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Steve Allee: Naptown Sound
by Steve Allee
Submitted on behalf of Kyle Long, Producer/Host at WFYI in Indianapolis.If you ask the average music fan to name the greatest jazz cities in America, it's unlikely that Indianapolis would top their list. That's a shame, as those familiar with the city's history know better. They see the unique fingerprints of Indianapolis musicians across the broad timeline of jazz. In all fairness, Indianapolis, or Naptown as we locals affectionately call it, doesn't have the unrivaled depth ...
Continue ReadingJohn Fedchock: Justifiably J.J.
by Jack Bowers
Among jazz trombonists with a sense of history, the name J.J. Johnson is spoken with an admiration that borders on reverence. Johnson was a pacesetter, a creative and articulate slideman and improviser who, either alone or with sometime partner Kai Winding, held the keys to the trombone kingdom from the early 1940s until his retirement more than half a century later. In the early '40s, Johnson brought the trombone--long associated with swing and Dixieland bands--forward into the bop world of ...
Continue ReadingSteve Allee, Oscar Peterson, Rebecca Kilgore, T.K. Blue and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Blue Lou Marini And Bluband, Steve Allee, Oscar Peterson, Rebecca Kilgore, Larry Vuckovich, T.K. Blue, Jim Witzel, Jazzmeia Horn, Warren Wolf, Joe Baione, John Fedchock, Ginetta's Vendetta, Hyeseon Hong, Jane Monheit, JD Allen, Christian Sands, Thom Rotella, Samara Joy, The Headhunters, Michael Dease, and more. Playlist Blue Lou Marini “Twister" from Out Of The Blue (La Reserve) 00:00 Steve Allee “Tergiversation" from Zebra Stories (Jazzville Records) 06:38 Oscar Peterson “You Look Good ...
Continue ReadingJohn Fedchock: Justifiably J.J.
by Pierre Giroux
The accomplished trombonist John Fedchock has released Justifiably J.J., a heartfelt tribute to one of the most innovative figures in jazz, trombonist J.J. Johnson on the occasion of his centennial. Recorded live at The Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 3, 2024 (Johnson's hometown), Fedchock was accompanied by three top players: pianist Steve Allee, bassist Jeremy Allen and drummer Sean Dobbins. The session features eight swinging compositions written by or associated with Johnson, but instead of attempting to reinvent or ...
Continue ReadingJohn Fedchock: Justifiably J.J.
by Dan McClenaghan
J.J. Johnson saved his instrument from possible obscurity. Rarely used as a front-line instrument pre-Johnson, the trombone might have faded away when bebop came along. Bebop--all those rapid-fire notes from trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. At that time, the trombone was considered too cumbersome to navigate the chord changes and the rhythmic fury of the new music. J.J. Johnson proved otherwise, starting with several recording dates for Prestige and Savoy Records from 1946 to 1949.
Continue ReadingSteve Allee Trio: Dragonfly
by Woodrow Wilkins
Music is a listening experience, but sometimes it can create a vivid, visual image. So it is with “Bus to Belmopan," the opening track to Steve Allee Trio's Dragonfly. Its engaging Latin beat creates an instrumental story about an interesting bus trip to the capital city of Belize.Pianist/composer Steve Allee is a fixture on the Indianapolis scene. Inspired by pianist Erroll Grandy among others, Allee is a veteran with more than 35 years of musical experience. Working mostly ...
Continue ReadingSteve Allee Trio: Colors
by John Kelman
Steve Allee's biggest claim to fame is his collaborative big band album with reedman Chuck Carter and drummer John Von Ohlen, Downtown Blues (Sea Breeze, 1999), which garnered a Grammy Award nomination. Still, while he's far from a household name, the west coast-based pianist has been working in the trenches, scoring for film and television, and working with artists ranging from James Moody and Slide Hampton to Randy Brecker and Tim Hagans. Colors is his third release as a leader ...
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