Lou Colombo killed *from Cape Cod Today Sea Street Blog

Lou Colombo killed *from Cape Cod Today Sea Street Blog Original Article: http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php?blog=125

Lou Colombo killed [Sea St.]

03/04/12 · 9:12 pm :: posted by David Link to Post/Share

Dies in auto accident in Fort Myers

Lou Colombo on trumpet at the Wychmere Harbor Club. Photo used with the permission of Jon Hammond, organ on the right.Lou Colombo—Mr. Jazz on Cape Cod was killed Saturday night while exiting the parking lot at The Roadhouse Café on San Carlos Blvd. in Fort Myers, Florida.  

The Musical Director at The Roadhouse Café, Richie Iannuzzi, said that Lou had just played a set before leaving to meet his wife, Noel.  In addition to playing at The Roadhouse Café in Fort Myers, Lou also played at Pa Degennaro’s in Ft. Lauderdale. 

The Roadhouse Café in Fort Myers is owned by Sherri Colombo and her husband Marc Neeley.  It is a sister-club to the Roadhouse Café on South Street in Hyannis, Massachusetts, which is owned by David Colombo, Lou’s son, who is also the owner of Colombo’s on Main Street in Hyannis and The Black Cat Restaurant at Hyannis Harbor. 

Reporting on Lou’s death saddens me greatly.  Strangely enough, this very evening—Sunday—I was editing videotape of the last time I worked with Lou at Colombo’s.  The video will be in an up-coming Dave Rojay Show on Channel 17, Saturday night at 9:30. 

The only thing that can be said about Lou is that he was a great guy, a great friend, and a great trumpet player.  He played holding his trumpet up with his right hand and blowing out of the right side of his mouth.  As a trumpet player myself, I know how difficult this is; but Lou played with ease.  He knew all the standards ever written and played them with great feeling and a beautiful tone and he had a tremendous rapport with his audience—a faithful long-running audience that loved him, truly. 

I have so many memories of working with Lou going back many years in the past.  He has appeared in several of my TV programs and he was often at Channel 17 recording for Ivy Sinclair, a producer of jazz television. 

A couple of years ago, I played with Lou at the Roadhouse Café.  Footage of this will also be in the up-coming Dave Rojay Show.  Lou told me at the time that he was 82 years old and when I considered the strength and vitality of his playing, I was amazed. 

As I type this, I am in a state of shock.  A cremation for Lou is scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday in Florida with a Memorial Service to follow later on Cape Cod.  My wife and I send our condolences to the entire Colombo family. 

The last time I talked to Lou, we talked about a group picture of Cape Cod jazz artists scheduled for April.  This photo shoot organized by jazz drummer, Bart Weisman, was to duplicate the famous photo from the past of renowned jazz artists on the steps of a brownstone in New York.  No photo of the jazz artists of Cape Cod will be complete without Lou Colombo in the center. 

David Rojay

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Be sure to watch David Rojay on The Dave Rojay Show each Saturday night at 9:30 on Channel 17. Read A RED STATE HERO and THE LONG BRIDGE RUNNER—current chapter The Panther by David Rojay on capecodtoday.com and finally check out David Rojay on YOUTUBE. For more information, Google "David Rojay".