Chapter One

Gene Di Novi played piano for the greats of the 20th Century: Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

This is his biography spoken to the fine writer Jack Batten.

"I played piano with Bird and Diz. I accompanied Lena, Peggy, Raquel, Barbra, one Dinah (Shore, but not Washington), two Franks (Sinatra and Zappa) and a Tony (Bennett). I recorded with a Pres (Lester Young) and a King (of Swing, Benny Goodman). I wrote songs with Johnny Mercer (Have a Heart) and composed an extended piece for an entire archipelago (The Scandinavian Suite). I learned lessons from a Duke (Ellington) and a Count (Basie). And I came oh so close to performing for a Vladimir (Horowitz)...."