Liner Notes (SA) [feat. Steve Allee]

Hello! My name is Steve Allee, and I am the pianist on Preston Fox’s new album, Coffee’s On. I hope you like it, I hope you check it out!

Hardly a day passes without me thinking of my mentor, pianist Claude Sifferlen. He was so important in my musical development, in music, and as a person. He also introduced me to drummer John Von Ohlen, who played with the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands. I was fortunate enough to join their quartet, the Baron Von Ohlen Quartet, early on in my early years, and learned so much from them.

At Claude Sifferlen’s house, he had kind of an open door policy as far as jam sessions were concerned. So, I would call him late morning and he would say, “Coffee’s On”, and that meant “Come on over - we’re having a jam session today.” So, it was that simple.

Sometimes we would spend three, four, five days a week in the afternoon at his house and anybody could show up and play. He had a set of drums, he was ready to go. Musicians like Buddy Montgomery would even come by occasionally. Also, Russell Webster, also a tenor saxophonist who I consider a mentor to me, would also drop by. So, in Preston Fox’s album, “Coffee’s On”, that’s what that title is referencing. The openness of having a jam session, come on over, and without really intending it, I think that’s where the mentorship began.

When I think of Indianapolis, of course I think of family and my friends, but I also think of the musicians that shaped my musical dreams such as Wes Montgomery, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Virgil Jones, James Spaulding, Mel Rhyne. We have quite a legacy here in this city; I’m very proud to be a part of it!

I hope that you enjoy this album that Preston has produced and composed the compositions for. He is definitely a rising star - someone that you will hear about in the near future. So check it out - “Coffee’s On,” by Preston Fox.