Born in Indianapolis, IN, Steve Allee was inspired by hometown legends like Wes and Buddy Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, J.J. Johnson, and Slide Hampton. He studied under pianist Claude Sifferlen and joined Buddy Rich’s band at age 19. Steve later became part of the Baron Von Ohlen Quartet, recording The Baron on Stan Kenton’s Creative World Label. He contributed to the Von Ohlen / Chuck Carter / Steve Allee Big Band, recording Live on the MoPro label and Downtown Blues on Seabreeze. His latest project, Naptown Sound, is the Steve Allee big band album conducted by John Clayton.

A Yamaha Performing Artist, Steve has performed with a host of jazz icons, including Slide Hampton, James Moody, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Rufus Reid, Randy Brecker, Bobby Watson, Peter Erskine, Dave Liebman, and many others.

For over 14 years, Steve has been a member of the Rufus Reid Out Front Trio, whose recording topped the Jazz Week charts for 20 weeks, reaching #1. The trio has performed at prominent jazz festivals like Chicago, Montreal, Rochester, and Miami. Steve also performed on Rufus Reid’s Grammy-nominated Quiet Pride Big Band Project and the 2023 release Celebration featuring the Sirius String Quartet.

As a composer, Steve scored the documentaries New York in the Fifties and Something to Cheer About, and his big band compositions have been performed by Disneyland’s Honor All-Star Bands. His piece Passages, a percussion concerto, was premiered by the U.S. Army’s “Pershing’s Own” Wind Ensemble in Washington, DC.

An esteemed educator, Steve has taught jazz studies at Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. His compositions have been featured by All-State Bands across several states, and he recently conducted the Ohio All-State Jazz Orchestra at the Ohio Music Educators Conference.

This year’s release, Standards Deluxe by the Rob Dixon–Steve Allee Quintet, is currently under Grammy Award consideration and receiving national airplay.

Liner Notes by Steve Allee

‘Zebras,’ a playful term coined by my mentors—pianist Claude Sifferlen and drummer John Von Ohlen, both veterans of the Woody Herman & Stan Kenton bands —captures a unique approach to non-traditional musical harmony and an embracing view of world music. I’ve often wondered if it was also a metaphor for the black and white keys of the piano. I never knew for sure; it was deeper than that. I just loved the mystery of these new sounds.

As a teenager, when I heard Claude play, it was the first time I had encountered these harmonies. They instantly resonated with me, just as they did with many musicians in the Indianapolis area. Claude composed six pieces known as “Zebra I – VI,” and John, who learned them all, would sometimes add his own voicings, often laughing at having unraveled another musical riddle. John also created his own compositions using these captivating harmonies, some of which were recorded on his solo piano album, The Pond. Claude’s solo album, Every Time We Say Goodbye, features several of his Zebra works as well.

I was eager to join this “music club” and felt thrilled when invited to be part of John’s group, the Baron Von Ohlen Quartet. We recorded ‘The Baron’ on Stan Kenton’s Creative World label. In this ensemble, with John on drums and Mary Ann Moss on vocals, Claude and I blended acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboard bass, and the Farfisa organ, creating a new hybrid sound. We were fortunate to perform six nights a week for a couple of years.

When John decided to expand this sound into a big band, we added guitar, vibes, voice, and percussion. This new configuration led to the recording of the Downtown Blues and Live albums. Inspired by our sound, younger musicians like pianist Steve Corn, drummer Greg Corn, bassist Joe Deal, and drummer Mike Mechem formed their own groups embracing this style.

Fast forward several decades, and we continue to celebrate this sound while writing new compositions. With longtime, collaborators of the ‘AHA Trio’, drummer Steve Houghton, (Freddie Hubbard, Woody Herman, Lyle Mays) and bassist Jeremy Allen, (Bob Brookmeyer) we called on vibist, Rusty Burge, Rob Dixon, tenor sax, (Charlie Hunter, Mike Clark), Frank Glover, clarinet and vocalists Erin Benedict and John Brewer to join us in this adventure. On Zebra Stories we honor the legacy of this unique musical journey. I am deeply grateful to these wonderfully talented artists for their exceptional contributions to this project.

Last May we recorded two new big band albums that pay tribute to the Indianapolis sound, affectionately known as the ‘Naptown Sound’ combined with ‘Zebra Sound.’ Both albums, Naptown Sound and Full Circle, by the Steve Allee Big Band, are set to be released in the Spring and Fall of 2025.

‘Zebra Stories’ pays tribute to Claude Sifferlen, John Von Ohlen, and Steve Corn.
Steve Allee