Fred Katz

• Born 25 February 1919, Brooklyn, New York

Before he became Dr. Katz, musicologist and academician, Fred Katz contributed some priceless items to the space age pop archives. Let us review his c.v.:

• Arrangements for Harpo Marx's "Harpo in Hi-Fi" album
• Jazz cellist in Chico Hamilton's innovative combo with the young Eric Dolphy
• The score for the Roger Corman cult black comedy, "The Little Shop of Horrors"
• Backing soundtrack for Ken Nordine's "Word Jazz" albums
• Original compositions for the early Tzadik/rad Jewish music album, Folk Songs for Far Out Folks
• Original compositions to back Sidney Poitier's reading of excerpts from Plato

Katz spent World War Two leading the 6th Army Band based at the Presidio, then joined the studio system in Hollywood, where he worked with vocalists such as Lena Horne and Vic Damone. He also performed on the side as a jazz pianist in local clubs, and through those gigs came in contact with many of the leading figures in the West Coast jazz scene.

Having studied the cello in school, Katz was encouraged to explore its possibilities as a jazz instrument through his work with Chico Hamilton. Hamilton was attempting to expand his repertoire beyond cool jazz and bebop, and Katz' classical training and interest in ethnic music provided the means to explore new areas. Together, they wove classical, Middle Eastern, and Asian themes into their performances, helping to pioneer "exotic jazz," a small but fun subgenre shared by Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite" and Cal Tjader's "Shades of Jade" album.

Katz can also be seen and heard in the great Tony Curtis/Burt Lancaster film, "The Sweet Smell of Success," again as part of a Chico Hamilton combo. Katz and Hamilton wrote and perform the four numbers the group performs in the film along with Martin Milner (dubbed by Jim Hall) as the "disreputable" jazz musician Lancaster (as Walter Winchell-like gossip columnist and holy moral force J. J. Hunsecker). As befits lazy good-for-nothing hop-head jazz musicians, Katz and Hamilton can also be spotted hanging around backstage.

Recordings