Special Bruce Katz : Bruce Katz Band - Crescent Crawl (1992), Mississippi Moan (1997), Three Feet Off The Ground (2000), Homecoming (2014), Bruce Katz - Solo Ride (2019)

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Almost every music aficionado knows about Jazz-fusion, a new hybrid form of jazz developed by the musicians who accompanied Miles Davis on his legendary innovative album “Bitches Brew” in 1969. It was then called “jazz rock” and rushed like a tsunami through the 1970s. Similarly, the mix of blues with rock logically became the blues-rock genre. Another tsunami.
Well, Bruce Katz invented Blues-fusion, an original style of bluesified jazz or jazzified blues : soul and funk Hammond B-3 organ jazz à la Jimmy Smith, retro stride piano style, explosive boogie-woogie and swing…

Bruce Katz is the exact opposite of the traditional image of the black Mississippi or Louisiana man who escaped the plantation where he was born from share-cropping parents by playing and singing the blues. Not because he's white but because he's a well educated musician who studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston (1974-1977). His love of blues was revived when he had the luck to play behind Big Mama Thornton. In the mid-1980s, Katz joined Barrence Whitfield and the Savages and toured extensively for several years. In 1990, tired of this hectic life on the road, he returned to “school” at the New England Conservatory (Boston) and got a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance in 1992.

Ronnie Earl

During his stay at the Conservatory, in 1991 he formed the Bruce Katz Band (BKB) with bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Lorne Entress with whom he recorded his first album, “Crescent Crawl”, released in 1992. Later that same year he joined Ronnie Earl's Broadcasters.

Meantime two more BKB opuses came out : “Transformation” in 1994, and “Mississippi Moan” in 1997 just before Katz left Earl's band to concentrate on the BKB : the album “Three Feet Off The Ground” came out in 2000, followed by “A Deeper Blue” (2004) and “Live! At the Firefly” (2008).

He also worked with Duke Robillard (2001-2002), John Hammond (2005 to present), Gregg Allman and Friends (2007-2013), the Delbert McClinton's Band (2011-2014), also performing in Allman Brothers founding member and drummer Butch Trucks both bands : the Freight Train Band, and Les Brers.

Since the early 1990s he has appeared on numerous albums from other artists (“over 70” his Web site claims !) : Mighty Sam McClain, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Beard, Bryan Lee, Debbie Davies, Little Milton, Paul Rishell, David “Fathead” Newman. Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, Joe Louis Walker…

Katz' lastest album

An associate professor at the Berklee College of Music from 1996 to 2010, Katz taught in particular the school's first in-depth blues course. Hyperactive, you said ?

In 2014, Katz shifted his attention back to his own music and the BKB with whom he released the acclaimed album “Homecoming”. Three more albums of the BKB came out to date : “Out From The Center” (2016), “Get Your Groove!” (2018) and the last one, “Connections”, this year.

Before that, in 2019, he recorded his first solo piano album “Solo Ride” as well as “Journeys to the Heart of the Blues” with Joe Louis Walker and Giles Robson.

Such is the incredibly active and creative Bruce Katz, anything but a lazy man.

One last precision : from 1992, the line-up of the BKB has changed almost on each new album. Actually the BKB is more a musical concept devoted to express Katz music and he's the only steady member. To clarify, I've indicated the line-up for each album.

Bruce Katz Band - Crescent Crawl (1992)

→ Line-up  / Bruce Katz : piano, Hammond B-3 organ. Bob Malach : tenor sax. Marty Ballou : bass. Kevin Barry : guitar. Lorne Entress : drums.

A very personal vision and homage to New Orleans through Katz's resolute jazz approach wandering between free-jazz influenced dislocated piano on atmospheric tracks (“Beast” for example) and funky Hammond B-3 organ gospel and soul-blues numbers (like the superb “Contrition”) or swinging pieces (“Buzz Cut”).

The opening title “Crescent Crawl” illustrates well this musical schizophrenia quite disturbing at first : free-jazz intro evolving into a kind of second line rhythmic bluesy jazz thing enlightened by Bob Malach's saxophone ! Either you hate and call it quit right away, or you persist to see where Katz is going to take you…

Marty Ballou

The least one can say is that this mix makes Katz's style rather unique. It's even more obvious on the following track “Just An Expression”, a powerful disturbing free-jazz piano number carried by the typical jazz style of bassist Marty Ballou and drummer Lorne Entress.

“Contrition” is built on a more classic structure. This seven-minute slow soulful gospel-tinged blues on the B-3 organ features fine solo parts by the discreet but appealing guitarist Kevin Barry.

Lorne Entress

Jimmy Smith is not far on the outstanding rather funky “BK's Broiler” and on “Will It Go 'round In Circles”, both allowing Barry to put out nice clean guitar solos, or on the swinging be-bop jazz “Boomer's Thing”, with sax, acoustic bass solo, fine jazz guitar, and excellent drumming from Lorne Entress.

Fats Domino casts his shadow on the excellent swinging rock “Buzz Cut” on piano, also featuring appealing sax parts. On the pure jazz “One Way Ticket” Katz's piano and Malach sax are again under free-jazz influence.

Kevin Barry

Dark swamp atmosphere on the pounding “Beast“ : a weird explosion of free-jazz piano, sax and background distorted guitar… Fortunately, the next “Will It Go 'round In Circles” takes us back to a funky familiar structure before Katz concludes the album with the short “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”, solo on piano.

What to say of such a disturbing album ? It's mainly a jazz album, the blues dimension being much less perceptible. Some tracks exhale distant funky echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith or Eddie Harris, clear influences of B-3 master Jimmy Smith on others. Unfortunately due to the excess of free-jazz influence and despite some interesting moments, the album fails to be really convincing. Katz appears as a superb technician but the emotion, the soul, is missing. At least this is what I think...

Bruce Katz Band - Mississippi Moan (1997)

→ Line-up  / Bruce Katz : piano, Hammond B-3 organ. Mark Poniatowski : bass. Ralph Rosen : drums. Julien Kasper : guitar. Mike Costello : harmonica. Tom Hall : tenor & baritone saxophone.

Recorded during his last months with Ronnie Earl's Broadcasters, this album logically bears the blues-based mark of the kind of music played with the band for five years.

At the time, the Bruce Katz Band didn't have any regular guitarist. For this album, Katz chose Julien Kasper who, as Katz himself did from 1996 to 2010, is teaching at the Boston Berklee College of Music. Honestly it's the first time I hear his name and his guitar, but the man turns out to be both an excellent rhythm guitarist and an exciting soloist.

Julien Kasper

Katz also put the bass in the hands of Mark Poniatowski, and invited two extra instrumentalists : the harmonicist Mike Costello, who gives his blues touch to the numbers on which he appears, and the saxophonist Tom Hall.

Veteran Southern soul-blues singer Mighty Sam McClain, with whom Katz has worked often, is on vocals on "Hanging On The Cross" and "I'm Gonna Love You".

Mighty Sam McClain

With such a line-up a more blues-oriented album is expected and that's confirmed from the first track “Hep-ology” : Tom Hall's gritty saxophone, Costello's harmonica and Kasper's blues guitar dominate the number before Katz takes over on his B-3 organ in the last part.

The second track, “Night of Joy” is in the same vein but with a clear jazzy touch from Katz on piano and Hall on sax.

The soul-drenched “Hanging On The Cross (Between Heaven And The Blues)”, one of the few vocal titles of the album, has the same kind of spirit as the famous “The Messiah Will Come Again” from Roy Buchanan, but not as gutsy though. Nevertheless McClain's powerful and soulful vocals, Katz churchy organ and Kasper's heartfelt solo makes this gospel-flavored song one of the highlights of the album.

But the most outstanding track is undoubtedly, at least in my opinion, the incredible “Norton's Boogie” : fast, jumpy and instrumentally amazing. Katz piano looks towards Jerry Lee Lewis in his best moments, while bass (Poniatowski) and drums (Rosen)  suddenly burst in, opening the way for Hall's sax and Kasper's guitar. A moment of high rhythmic jubilation !

After such a hot number the title track “Mississippi Moan” sounds more relaxed. It's a pounding mid-tempo blues carried by Katz B-3 on which Kasper puts out an excellent guitar solo.

Mark Poniatowski

Katz is solo on piano for the retro jazzy tune “In the Garden”.

On the tight swinging “Elmore's Glue”, Katz is both on organ and piano, and play a call-and-answer game with Hall and Kasper, confirming his perfect choice for this album's line-up : Kasper, particularly impressive on this jazz one, and Hall are notably excellent.

Follow the rocking “Jakalope Bar-B-Q” with again a stirring performance from Kasper, the slow blues “The Prowler” with an inspired Katz on piano, and again a soulful Kasper on guitar, and the rather classic blues “I'm Gonna Love You” sung by McClain with his usual soulful style.

The album ends in a definite jazz mood with two excellent titles : “Compared to What” and “Praise House”. “Compared to What” was originally written as a vocal song first recorded by Roberta Flack in 1969, and soon transformed in a jazz standard by Les McCann and Eddie Harris. The version featured here has a funky flavor : Poniatowski plays the first chorus line on bass, Kasper puts out a very jazz-fusion solo, Katz is excellent on his organ.

“Praise House” is a cool jazz piece with Katz dominating on piano while Hall and Kasper play short but fine sax and guitar lines, while Poniatowski and Rosen confirm they form a tight rhythmic pair.

“Mississippi Moan” confirms two things : Kasper is a very appealing guitarist, and Katz, though renowned as an organist, is as brilliant on piano.

Bruce Katz Band - Three Feet Off The Ground (2000)

→ Line-up  / Bruce Katz : piano, Hammond B-3 organ. Julien Kasper : guitar. Duke Robillard : guitar on #2,8. Blake Newman : double bass. Ralph Rosen : drums.

Also devoted to blues but with a more personal conception this time, this is Katz's fourth album. Jimmy Smith' ghost is still hanging around, at least concerning the sound of Katz' B-3 which dominates the eleven tracks. Katz conjugates “his” blues in different styles : slowed down and soulful with the churchy gospel flavor of his organ, for example on “Way Down Time”, or up-tempo and funky as on the opening “Beef Jerky” or on the title track “Three Feet Off The Ground”.

Duke Robillard

Julien Kasper is still in charge of the guitar, often delivering a jazz-fusion style which reminds the likes of John Scofield or Mike Stern.

On a couple of tracks, “In the Shadow” and “Jet Lag”, Katz has also invited somebody as fan of blues and jazz as himself : the great Duke Robillard who sounds totally at ease in Katz hybrid style.

Katz's piano and Robillard and Kasper's guitars are elegantly dueling on “In the Shadow”, a slow blues with an after-midnight feel, while Robillard offers a fine demonstration of jazz guitar.

Julien Kasper

On” Wrecking Ball” Rosen keeps a rock solid beat and Kasper sounds rather inspired on guitar. On the six-minute “Way Down Time”, Katz exploits the varied possibilities of his B-3 organ, while on the hot boogie “Three Feet Off The Ground”, Kasper comes in with a guitar line à la Arthur Smith in his famous “Guitar Boogie”.

As usual with Katz, jazz diffuses in many tracks, particularly in the jazz-fusion atmosphere of “Walk With Me” or “The Hook”. Katz's free-jazz demon resurfaces in his piano playing on “You're It”.

Ralph Rosen

Rosen gives an appealing funky New Orleans rhythmic feel to “Key to the City” on drums while Kasper is impeccable on guitar.

The final track, “Switchin'”, is firmly rooted in jazz : Katz is in a clear Jimmy Smith mood on his B-3, and Kasper plays a particularly great solo.

Bruce Katz Band – Homecoming (2014)

→ Line-up  / Bruce Katz : Hammond B-3 organ, piano, electric piano. Chris Vitarello : guitar, vocals (#10). Ralph Rosen : drums.

→ Guests : John Hammond : guitar (#8), vocals (#3,8). Jimmy Bennett : lap steel guitar (#1,2), guitar (#6,7,13), vocals (#6,13). Randy Ciarlante : drums (#2,7,12), vocals (#6,13). Marty Ballou : acoustic bass (#3,8). Peter Bennett : electric bass (#5,6).

Of the four BKB albums reviewed here, this one is probably the most outstanding achievement, a grooving collection of exciting titles. It's also the richest on the vocal and instrumental levels with the work of five additional guest musicians on guitar (Hammond, J. Bennett), bass (Ballou who's back for a visit, P. Bennett who is J. Bennett's brother) and drums (Ciarlante).

Peter & Jimmy Bennett 

J. Bennett's work on lap steel guitar totally enlightens the title track “Homecoming”, and the phenomenal “King Of Decatur”, a concentrate of New Orleans' funky style that has nothing to envy to the best songs of the Meters or Neville Brothers. A superb homage with lyrics reviewing all the iconic images (maybe a bit too much “cliché”) attached to the Big Easy. Undoubtedly the most impressive title of the album ! If only for this sole track, “Homecoming” deserves a spot in a record collection.

John Hammond

“Santa Fe Blues” and the superb “Blues Before Sunrise”, both sung with his immediately recognizable voice by John Hammond who's also on guitar on the second, exhale a charming retro barrel-house feel with an impeccable Katz on piano.

“No Trainer” and “The Czar” have the B-3 Jimmy Smith jazzy touch already found on the previous albums, while on electric bass P. Bennett brings energy to another New Orleans-flavored mid-tempo piece : “Amelia”.

Randy Ciarlante

The pounding cover of Elmore James' “Wild About You Baby”, sung by guest drummer Ciarlante and featuring J. Bennett greasy guitar, transport the listener in a smoky club of the South Side of Chicago some 70 years ago.

On the jazz instrumental “Time Flies” Chris Vitarello is great on guitar, and Katz fine as usual on B-3. He's even more inspired on “The Sky's The Limit”, sung by Vitarello who also confirms he's an appealing guitarist. Vitarello shines again on the funky-jazzy “Just An Expression”, a revisit of the song already issued on the 1992 “Crescent Crawl”, while Katz is hotter than ever on his B-3.

Chris Vitarello

On the jazz-fusion “Won't Last Til Tuesday”, with Ciarlante on drums, Katz' B-3 riff strangely reminds John Oldfield's “Hottentot” (album “A Go Go”, 1998), while the definitely excellent Vitarello gives the track a superb varnish on guitar.

Finally, “It's A Bad Time”, signed by J. Bennett who's in charge of the guitar, closes this exciting album on a Coltrane note.

■ Bruce Katz - Solo Ride (2019)

→ Line-up  / Bruce Katz  and his grand piano

After more than thirty years in studio and on the road, Katz recorded his first solo piano album (not one single note from the B-3 !), an all-instrumental opus featuring eleven original compositions and a pleasant revisit of Elmore James’ “It Hurts Me Too”.

Katz's impressive technique on the keyboard of his grand piano covers a large scope of blues and jazz styles, from muscular barrel-house boogie-woogie (“Down At The Barrelhouse”, and more particularly the rejoicing “Going Places”, two outstanding tracks) to a nostalgic country-tinged waltz (“Dreams Of Yesterday”) and a romantic jazzy ballad (“The Way To Your Heart”), through hard to classify crossover numbers (“Midnight Plans”,”Redemption”).

On the second track, Katz returns to his debuts with a strong New Orleans-flavored revisit of “Crescent Crawl” from his first album, spiced with the same free approach.

Blues mixes with jazz on the new version of “Praise House”, originally released in 1997 on “Mississippi Moan”, and Katz's use of the lower keys of his piano gives the piece a dark weary dimension, while the following “Red Sneakers” has the kind of retro atmosphere of the silent movies era when a pianist used to improvise at the bottom of the screen on the jerky images.

“Easy Living” is a classic but pleasant jazzy blues, and the New Orleans boogie “Watermelon Thump” has a Fats Domino family air. Katz ends with the hybrid but appealing “Redemption”, a solemn tune which makes you think that in a certain way, Katz is to boogie & blues-based music what Keith Jarrett was to jazz on his piano solo albums like the legendary “Köln Concert”. Same deep sound of the Steinway piano, same apparent part of improvisation (but is it really ?)...

Anyway a work where Katz demonstrates he is a brilliant composer and player, even if personally I prefer his albums with BKB. ■

Bruce Katz Web site : https://www.brucekatzband.com/

The albums on YT

► Crescent Crawl : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l5BjOheEsDWjN5434_MHttWQ9jkGEDIk8
► Mississippi Moan : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lW5oJCRK4J7o1ap6znkZYnBhkcI59bhCo
► Three Feet Off the Ground : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m_s1RwLFDnv_e1ogLWKnVz5KuhrnEEomM
► Homecoming : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ksYCg5_fdtXCCQMbWIYxT9g1bmK-21VU4
► Solo Ride : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lvckbPOWRtZRuD1eeEQSyhqqShYnBnOeY

Videos
■ Interviews

► At Lucille's, BB King Blues Club, NYC, 2016 : https://youtu.be/J5az_ZL_A7Q?t=150
► Interview + show, Terra Fermata, Suart, FL, 2016 : https://youtu.be/OrINhG_dmKA
► At Don Odell's Legends, 2019 : https://youtu.be/BeLOuyMKRr0
► Windy itw with Chris Vitarello, Earl's Hideaway, Sebastian, FL, 2017 : https://youtu.be/soUmKgoaU4g

■ Concerts
Full shows

► Café Bel Air, Breda, Netherlands, 2015 :

→ Part 1 : https://youtu.be/xecyZB0uvE0
→ Part 2 : https://youtu.be/FX4t2aGsj7s
► Framingham, MA, 2017 : https://youtu.be/JZT13V_Nuzg
► Blue Jay Listening Room, Jacksonville Beach, FL, 2019 :
→ #1 : https://youtu.be/TKcIN4tAPAQ
→ #2 : https://youtu.be/awG0uoSCJPo
→ #3 : https://youtu.be/MMxifg3a_NA

► Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival, Romania, 2019 : https://youtu.be/NmiwIuEKMvQ
► Earl's Hideaway, Sebastian, FL, 2020 :
→ #1 : https://youtu.be/PabnFgwY4dk
→ #2 : https://youtu.be/ekRAzLqFRoI
→ #3 : https://youtu.be/7G5gvRJbRyU
→ #4 : https://youtu.be/pGua1c0KAWU
► Tampa Bay Blues Festival, St. Petersburg, FL, 2022 : https://youtu.be/Kow3eXBKFa4

Live tracks from the albums

● From “Crescent Crawl”
► “Crescent Crawl”, The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI, 2013 : https://youtu.be/d66WVIh7lcY
► “Just an Expression” :
→ Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA, 2014 : https://youtu.be/8u2vTQXxeVI
→  The Acoustic, Bridgeport, CT, 2016 : https://youtu.be/tfySKfCoUR4

► "Contrition" :

→ Bearsville Theater, Woodstock NY, 2014 : https://youtu.be/5kYS0AZ6FAc
→ Don Odell's Legends, Palmer, MA, 2015 : https://youtu.be/srRB4SsXzqY
→ Lucille's, BB King Blues Club, NYC, 2016 : https://youtu.be/MgLwPy6hLjg
► "BK's Broiler", Lucille's, NYC, 2017 : https://youtu.be/d4M4Wksajc0

► “Will It Go Round In Circles?”, NY State Blues Festival, Syracuse, NY, 2018 : https://youtu.be/EzOqombTQqI

► "Just a Closer Walk With Thee", St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Chester, SC, 2017 : https://youtu.be/6T5GzDGqT30

● From “Mississippi Moan”
► “Night Of Joy”, Godfrey Daniels, 2014 : https://youtu.be/D6COpuOldTk

► “Hanging on the Cross” :
→ Lefty’s Live Music, Des Moines, Iowa, 2018 : https://youtu.be/163PA0vi7pU
→ Don Odells Legends, 2019 : https://youtu.be/0sokC45ZqpE
→ Bluesmoose Radio, 2021 : https://youtu.be/pxxNUhSOjJ8
► “Norton's Boogie” :
→ The Falcon, Marlboro, NY, 2010 : https://youtu.be/2PQRMto99uQ
→ The Falcon, 2014 : https://youtu.be/3ImM3luvTJA
→ Don Odell's Legends, 2015 : https://youtu.be/RfIIphmNAIM
► "Compared to What", The Livery, Benton Harbor, MI, 2009 : https://youtu.be/jH2AMIFuAdk

Julien Kasper

● From “Three Feet Off the Ground”

► “Beef Jerky”, Don Odells Legends, 2019 : https://youtu.be/eYeqaoMB3Q4

► "Three Feet Off the Ground" :
→ Colony, Woodstock, NY, 2017 : https://youtu.be/ShZOXP5sipc
→ Earl's Hideaway, Sebastian, FL, 2019 : https://youtu.be/XJ7EQVwjHuM

● From “Homecoming”
► “Homecoming”, Godfrey Daniels, 2014 : https://youtu.be/-Am8F_OMw_s
► “King of Decatur” :
→ Don Odell's Legends, 2015 : https://youtu.be/IGImGKiSTdk
→ The Acoustic, 2016 : https://youtu.be/lQP1AhvaQMc
► ''No Brainer'', Callahan's Music Hall, Auburn Hill, MI, 2015 : https://youtu.be/tT6hD4tXFFs

With John Hammond

► ''Amelia'' :
→ Callahan's Music Hall, 2015 : https://youtu.be/9T1r5mRQFXM
→ Gloucester Festival, Gloucester, MA, 2016 : https://youtu.be/c5rEJQIEiVg
► “Wild About You Baby” (Elmore James) :
→ Framingham, MA, 2015 : https://youtu.be/5wRdSIG1ZYQ
→ Lucille's, NYC, 2016 : https://youtu.be/LczOIopYW5k
► “The Czar”, Godfrey Daniels, 2014 : https://youtu.be/EQGu95b-ON8
► “No Brainer”/ “Blues Before Sunrise”, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 2017 : https://youtu.be/ZycArmSk8Hw
► “Blues Before Sunrise” :
→ Lucille's, NYC, 2016 : https://youtu.be/iXmwMYyxpPk
→ King Biscuit Blues Festival, Helena, AR, 2017 : https://youtu.be/5lyC2nHbTuw
► "The Sky Is The Limit", The Falcon, 2014 : https://youtu.be/qU3SgSE6t3A
 
● From “Solo Ride”
► "Watermelon Man" (with a very young guest on electric piano), The Falcon, 2015 : https://youtu.be/HftRXVsJFzM

And also...
The BKB
► Bruce Katz with the Duke Robillard Band, The Falcon, 2013 : https://youtu.be/UefExk0Un0E
► Allman Brothers Medley, Riverfront Blues Festival, Wilmington, DE, 2017 : https://youtu.be/wBzX6TJeL_4
► “Hey Pocky-a-Way”, Sellersville Theater, PA, 2019 : https://youtu.be/vZb5zqW0lQ0

Bruce Katz (ext. left) with Les Brers

On the side
► Bruce Katz & Chris Vitarello with Butch Trucks & The Freight Train Band, Boca Raton, FL, 2016 : https://youtu.be/CruwF27HmJU
► Bruce Katz with Les Brers (Butch Trucks), The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA, 2016 : https://youtu.be/K9pWu3NfKwM
► Bruce Katz with Joe Louis Walker & Giles Robson, “Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues”, Netherlands, 2018 : https://youtu.be/U0TYOILE62o