Something told me I better go down and see Lou last week R.I.P. Louis Colombo the Greatest from Jon Hammond

Folks, something told me I had better get on down to see my main man Lou Colombo last week in Fort Myers FL, I played on Lou's band for 2.5 years in Cape Cod at the Wychmere Harbor Club and Thompson's Clam Bar in Harwich Port MA. It was an important time of my life and career and he was always very generous to me, kept me on my toes throwing tunes at me in all keys the music never stopped once we hit. I just saw Lou a few days ago in Fort Myers FL at the gig he was playing at his Daughter Sherri's restaurant and hub Marc Neeley - Roadhouse Cafe, he was at the top of his game, playing great as ever and looking like a million dollars. I am deeply saddened to receive terrible tragic news this morning from Lou's fine trombonist Nelson E. Foucht that Lou was tragically killed last night just 4 blocks from Roadhouse Cafe coming home from the gig. My deepest condolences to the Colombo Family, Lou's Wife Noel, daughters Lori, Sherri, David all his 6 kids, extended Family of friends and musicians. I am totally blown away, thankful that I had the opportunity to know him and play with him nightly back in the 70's and then to see and hear him again at the end of his life, thanks Lou! Here are some photos from just a few days taken by my long-time great girlfriend Jennifer and myself at his gig, R.I.P. Big Lou - Louis Colombo the greatest trumpet player bandleader baseball slugger and golfer ever! I used to go with Lou to the golf course where he had the snack concession in Yarmouth just to watch him drive balls in to outer space. I couldn't believe how far and hard he could hit the ball. Lou would put on black executioner gloves and hit the ball and it would disappear, just keep on sailing in to the sky like Lou's spirit must be now. His music and great memories will live on forever. Sincerely, Jon Hammond - Member AFM Local 802 and Local 6 Musicians Union *Note: Lou's band the other night at Roadhouse Cafe were so great, I'm so sorry cats: Nelson Foucht on trombone, F.L. "Woody" Brubaker piano and keyboard bass, Richard Iannuzzi drums and Gil DiBenedetto tenor saxophone and clarinet. Jon Hammond and Lou Colombo

**Note: Lou Colombo and my neighbor Leo Ball (R.I.P.) also a fine trumpet player member of Local 802 were born on the same day in Brockton MA

*Note: Lou called me on my cell phone when I was at the airport just about to fly out of Tampa TPA Airport, he told me he really dug my album that I had given him "NDR SESSIONS Projekt" my first record of mostly standards, it was inspired much by him actually. Lou was talking about the horn players on it, Lutz Buechner and Joe "Jo" Gallardo, he really dug them and he told me we were going to do something back up in the Cape for sure. I was very touched by his call and he had called me on my previous birthday last year, I got all choked up when he told me that. Thanks a million Lou! Jon *WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Lou Colombo Movie by Jon Hammond http://www.archive.org/details/JonHammondLouColomboMoviebyJonHammond Lou Colombo and Jon Hammond - 02/23/2012

1978 Photo of Lou Colombo Band with Jon Hammond on B3 organ House Band at private club Wychmere Harbor Club in Harwich Port Cape Cod MA L to R: Frank Shea drums, Lou Colombo trumpet, Jack Pena guitar, Jon Hammond B3 organ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkqBaFIAXn4 Jon Hammond here...I just came back from visiting my main man Lou Colombo the great trumpet player bandleader and former Pro Baseball player in Fort Myers Florida. I played on Lou's band for 2.5 years in the late 70's in house band at the Wychmere Harbor Club in Cape Cod. Lou is going strong happy to report, playing regularly at the restaurant of his daughter Sherri and son inlaw Marc Neeley - Roadhouse Cafe during winter months and in the summer he plays at his son David's Roadhouse Cafe in Hyannis MA on Cape Cod. I schlepped my Hammond Sk1 organ all the way down there in hopes I could sit in with Lou for a couple of tunes but unfortunately that wasn't possible, however I shot some video of Lou and his fine group, so enjoy the music and personality of Lou Colombo, one of the all-time greats on his instrument! The musicians on Lou's band here at Roadhouse Cafe are Nelson Foucht on trombone, F.L. "Woody" Brubaker piano and keyboard bass, Richard Iannuzzi drums and Gil DiBenedetto tenor saxophone and clarinet. Plus a little bit of flashback audio from our gig in 1978 near the end some photos, old and new from just a few days ago. Enjoy folks! sincerely, Jon Hammond *Note: Some Baseball Stats for Louis Colombo as a player - he played pro baseball until breaking ankle at age 24 - Louis Colombo: 1953 Newport News Dodgers Statistics -- Minor Leagues - Baseball ... www.baseball-reference.com › Minor Leagues › Teams Affiliation: Brooklyn Dodgers-NL Manager: ... 6, Louis Colombo*, 26, 123, 432, 134, 20, 1, 4 .310 .389, 168. 7, 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers Minor League Affiliations - Baseball ... www.baseball-reference.com › Minor Leagues › Affiliates 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers Minor League Affiliates. Other Years: 1944 ..... 49, Louis Colombo*, 18, NNW, B, 56, 213, 66, 12, 2, 3 .310 .427, 91. 50, *Member Local 802 and Local 6 Musicans Union, a HammondCast http://www.HammondCast.com http://vimeo.com/37842424

Lou Colombo Movie by Jon Hammond from Jon Hammond on Vimeo.

This is my Hammond Sk1 Organ in GKPE-49-TSA Gator Flight Case after I finally got it back from Newark EWR Airport after flying with it to Fort Myers from San Francisco, then taking it to Lou's gig at Roadhouse Cafe, flying to JFK but my organ went to Newark by mistake. It was supposed to be delivered but they never even left the airport with it, so I took a bus ride back out to New Jersey from Times Square and picked it up personally. You can see the big INSPECTED sticker that TSA plastered of my American Federation of Musicians Union sticker. 2 days later I flew with it to San Francisco for a gig and that's where I am now with my Sk1 Hammond Organ.

Lou's band in front of Roadhouse Cafe Fort Myers FL L to R: F.L. "Woody" Brubaker piano and keyboard bass, Gil DiBenedetto tenor saxophone and clarinet, Lou Colombo trumpet vocals, Nelson Foucht trombone, Richard Iannuzzi drums - photo by Jon Hammond

Lou Colombo, Trumpet, Jazz, Roadhouse Cafe, Fort Myers FL, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1978, Wychmere Harbor Club, Local 802 Musicians Union **Note: Lou Colombo and my neighbor Leo Ball (R.I.P.) also a fine trumpet player member of Local 802 were born on the same day in Brockton MA

*LISTEN TO AUDIO: HERE HammondCast 17 and Breaking News from Jon Hammond http://www.archive.org/details/HammondCast_17 HammondCast 17, just back from Hamburg Germany where I recorded my new album, an official production of NDR Radio in Studio 1 with some of my all-time favorite musicians: Lutz Buchner (Sax), Joe Gallardo (Trombone), Heinz Lichius (Drums), myself-Jon Hammond (XK-3 Organ/Bass) and Engineer: Rudy Grosser in Studio 1 NDR Radio. I'll be playing some selections rough mixes (not so rough actually!) as my Christmas gift to the listeners, and speaking of Christmas...from inside San Francisco County Jail #8 "Pod E", a live recording of my trio's annual Christmas Prison Show with the great tenor saxophonist Larry Schneider & Ronnie Smith Jr. on drums along with myself on keys playing the Christmas classic: "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas". Every year I tell the ladies "And ya' better be good!" And from the Studio 1 NDR Sessions my original blues shuffle: No X-Cess Baggage Blues, some fine playing by Lutz on one of my favorite ballads: My One and Only Love and my theme song: "Late Rent". Special thanks to Knut Benzner of NDR Radio for co-producing these recordings now heard on KYOU Radio, 1550 on the AM Dial. Jon Hammond http://www.HammondCast.com NDR SESSIONS Projekt

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ndr-sessions-projekt/id154024761 Spotlight on Lou Colombo *LISTEN TO AUDIO: HammondCast 202 Pt 2 Spotlight on Lou Colombo KYOU Radio

http://ia700404.us.archive.org/26/items/JonHammondHammondCast202KYOURadio/HammondCast202.mp3

HammondCast 202 KYOU Radio special edition with part 2 of recording from Wychmere Harbor Club when Jon played B3 organ on the Lou Colombo Band, the house band at Wychmere Harbor Club in Harwich Port Cape Cod MA. First backing up a feature dance duo with cha cha and then Emily waltz, Saturday Night Fever followed by the chaser 'California Here I Come', then Summertime, Hello Dolly medley, Bossa nova medley Watch What Happens in to Wave and then a cooking "In The Mood" taking it home with Jon's "Lydia's Tune" and some of Sidewinder © http://www.HammondCast.com

http://www.archive.org/details/JonHammondHammondCast202KYOURadio
*LISTEN TO AUDIO: HammondCast 201 KYOU Radio Spotlight on Lou Colombo Wychmere Harbor Club House Band

http://ia700407.us.archive.org/3/items/JonHammondHammondCast201KYOURadio/HammondCast201.mp3


http://www.archive.org/details/JonHammondHammondCast201KYOURadio/

HammondCast 201 KYOU Radio, today Jon Hammond puts the spotlight on LOU COLOMBO trumpet player band leader originally from Brockton MA, Jon played organ with Lou for 2.5 years on the house band at the exclusive Wychmere Harbor Club and Thompson's Clam Bar in Harwich Port Cape Cod MA - a recently discovered recording from the bandstand with Lou Colombo, Jon Hammond on B3 organ, Frank Shea drums and 2 additional horns on a big Saturday night: "Meditation" medley with "Shadow of Your Smile", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Stars Fell On Alabama" medley with "Georgia", "How Deep Is Your Love", "Satin Doll" © http://www.jonhammondband.com 45 minutes

The articles reporting the sad and tragic death of Lou Louis Colombo that just appeared: http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/article/20120304/NEWS0110/120304003/Massachusetts-man-killed-in-south-Fort-Myers-crash?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE Massachusetts man killed in south Fort Myers crash An 84-year-old man from South Yarmouth, Massachusetts was killed late Saturday night in a vehicle crash at the intersection of McGregor Boulevard and Kapok Court in south Fort Myers. Louis Colombo was killed when he turned west onto McGregor Boulevard, pulling out in front of a Jeep Wrangler heading north. The Wrangler, driven by Hunter Blackburn, struck the left side of Colombo's minivan and later hit a fire hydrant, cutting off water in the area for about three hours. Blackburn, 52, was not injured. http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120304/NEWS11/120309884/-1/rss04 By Karen Jeffrey kjeffrey@capecodonline.com March 04, 2012 Lou Colombo, the heart beat of jazz on Cape Cod for more than half a century was killed late Saturday night in a car crash in Fort Myers, Fla. According to the Fort Myers Press News, Colombo, 84, was killed when he turned onto McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers, and was struck by a vehicle heading north. Lou Colombo Movie on YouTube by Jon Hammond: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkqBaFIAXn4 "Jon Hammond here...I just came back from visiting my main man Lou Colombo the great trumpet player bandleader and former Pro Baseball player in Fort Myers Florida. I played on Lou's band for 2.5 years in the late 70's in house band at the Wychmere Harbor Club in Cape Cod. Lou is going strong happy to report, playing regularly at the restaurant of his daughter Sherri and son inlaw Marc Neeley - Roadhouse Cafe during winter months and in the summer he plays at his son David's Roadhouse Cafe in Hyannis MA on Cape Cod. I schlepped my Hammond Sk1 organ all the way down there in hopes I could sit in with Lou for a couple of tunes but unfortunately that wasn't possible, however I shot some video of Lou and his fine group, so enjoy the music and personality of Lou Colombo, one of the all-time greats on his instrument! The musicians on Lou's band here at Roadhouse Cafe are Nelson Foucht on trombone, F.L. "Woody" Brubaker piano and keyboard bass, Richard Iannuzzi drums and Gil DiBenedetto tenor saxophone and clarinet. Plus a little bit of flashback audio from our gig in 1978 near the end some photos, old and new from just a few days ago. Enjoy folks! sincerely, Jon Hammond *Member Local 802 and Local 6 Musicans Union, a HammondCast" On Blip TV: http://blip.tv/jon-hammond/lou-colombo-movie-by-jon-hammond-6000443 Friends say Colombo was returning to his winter home after a performance last night. Born and raised in Brockton, Colombo began playing trumpet at age 12. He joined the military as a young man and had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He played for seven years, but a badly broken ankle forced his retirement from the Brooklyn Dodgers at the age of 24. Baseball's loss became music's gain. Colombo played with some of the world's great jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. He taught generations of musicians through his love of jazz, played performances in clubs, restaurants, schools and nursing homes on the Cape. In a July 1988 interview with Eric Jackson on WGBH, Gillespie said of him, "Lou Colombo is what I would call a trumpet painter, he resolves. He starts playing and the notes keep going, but the chord keeps changing all the time. He's a marvelous trumpet player. "I went one night to hear him play. Boy, he asked me to play with him and I said ‘No- you got it Brother. I'm not going to jump into that hot water'. Lou's pretty weird the way he plays because he plays with just one hand. He plays the valves with his right hand but doesn't hold the horn with his left hand. This guy's amazing. I've been preaching his name ever since that night I first heard him down on Cape Cod ." Locally Colombo was renown as a teacher and generous performer who frequently asked young musicians to play with him, said Paul Nossiter, veteran jazz musician and long time friend of Colombo who makes his home on the Cape. "He was a giant..an open-hearted, generous man and musician who loved his family, his friends, music and food," Nossiter said. "This is a terrible loss for his family and friends, a real loss for Cape Cod." Read more in tomorrow's Cape Cod Times Tragic, greatest bandleader, Trumpet Player, Louis Colombo, Leo Ball, Fort Myers, South Yarmouth, Harwich Port, Tip O'neill, Jon Hammond, Musicians Union