In the 1940's, Lou Colombo began playing trumpet in a guitar and mandolin group

at weddings and town events and remembers earning 67 cents for his first job. After

playing the local circuit for a few years, in the 1950's, Colombo realized he was ready

to start his own band, with Dick Johnson and Dave McKenna, and they worked in

Boston with The Society Band.

Lou Colombo went on the road with Buddy Morrow, Prez Prado, and Dick Johnson

and The Artie Shaw Orchestra. Next, he spent 15 years traveling back and forth playing

East to West coasts on his trumpet, flugel horn, baritone horn and "pocket trumpet" a tiny,

eye-catching trumpet only 8-10 inches long.

He has been part of the Cape Cod jazz scene since 1950, when he commuted from Brockton

to play big band dates at the Mill Hill Club in Yarmouth seven nights a week.  By 1970, the

jazz scene was still strong on Cape Cod so Colombo moved his family of six children here. 

He started off at the top, playing the Velvet Hammer in Hyannis with melodious pianist Dave

McKenna.  One of his idols, Bobby Hackett, relocated to Cape Cod and sat in with his band. 

Colombo's tribute to Hackett, who is buried in Chatham, is the Concord jazz album "I Remember

Bobby," recorded with McKenna and Gray Sargent on guitar.

Lou performed at the 2007 Provincetown Jazz Festival and he can be

heard regularly at The Roadhouse Café in Hyannis on Monday nights.