Scott Gertner died on Thursday, his family said in a statement. He was the rock of Houston's live-music R&B scene.

It's been years since I thought about my young adulthood, hanging out at Cody's jazz bar on Montrose where Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum and Grammy-nominated singer Scott Gertner performed together.

I probably wasn't even old enough to be admitted into the club. If smooth jazz or R&B was the vibe, I was one of the first in line.

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