Bruce Katz at The Livery in Benton Harbor 4/18

The Bruce Katz Band plays a live show at The Livery in Benton Harbor on Sunday April 18 at 6:00pm. The band features Katz, on Hammond B-3, along Chris Vitarello on guitar and vocals; Ralph Rosen on drums and Rod Carey (Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters) on bass and vocals. Lately Katz has been part of the Greg Allman & Friends band. Here is a review of his 2004 release A Deeper Blue for 88.1 WYCE-FM.

The Bruce Katz Band: A Deeper Blue

Ross Bon of the Mighty Blue Kings poses this question: Is Ray Charles a first-rate blues singer or just a great jazz piano player? “You know what,” he says. “It’s both.” Bon ought to know; everyone just had to ask MBK if they were blues or jazz. Simply put, it was jazzy jump blues which couldn't help itself from smoldering in soul. A similar sentiment holds for this disc from Severn records--a solid blues label from the East Coast stabling Darrell Nulisch and Mike Morgan along with Bruce Katz. Katz is skillfully proficient on the piano as anything else: check out the honky-tonk duet “Stovepipe Boogie.” Most other times he builds on the soulful organ groove of the Hammond B-3. Many tracks on here are originals but one cover features guest guitarist Ronnie Earl (Katz was/is a member of The Broadcasters) on a vintage Earl Hooker piece, a cooker called "Blues in D Natural." A Deeper Blue offers shining and lively blues with jazzy low-down sensibilities. At his best Katz keeps the tempo moving just long enough for the sweaty lower-back, slow-drag blues to come around. All the players are solid. Enjoy now.

WYCE album review by Chet Eagleman, Jr.--July 2004