Stu Katz
Stu Katz has been a working jazz pianist and vibraphonist for more than 60 years.
Over his long career, he has performed in numerous public venues with young and old bebop luminaries including Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Joey DeFrancesco, Dexter Gordon, Bunky Green, Roy Haynes, Milt Jackson, "Philly" Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Russell Malone, James Moody, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Ira Sullivan and Phil Woods.
Katz has played piano or vibes at the Snowmass Jazz Festival, in ten different Chicago Jazz Festivals and on six jazz-themed cruises on Norwegian Cruise Lines. In 1990, he toured Italy and Switzerland as the pianist in a quartet led by a long-time collaborator, alto saxophonist Bunky Green. In August, 2010, Katz played piano and vibes in a quintet co-led by another long-time musical partner multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase in Chicago. A live recording of those performances titled A Family Affair - Ira Sullivan and Stu Katz - Live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase was released on September 20, 2011 on the Origin label. In August 2012, Katz opened the Chicago Jazz Festival playing vibes in a duo setting with pianist, Willie Pickens, a third long-time collaborator.
When the NEA Jazz Masters Awards ceremony was held at Lincoln Center in New York City in April 2015, Joe Segal was one of the award recipients in commemoration of his contributions to the art form. Katz was the pianist, along with previous NEA Jazz Masters Award honorees Jimmy Heath and Jimmy Cobb, as well as Ira Sullivan and Ray Drummond in a quintet specially assembled to pay a musical tribute to Mr. Segal.
Discography
As co-leader
With Ira Sullivan
- A Family Affair (Origin, 2011)
As sideman
With Dorothy Ashby
- The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby (Cadet, 1970)
With Bud Freeman
- The Real Bud Freeman (Principally Jazz, 1984)