Cultural Manifesto producer Kyle Long recently uncovered a collection of lost tapes featuring Indianapolis jazz legend Steve Allee performing live in local clubs in the 1970s — recordings Allee didn’t even know existed. Many of the tapes document his work with the Von Ohlen/Carter Big Band, a long-running Indianapolis ensemble co-led by drummer John Von Ohlen and saxophonist Chuck Carter.
Allee, an Indianapolis-based pianist, composer and arranger, has a career that stretches back to the late 1960s. A product of the local scene, he toured nationally as a teenager with the Buddy Rich Orchestra and has performed with jazz luminaries including Slide Hampton and Rufus Reid.
Over the decades, Allee has become a central figure in Indianapolis jazz, leading acclaimed big band projects and composing for film, television and orchestral ensembles.
Hear excerpts from these rare recordings, along with Allee’s reaction.