Christopher Wyze & The Tellers revive 1928 blues classic with new lyric video

Christopher Wyze & The Tellers have released a new cover of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell’s 1928 song “I’m Going Back to Tennessee,” paired with a lyric video from HIP Video Productions. The project aims to bring renewed attention to two nearly forgotten Indianapolis blues pioneers and their place in early recorded music.

Why it matters: - Christopher Wyze & The Tellers are using a new release to spotlight Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, two Indianapolis blues musicians who helped shape early recorded blues. - The project is meant to keep their music circulating for listeners who may not know their names or story. - The release also links local music history to the roots of later rock and roll.

What happened: - Christopher Wyze & The Tellers premiered a new lyric video for “I’m Going Back To Tennessee.” - The song is a cover of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell’s 1928 recording. - The project was recorded in Indianapolis at Postal Recording studios. - HIP Video Productions created the accompanying lyric video.

The details: - Wyze has been working on the project for two years. - The effort grew out of his belief that Carr and Blackwell deserve more attention, even among musicians in the Indianapolis area. - Research for the project uncovered new leads about Carr and Blackwell’s first introduction in 1928. - Wyze also found information about telegrams belonging to Carr that could offer another glimpse into Carr’s life. - Carr and Blackwell recorded nearly 200 songs during an eight-year run from 1928 to 1935. - The cover keeps the song’s plainspoken story intact, centered on rejection, travel, heartbreak and resolve. - The lyric video uses 1920s and 1930s footage played through an old tube television to create a worn, period look. - The visual treatment keeps Carr’s words and Wyze’s vocals front and center.

Between the lines: - The release is doing more than reviving a blues standard. It is part preservation effort and part historical correction. - Wyze is trying to reconnect a modern audience with musicians whose influence reached far beyond their current name recognition. - The project frames Carr and Blackwell as early stars in the jazz-era recording world whose work still connects to the origins of American popular music.

What's next: - Wyze’s research into Carr and Blackwell is continuing. - More discoveries could emerge as he follows the remaining pieces of their story. - The new cover is likely to serve as a gateway for listeners who want to explore the duo’s catalog and history.

The bottom line: - “I’m Going Back to Tennessee” turns a century-old blues recording into a modern reminder of how much early Black music history still needs a wider audience.