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Jack Novotny

Jack Novotny is a tenor/soprano saxophonist/flutist and composer of jazz improvisational music.

About Me

Novotny attended North Texas State University as a composition major. He performed for 10 years in the Eddie Brookshire Quintet out of the Dayton/Cincinnati/Columbus, OH region. The group recorded and performed with the late pianist Kenny Drew Jr. as well as other notable jazz artists such as JD Allen, Alan Vizzutti, Mike Wade, Dr. Mark Lomax II, and Edwin Bayard.

Jack recorded and released an CD in 2011 called “The Boston Sessions” which included 11 original compositions. The album showcased the talents of bassists Jorge Roeder and David Zinno, drummers Steve Langone and Eric Doob, and percussionist Jerry Leake. In 2012 Novotny recorded 6 more original songs with the Mark Lomax Trio on the cd called “Nebulosity”. This recording was a dedication to the music of Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Eric Dolphy.

Under the newly formed organization called “Project Novo” Jack recorded 3 additional compositions and 2 from other composers and called this recording MetamorFiK ProcesS. It featured several artists from Cleveland, OH including vibist Ron Busch, drummer Carmen Castaldi, bassist Kip Reed and L.A. guitarist Barry Coates.

The most recent musical endeavor was a recording in January 2017 with bassist Juini Booth, pianist Benito Gonzalez, and drummer Dr. Mark Lomax II. It is called ”The Many and The Few” and is a tribute to John Coltrane's “Love Supreme”.

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My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it is in my blood. It is the only original American art form. It is sacred. The greatest musicians are jazz artists. I was first exposed to jazz in 1961 listening to my father's records of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young. I met Sonny Stitt, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Michael Brecker, Cannonball Adderley, Walter Booker, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, George Benson, Mike Stern, Stanley Turrentine, Billy Harper, Skip Hadden, Charlie Haden. The best show I ever attended was Joe Lovano with Soundprints at the Wexner Center in Columbus Ohio in 2014. The first jazz record I bought was Miles Smiles.

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