Worked With:
- Born: August 19, 1952
- Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
- Genres: Jazz
- Instrument: Piano, Organ
- Representative Albums: "Three Feet Off the Ground," "Mississippi Moan," "Crescent Crawl"
Biography
Rarely does a musician display brilliant dexterity, coupled with sparks of creativity, equally in both blues and jazz. One such rare bird is Bruce Katz, who not only meets these characteristics, but excels in his understanding of the genres and unleashes the strongest assets of each.Best known as a member of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, Katz took up music at age five when he outperformed his sister at the classical pieces she was assigned for piano lessons. Discovering classic jazz and a Bessie Smith record planted the seeds of a passion for jazz and blues.
In the early '80s his first major supporting gig was Big Mama Thornton; he then worked and toured with Barrence Whitfield and the Savages, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Witherspoon, Johnny Adams, and Tiger Okoshi. Burned out from life on the road, he enrolled at New England Conservatory, earning a master's degree in jazz. Five months after graduation, he met Ronnie Earl, who hired Katz.
During the nearly five-year stint with Earl, Katz performed on six CDs, and also co-wrote songs with Earl, some of which were "The Colour of Love," "Ice Cream Man," and "Hippology." In 1992, Katz debuted his first solo album Crescent Crawl, then the following year, released Transformation. Just before the release of Mississippi Moan, Katz left the Broadcasters to concentrate on a solo career. In addition to performing, Katz teaches piano and taught the first ever in-depth blues course at Berklee College. His album roster includes 1993's Transformation, 1997's Mississippi Moan, 2000's Three Feet to the Ground with Deeper Blue following in 2004. ~ Char Ham, All Music Guide
