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“Album Liner notes” "If a cat wants to blow, man, well, it's like he should blow." This profound observation, recorded an obscure jazz man named Shorty Petterstein, sums up succinctly the reason for this album. Steve Allen never learned to read music; he only learned to play what he likes on the piano, and mostly he likes jazz. Whenever he can he invites the best available jazz musicians to appear on his "Tonight" TV show, and usually he joins in their act. He managed to land jazzdom's juiciest film role, that of B.G. in the Universal-International production of "The Benny Goodman Story," a part that was invested with an understanding that the King himself had not thought possible. He even went so far as to learn to play the clarinet in order to lend authenticity to his handling of the instrument while Benny himself, of course, created the sound on the film track. Steve also is the "cat" who originated "Be-Bop's Fables" that were the rage a couple of years ago (several were recorded for Brunswick). But don't get the idea from those that he doesn't take jazz very seriously indeed. The way this particular album came about is that Steve mentioned to few friends one night that he'd like to get together somewhere private with a bunch of his favorite musicians and just blow. Just for kicks. Coral's recording director Bob Thiele happened to be one of those present, and he immediately volunteered to set it up the very next night. So, on August 17, 1955, right after "Tonight" signed off, (at 2:00 AM, to be exact), a distinguished group gathered in the Hackensack, N. J., living room of one Rudy Van Gelder - a comfortable, carpeted room that one hardly would suspect of being one of the finest recording studios in the East. Answering the roll that night were Charlie Shavers, trumpet; Hank D'Amico, clarinet; Urbie Green, trombone; George Barnes, guitar; Milt Hinton, bass; Bobby Rosengarden, drums; Steve Allen, piano. The party lasted until 6:00 and produced the tasteful, informal and swinging jazz that you hear on this Album. Nothing was arranged; each number was grabbed out of thin air, you might say. Solos were taken as the spirit manifested itself and prevailed.