Count Felix Nowicki owned a bar around the corner from our
house. It was on 801 Anderson Street at the corner of Anderson
and Rusling Streets. Here are some Count Felix memories from
you:
SJ Bill wrote:
I knew Ernie’s Mom and Dad when I was a tyke. Ernie’s cigar
schtick was taught to him by “Count” Felix Nowicki, one of many
local bar owners in Trenton NJ. The Kovacs / Parichy family ran
a bar on my block. Many Hungarian immigrant workers were employed
at the Roebling wire plant just down Genesee Street. They all loved
entertainment and food, and our neighborhood had many Hungarian
bars and butcher stores (with smokehouses) along with Italian
restaurants. If you loved food and drink, this part of the
Chambersburg district was the neighborhood in which to live.
Don't forget the hot dogs cooked in beer for a quarter, served
with yellow mustard and sauerkraut. The bar was decorated with
Tesla coils, and other assoted gadgets. The walls were adorned
with photos and many paintings of Emmett Kelly style clown
paintings. There was an air jet mounted in the ladies toilet,
IIRC, and a microphone nearby so everyone could hear the screams
of surprise. Felix had great chops along with an incredible memory
for music. He challenged you to name a song he couldn't play and
sing. If he forgot the tune or lyrics, he had the sheet music
stashed away for pop songs from back as far as the twenties.
Have you ever seen anyone sing with a cigar stuck up a nostril?!?
Felix did. He claimed to the the inspiration for Ernie Kovac's
comic schtick. God Bless "Count" Felix. He was a riot, and I'm
so happy I got to see him perform.
Tom Pass wrote:
"Count" Felix was a very fine musician and generally entertained
his patrons by playing the organ behind the bar. He also had a
microphone in ladies room and a collection of bazaar objects in
bar area. Beers were 10 cents and if you were hungry, you could
always enjoy a hard boiled egg.
Barbara P wrote:
The "Count" was actually a Julliard graduate, who played piano
on the luxury liners, in the day. He, dad and Mr. Boruta (the
clown painter) were friends for years. Mack...his brother is Ed
Nowicki, the appraiser that worked for Don Schulte, also a concert
pianist and one of the original "Merry Men", professional carolers.
Ed's daughter is also a Julliard grad.
10 comments:
He played most "old-school" favorites very well from memory and had the sheet music for all the rest.
Does anyone remember if the organ a Hammond B-3? It was perched up on a smll stage surrounded by the elongated bar.
The building had a mural featuring The Count that was painted on the brick wall at the corner of Rusling and Anderson. He was depicted playing his organ and smoking his cigar. There was also a balloon caption with his motto: "Thanks a Lot! You're In!"
I was glad that I made twenty-one in time to see his evening performances myself. Felix Nowicki was another of the Burg classics!
I play a B3 but did not at the time the Count was playing. My recollection is that it was not a B3 but would not swear to it.
This is so fun to read your comments about my Uncle Felix's bar. We were just kids so never could go there as patrons, but "The Count" was the best uncle in the world. He and my Aunt Etta lived upstairs in the building and they let us play with all his instruments and jokey things. The electrified coin on the bar, the siren that he played when you went into the bathroom... the manequins. All of it will forever be etched in my mind.
My Dad, Harry Zimmerman, was a good friend of the Counts. He installed the noisemaker in the ladies room. It was a small air pump and a rubber bladder. When the Count was playing and spied someone going to the Ladies Room, he would make the noise by turning a concealed valve at the organ.. I remember going into the Counts with my Dad to fix the refrigeration when I was a kid. Great place..
I was one of his last piano students. If you knew him, can you imagine being taught by him? Yes, he did stick his cigar in his nostril, his ear, etc.I was usually covered with cigar ashes by the end of my lesson. He had a heart of gold! He would teach you by what YOU wanted to play! He was a great guy and really was a riot! He would say outlandish things to strangers just to get a reaction!Trenton lost a real talent.I am sure you are making them laugh in heaven, Count! RIP!
Funny story about"The Organ". When I took lessons from him (1974-1978) they had moved into Victoria apartments. He had that organ in the studio. Only one of the Leslie speakers were hooked up. (I am sure it was 4' or 5' high!) He loved to play duets, (with him on the organ).One day while we were playing, him being the showman he was, "floored it!" The walls, windows, pictures, and doors vibrated like hell! We heard a loud "THUMP---Waaaah!" The baby upstairs was vibrated right out of bed! The mother ran down the stairs and told Etta. She threw the studio door open and in her sweet, but firm tone said..."Felix, we have neighbors! You just knocked the baby out of bed upstairs!" To which the Count replied (as usual)by slamming the door as hard as he could! The baby was not harmed. :)
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Glad to find this on the 'professor' Felix Nowicki! I too a student of his and yes the instrument was a Hammond B3. Lessons at the apartment in a room probably 10x14 ' The stops and keys on that B3 were super smooth probably from cigar ash. Felix was an inspiration in many ways and I only wish I stayed with him more on instruction. Lessons for me were more of a duet literally back to back. Felix on the piano and I on the B3 with that leslie speaker. Play it like this (on the piano) then change the key and play it like this. Or more often he stops playing leans over my arms and plays exactly how he is thinking cigar ash and all falling all over the keyboard. Felix was amazing. He played multiple instruments well. He truly left me with great memories, wanted me to apply to Juliard. I did not. I did wind up continuing with electronic music on a Moog at Syracuse University with a concentration in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I owe this interest to Count Felix who always encourage you to think of what you don't understand and pursue it until you understand it.
While in the navy my brother, Freddie and i Bob, were stationed
in a naval communication relay unit near the airport in Trenton.
This was 1965-66. We frequented Count Felix's many, many times. I remember all the shenanigans, food, beer and good times shared by many. That period in my life will be etched in my memory forever. Who'd a thunk the US Navy would put us there.
Thanks Count
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