Larry Novak R.I.P.

[Larry Kart]

 

Jazz pianist Larry Novak.  Eric Hochberg

 

Chicago jazz pianist Larry Novak, a fixture of Chicago’s 1960s club scene, died Sunday at age 87.

“We lost a giant today,” bassist Eric Hochberg, who recorded with Novak, wrote on Facebook.

Novak led a trio that performed at Chicago’s London House from 1961 to 1963, and then at at the storied Rush Street club Mr. Kelly’s, where he also was music director. He worked with a who’s who of musical greats, most extensively with Peggy Lee and Pearl Bailey.

In a 1964 Sun-Times profile, he described a night at the London House when he was heard by Don Trenner, a music exec who asked him to send tapes.

“I thought he was just being polite,” Novak said. “So I didn’t even bother sending him anything. But two or three weeks later he called and said he wanted to cut an album. I was floored.”

That trio album, “Larry Novak Plays!,” was released in 1964. Not until more than a half century later did he put out a follow-up, “Invitation” (2015).

Novak, who grew up on Chicago’s West Side, also was an instructor at DePaul University.

On a personal note, I'll add:

The recently deceased Chicago-based pianist Larry Novak -- long resident at Mr. Kelly's and London House -- was as Dan Morgenstern has said "a very dear man." When it came to harmonic subtlety, delicacy of touch, and knowledge of thousands of tunes, Larry had few peers.

My favorite memory of Larry is perhaps a rather odd one that speaks both to his fundamental decency, his professionalism, and his ability to deal with both the sweet and sour aspects of accompanying artists of, shall we say, varying levels of ability. The inimitable Pia Zadora, backed by her wealthy husband's desire to turn her into star, was giving a concert at a Chicago-area venue whose name I don't recall. Less incompetent than she was the first time I heard her -- as an opening act ar the Mill Run Theater, where patrons actually lined up at the box office during intermission to ask for their money back -- Zadora was still no bargain. If I recall correctly, at this second Zadora performance I approached Larry afterwards in an attempt to briefly commiserate for the "challenges" he'd just dealt with. The consummate pro, aside from a near invislble wink of acknowledgment, Larry would have none of this -- it was all part of the job, to make things sound as good as possible. And in fact that is what he had done that night to a remarkable degree.

 

[Chuck Nessa]

Back in the '70s while chairman of the JIC programming committee I invited him to provide a program at "Rick's".

[AllenLowe]

coincidence department: Trenner, an excellent pianist, had been living in this area for years and just died about a month ago.

Edited August 12, 2020 by AllenLowe