The Jazz Organ Scene
USA
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Bruce Katz
Over the past twenty years, Bruce has been an in-demand sideman as well as leading
his own band. He has played and recorded with many of the leading names in blues and
roots music, such as Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, Jerry Portnoy, Barrence Whitfield
and the Savages, Big Mama Thornton, Mighty Sam McClain, Debbie Davies, David "Fathead"
Newman and many others.
After a particularly long stint of touring in the late 80's with Barrence Whitfield, he decided to come off the road and enrolled at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he earned a Master's degree in Jazz Performance and studied with Geri Allen, Paul Bley, Cecil McBee and George Russell. It was during this time that he conceived of and started writing music that became the Bruce Katz Band. Five months after graduation, he met Ronnie Earl, who soon invited him to join his band, The Broadcasters. During his nearly five-year stint with Earl, Katz toured the world and performed on six albums, writing and co-writing many of the tunes, such as The Colour of Love, Ice Cream Man, and Hippology. The album Grateful Heart (Bullseye) won the Downbeat Critics Poll for Best Blues Album of 1996. In 1992, Katz debuted his first solo album, Crescent Crawl, on the AudioQuest label. He released "Transformation" the following year. Just before the release of Mississippi Moan, his third solo album, Katz left the Broadcasters to concentrate on a solo career. At that point, the Bruce Katz Band began touring the USA and Europe, and has been his primary focus. His CD release in 2000, Three Feet Off The Ground found Bruce featuring his Hammond B3 organ playing more than ever. In addition to performing, Katz teaches piano, Hammond organ and theory at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and teaches the first ever in-depth blues history/analysis course there as well. He also conducts Master Classes in Hammond B3 and Blues History, which he has done at various music festivals worldwide. |
| contact: | bruce@brucekatzband.com |
| homepage: | www.brucekatzband.com |
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www.myspace.com/thebrucekatzband |
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Click on the logo to see Bruce's tour dates. |
