1444 Gallery in Indianapolis in 1959, three years before his death. - Wyze said his research uncovered details about Carr and Blackwell’s first meeting in 1928 and telegrams that belonged to Carr. - Those discoveries shaped the writing of “Naptown Blues.” - Christopher Wyze formed Christopher Wyze & The Tellers as a studio project with producer Ralph Carter in 2022. - The band’s 2024 debut album, Stuck in the Mud, came from writing sessions in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and recording in Muscle Shoals. - The group later released LIVE in CLARKSDALE, a live album and filmed performance that mixed originals with blues standards. - The video from HIP Video Productions uses public-domain material from the 1920s, including newspaper clippings, photographs of entertainment venues and other period images. - The visual package places faces, places and printed history alongside the song. - The release includes links for more information on Christopher Wyze & The Tellers, the band’s website, and Instagram.

Between the lines: - Wyze is building a larger narrative around Indianapolis blues, not just issuing a standalone single. - The repeated return to Carr and Blackwell suggests the album is part research project, part reclamation effort. - Using archival footage gives the song a documentary feel and makes the historical angle easier for new listeners to absorb.

What's next: - The full album is still ahead. - Christopher Wyze & The Tellers appear to be continuing to mine Indianapolis history for future material. - More releases could keep Carr and Blackwell in circulation for a wider audience.

The bottom line: - “Naptown Blues” turns local blues history into the centerpiece of Christopher Wyze & The Tellers’ next chapter.