BEAN BLOSSOM — Anyone looking to be entertained this weekend can look no further than St. David’s Episcopal Church where a jazz group with two decades of experience performing together will take center stage.
The Steve Allee Jazz Quartet will perform a repertoire of jazz classics, original compositions from a recent album and songs from the Great American songbook.
Steve Allee has lived in Brown County for a number of years. He recently retired from the jazz department of the University of Cincinnati Conservatory and was the music director for the Bob and Tom Show. He has also played in jazz clubs across the country.
The drummer is “internationally renowned” jazz drummer, percussionist, clinician, author and educator Steve Houghton.
Houghton received acclaim at 20 years old as the drummer with Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd.
John Raymond is a professor of trumpet at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and bassist Jeremy Allen is the acting dean in the same school.
”The audience can expect to hear and experience a group that has played and recorded together for 20 years perform acoustic jazz at a very high level,” Allee said.
The rhythm section — also known as the “AHA Trio,” (Allee, Houghton, Allen) — has performed and recorded on numerous albums including a brand new 2022 release, “What’s Next?” and an educational video series for the Vic Firth Corporation.
Raymond, joined the IU Jazz Studies faculty and is the leader of his own group, ‘Kind Folk,’ which just released their album titled “Head Towards the Center.”
“After an unprecedented delay in ‘live’ performances we would guess that everyone is looking forward to listening and experiencing ‘up close’ a band that converses and interacts with each other in a beautiful, intimate setting at St. Davids. … Our group is certainly excited to be playing for a ‘live’ hometown audience,” Allee said.
“We love to connect with our audience by playing a repertoire of jazz classics, original compositions (from our recent album releases) and songs from the Great American songbook.”
Donations will be accepted as there is no set cost to attend the show. Funds raised will benefit the artists’ fees for the performance.
“This is an intimate setting,” organizer Annie Hawk said, “Not like a big concert venue. You’re up close and personal with the musicians.”
At St. David’s audience members will be able to speak with and meet the musicians.
“We are truly blessed to have them play in Brown County and it wouldn’t have been possible if Steve (Allee) hadn’t set it up,” Hawk said.
The concert is at 7 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church, at the corners of State Road 135 North and State Road 45, on Sunday, May 22.
There will be a reception following the concert for the audience to meet the performers.
