Las Vegas loses one of its lounge greats, Ghalib Ghallab

Ghalib Ghallab once asked the musical question, “Where can I hang out if I’m too old for electronica but too young to go to bed?”

The lounge is where.

A highly respected and popular jazz pianist and composer who ruled Vegas’s intimate nightspots, Ghallab died Tuesday night in Las Vegas after fighting cancer for more than a year. He was 67.

Graveside funeral services are set for 2:30 p.m. today at Woodlawn Cemetery, on the southeast corner of Owens Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard North. A jazz “Happy Hour” gig is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the rooftop Fuso Nightclub at 6007 Dean Martin Drive, suite No. 2.

Ghallab was a stalwart of several Las Vegas lounges over the past 30 years. He and his backing band, the Vegas Knights, were known to host some of the coolest gigs in town. Ghallab was often backed by his sons Jihad on drums and Khalid on bass, but his sidemen also included such high-ranking musicians as sax great Paul Taylor. And long before he would become the bassist for The Rolling Stones, Darryl Jones played gigs with Ghallab in the early days of his career in Chicago.

In Las Vegas, the keyboard great was particularly well-known as a headliner in the early days of the 51st-level VooDoo Lounge at the Rio, which opened in 1997. He also played Sinbad’s Lounge at the old Aladdin , the La Terrazza Restaurant lounge at Caesars Palace (where he was known as the first lounge performer on the Strip to play an eight-hour shift), Range Steakhouse at Harrah’s and Ravello Lounge at the M Resort.

“He loved lounges and he played a lot of them,” his wife of 38 years, Toya, said today. “I would ask his fans to please remember how much he loved them. He loved playing for people, wherever it was.”

Ghallab grew up in Chicago, where he was a popular club performer and continued to play there often. He was identified primarily as a jazz artist, but once said his style invoked many genres.

“My mom played jazz in the house, you just, you name it — from Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson,” he said. “My dad was a Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis type of guy, Lou Rawls,” Ghallab said in an interview on his website. “You name it, singers — we had ’em. Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole. And it was like food for my ears, you know, for my growth, and I find myself taking licks from those songs from back in the day, and I apply them to what I do.”

Ghallab’s last public performance in Las Vegas was on New Year’s Eve at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at Harrah’s. He also performed a private gig in April at Suncoast.

Ghallab was also a gentle, unassuming personality. His guitarist, Chris Fisher, posted on Facebook: “Being a member of his band has given me a great deal of perspective on professionalism, playing in multiple environments and situations, and how to entertain a crowd … Ghalib was also a warm and gracious human being. He has been a great friend not only to me but to my parents and family. In fact, we would often say he was a brother to us.”

Ghallab’s wife said she was taking the loss “a day at a time.”

“Ghalib had so much soul,” she said. “He played his music from his soul, and people loved it.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram