Dick Katz
Encyclopedia
Dick Katz was an American
jazz pianist
and arranger. He freelanced throughout much of his career, and worked in a number of ensembles. He co-founded Milestone Records
in 1966 with Orrin Keepnews
.
He studied at the Peabody Institute
, the Manhattan School of Music
, and Juilliard. He also took piano lessons from Teddy Wilson
. In the 1950s, he joined the house rhythm section of the Café Bohemia
, and worked in the groups of Ben Webster
and Kenny Dorham
, Oscar Pettiford
, and, later, Carmen McRae
. From 1954 to 1955, he was part of the J. J. Johnson/Kai Winding
Quintet. He also worked in Orchestra USA and participated on Benny Carter
's Further Definitions
album, and worked on some of Helen Merrill
's recordings. In the late 60s, he played with Roy Eldridge
and Lee Konitz
. In the 1990s, he worked as a pianist and arranger with the American Jazz Orchestra and Loren Schoenberg
's big band.
Will Friedwald
called Katz "a keyboardist of uncommon sensitivity and harmonic acumen." He was the favorite pianist of Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, as well as vocalists Carmen McRae and Helen Merrill.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and arranger. He freelanced throughout much of his career, and worked in a number of ensembles. He co-founded Milestone Records
Milestone Records
Milestone Records is a United States based jazz record label, founded in 1966 by Orrin Keepnews and Dick Katz in New York City. The company was incorporated into Fantasy Records in 1972, since then it has been used for reissues as well as for new recordings....
in 1966 with Orrin Keepnews
Orrin Keepnews
Orrin Keepnews is an American writer and jazz record producer. In June 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.- Career :...
.
He studied at the Peabody Institute
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
, the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, and Juilliard. He also took piano lessons from Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was an American jazz pianist whose sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.-Biography:Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in...
. In the 1950s, he joined the house rhythm section of the Café Bohemia
Café Bohemia
The Café Bohemia was a jazz club located at 15 Barrow Street in the Greenwich Village neighbourhood of New York City.-History:The club was opened in 1955 by Jimmy Garofolo. Garofolo had owned the room since 1949 and had operated it as a restaurant, bar, and stage at various times, each endeavour...
, and worked in the groups of Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
and Kenny Dorham
Kenny Dorham
McKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
, Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
, and, later, Carmen McRae
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
. From 1954 to 1955, he was part of the J. J. Johnson/Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Kai Chresten Winding was a popular Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.-Biography:...
Quintet. He also worked in Orchestra USA and participated on Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
's Further Definitions
Further Definitions
Further Definitions is a jazz album by Benny Carter and his orchestra, rereleased on CD in 1997 coupled with his follow-up album, the 1966 Additions to Further Definitions...
album, and worked on some of Helen Merrill
Helen Merrill
Helen Merrill is an internationally known jazz vocalist.Merrill's recording career has spanned six decades and she is popular with fans of jazz in Japan and Italy as well as in her native United States...
's recordings. In the late 60s, he played with Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
Roy David Eldridge , nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a...
and Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
. In the 1990s, he worked as a pianist and arranger with the American Jazz Orchestra and Loren Schoenberg
Loren Schoenberg
Loren Schoenberg is a jazz historian, writer of liner notes, and tenor saxophonist. He began playing tenor saxophone in 1974 and by the late 1970s he was playing professionally with Benny Goodman...
's big band.
Will Friedwald
Will Friedwald
Will Friedwald is an American author and music critic. He has written for such newspapers as The New York Times, The Village Voice, Newsday, The New York Observer, and The New York Sun, and for such magazines as Entertainment Weekly, Oxford American, New York, Mojo, BBC Music Magazine, Stereo...
called Katz "a keyboardist of uncommon sensitivity and harmonic acumen." He was the favorite pianist of Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, as well as vocalists Carmen McRae and Helen Merrill.
As leader
- 1957: Jazz Piano International (Atlantic)
- 1960: Piano & Pen (Atlantic)
- 1965: A Shade of Difference (Milestone RecordsMilestone RecordsMilestone Records is a United States based jazz record label, founded in 1966 by Orrin Keepnews and Dick Katz in New York City. The company was incorporated into Fantasy Records in 1972, since then it has been used for reissues as well as for new recordings....
) - 1984: In High Profile (Bee Hive RecordsBee Hive Records-Discography:-References:*...
) - 1992: 3 Way Play Reservoir (City Hall)
- 1996: The Line Forms Here
As sideman
- Kai Winding & J. J. Johnson: Kai And Jay And Bennie GreenBennie GreenBennie Green was an American jazz trombonist.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and 1960s.-As leader:...
with Strings (OJC, 1952-54) - Kai Winding & J. J. Johnson: K & J. J. (Bethlehem, 1955)
- Kenny DorhamKenny DorhamMcKinley Howard Dorham was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer born in Fairfield, Texas. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention from the jazz establishment that many of his peers did...
: Kenny Dorham And The Jazz Prophets (Chess, 1956) - Milt HintonMilt HintonMilton John "Milt" Hinton , "the dean of jazz bass players," was an American jazz double bassist and photographer. He was nicknamed "The Judge".-Biography:...
: East Coast Jazz /5 (Rhino, 1955) - Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
: Sonny Rollins and the Big BrassSonny Rollins and the Big BrassSonny Rollins and the Big Brass is an album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded for the MetroJazz label, later reissued on Verve Records...
, Brass & Trio (Verve, 1958) - Benny CarterBenny CarterBennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
: Further DefinitionsFurther DefinitionsFurther Definitions is a jazz album by Benny Carter and his orchestra, rereleased on CD in 1997 coupled with his follow-up album, the 1966 Additions to Further Definitions...
(Impulse!, 1961) - Ben WebsterBen WebsterBenjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
: Big Ben Time! (Philips, 1963) - Lee KonitzLee KonitzLee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
: The Lee Konitz Duets (OJC, 1967) - Jack DeJohnetteJack DeJohnetteJack DeJohnette is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most influential jazz drummers of the 20th century, due to extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians like Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett and Sonny...
: The DeJohnette ComplexThe DeJohnette ComplexThe DeJohnette Complex is the debut album by Jack DeJohnette featuring Bennie Maupin, Stanley Cowell, Miroslav Vitous, Eddie Gomez, and Roy Haynes recorded in 1968 and released on the Milestone label in 1969.-Reception:...
(1969) - Lee KonitzLee KonitzLee Konitz is an American jazz composer and alto saxophonist born in Chicago, Illinois.Generally considered one of the driving forces of Cool Jazz, Konitz has also performed successfully in bebop and avant-garde settings...
: SatoriSatori (Konitz album)Satori is a jazz album by saxophonist Lee Konitz. It was originally released in 1974 on Milestone label as M-9060 and remastered in 1997. The album features some classic jazz standards besides other experimental compositions such as "Satori". Four of the seven tracks are Konitz's pieces.-Track...
(OJC, 1974) - Helen MerrillHelen MerrillHelen Merrill is an internationally known jazz vocalist.Merrill's recording career has spanned six decades and she is popular with fans of jazz in Japan and Italy as well as in her native United States...
: Chasin' The Bird (Emarcy, 1979) - Jimmy KnepperJimmy KnepperJames M. Knepper was an American jazz trombonist.He was a good friend and arranging/transcribing partner of bassist and composer Charles Mingus. Knepper was twice on the receiving end of Mingus' legendary temper...
: Dream Dancing (Criss Cross, 1986) - Nancy HarrowNancy HarrowNancy Harrow is an American jazz singer and songwriter.Harrow studied classical piano from age seven, then decided to pursue careers in dancing and singing...
: Secrets (Soul Note, 1990/91) - Loren SchoenbergLoren SchoenbergLoren Schoenberg is a jazz historian, writer of liner notes, and tenor saxophonist. He began playing tenor saxophone in 1974 and by the late 1970s he was playing professionally with Benny Goodman...
: Out Of This World (TBC; 1997)