The coolest of cats
Friends share memories of Houston musician Scott Gertner, who died this week
Scott Gertner, one of the most prominent figures in Houston’s music and nightlife scenes, has unexpectedly passed away.
A brief statement by the musician’s family did not share a cause of death. It thanked people for their condolences, asked for privacy, and stated that funeral details would be shared soon. [Update: A representative for the family tells CultureMap that Gertner died of natural causes. He will be buried on Monday, May 5.]
Gertner was, without hyperbole, the coolest of cats. As a multi-talented, thrice-Grammy-nominated musician and singer, no one could resist his soulful stylings. As a nightclub owner, he knew how to open up the right spots at the right time. Before its closure in 2010, Scott Gertner’s Skybar was Montrose’s jazz temple in the sky, where people could check out live music while gazing at the stars. (Skybar also attracted celebs like Luther Vandross, Steve Harvey, and Shaquille O’Neal, so the stars weren’t just in the sky.) A decade later, he opened up Scott Gertner’s Rhythm Room on Memorial Dr., luring people in with live grooves and a mouth-watering menu.
In my previous life as a nightlife reporter, Gertner was the person I usually contacted whenever I needed intel on jazz clubs in the city. (I also believe that, during one of these sitdowns, I surprised him one day with a 12-inch single he recorded in the late ‘80s for CBS Records, a lost item I picked up at a nearby record store.)
But I know I’m not the only person who has sparkling memories featuring Gertner. I reached out to a few friends and asked them what they’ll remember the most about the late, great, swaggerific impresario:
T.J. Callahan, film critic/radio personality: “We had many fantastic CBS Radio Houston Christmas parties at the Skybar. Scott was always the most gracious host and fun performer.
“Also, two of my close friends went to high school at HSPVA with Scott. They are all musicians. During our college years, Scott was playing at the old Ruggles on lower Westheimer, back when everyone cruised that area on the weekends. Every time we passed by the restaurant, my friends and I would scream ‘Gertner’ out the car window, like he was going to hear us and come out and say hi. Hey, we were 18. The boys were so excited Scott had a real gig.”
Russell V. Guess, music producer/former Skybar bartender: “When I tell you I wouldn’t know half the people I know — I wouldn’t have made a good deal of the money I’ve made in my life — and not have had many of the experiences (too many!) that made me who I am if not for this man, it isn’t an exaggeration at all.
“But there’s so much more to remember about the guy. A true artist, bandleader, music lover, and businessman. I soaked up so much game about music and nightlife, a course more valuable than any class I could’ve taken. To know him personally was a privilege not to be taken lightly; he’d hit you with that smile that always said everything his words didn’t. Always the encourager, he supported me in and outside the nightlife. Even after I stopped working for him, we’d still text each other on our birthdays since they were 11 days apart. I was always welcome wherever his venue was located and, if he was there, that smile and a hug was soon to follow.”
Mark Towns, jazz guitarist: “One of the first times I heard Scott play was back in the heyday of Cody’s, when he was on bass and vocals with Paul English’s incredible band. That group was something special — Paul on piano, Kirk Whalum and Johnny Torres on saxophones, and Scott bringing his unique energy and voice to the mix. The vibe was electric at those shows.
“Later, Scott held down Wednesday nights at Cody’s in the Village, and those nights became legendary. It was the hottest night of the week, and, as the story goes, Scott was making more money that one night than the club owner was making all week. That’s the kind of draw and charisma he had.
“From there, Scott opened the Skybar at the original Cody’s location on Montrose, and I was honored when he hired my Flamenco Jazz trio to play a Wednesday night series there, sponsored by The Wave radio station. We alternated Wednesdays with Joe Carmouche’s excellent trio — great times. He also was the gracious host for the CD release party for my first album, Flamenco Jazz Latino, at Skybar.
“Back in the late 1980s, way before Skybar and those Village Cody’s Wednesdays, Scott and I played together at the legendary Blues Jam with Ardis Turner (RIP) at Live Bait on Greenbriar — me on guitar and Scott on bass. Too bad there are no recordings of that. We had some wild jams.
“There was a weird kind of synchronicity with Scott — I’d run into him all over Houston, at all hours, in the most random places. It happened often. The last time I saw Scott was at the Rhythm Room last year. We ended up talking for a long while. He was extremely interested in hearing details about some health issues that I had firsthand knowledge about.
“Scott was a great singer, a great guitarist, a great bassist, and a powerful presence on stage and off. As a performer, a businessman, a leader, and a cultural force, Scott Gertner enriched Houston’s music world. I’m grateful our paths crossed.”
