HAMLET – My friend, Bruce Katz! Airports are a great place to see, spot and meet rock stars. Actually I met Bruce when it was arranged for me to pick him up at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte many years ago.
After picking him up, I drove him to The Neighborhood Theater to meet up with Delbert McClinton (most of you know who he is) for a concert that night and of course I was on the guest list. And a true friendship began that continues today.
Bruce Katz is an American musician, songwriter, composer and it all started at a very young age of about 5 years old. He began playing classical piano and ventured into playing the bass guitar and when he got a little older he started playing with various local bands in his area. After doing so he really started to focus on piano and Hammond organ. When he was getting heavily involved with these two instruments his concentration was placed squarely on Jazz and Blues music. When players find themselves at a higher level, many seem to migrate towards some of the Music Colleges in the country; one of the most famous in this country is Berklee College of Music located in Boston, MA. Bruce not only studied there but later became an associate professor a little later into his career at Berklee.
After playing, recording and touring Europe and the United States he connected with Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters and began a long and close relationship with them. Although he was quite busy touring, recording and making TV appearances, he found time to get his own band up and running in 1997. “The Bruce Katz Band” still maintains a vigorous touring schedule today, not only in this country from coast to coast but The BKB has toured Europe as well.
Bruce has had a successful career as a professional musician and is always being sought after to record and tour with many others. Just to mention a few of the noted ones are the likes of Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Earl, John Hammond, Debbie Davies. And he was a member of The Gregg Allman Band for about nine years or so and held down the Hammond B3 and piano while Gregg sang and played guitar. Katz was also a frequent special guest of The Allman Brothers Band and played many shows/concerts with them. And particularly during their residency at The Beacon Theatre in New York City, Katz was on stage with them there too. Katz was also a member of other Allman Brothers Band extended family of bands. He held a spot in Les Brers with most of the members of The Allman Brothers Band and The Freight Train Band (which was Butch Trucks’ creation until Trucks’ untimely death).
I know I have left out many exciting things about my good friend Bruce Katz but time and space here just will not allow me to go on as I would like, so in closing, I want to announce there will be a new CD available sometime in June titled “Get Your Groove” by The Bruce Katz Band. Look for the release of this masterpiece.
And if you want to see him perform, he will be a special guest on stage with Idlewild South, The Allman Brothers Band Tribute, a benefit for The Big House Museum at The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC on June 1st, 2018.
