Jonathan Katz - ProfilesArchive

About Me

JONATHAN KATZ - Pianist, composer, arranger, music educator - New York native Jonathan studied French horn with Paul Ingraham at Yale University and jazz piano and composition with Bill Dobbins at the Eastman School of Music. After studying Japanese language at Sophia University on a fellowship from Yale, he moved to Tokyo in 1991. Since then, Jonathan has documented his lyrical and effervescently swinging piano sound, deeply personal arrangements and original compositions on three critically acclaimed CDs as a trio leader, and worked as pianist in the bands of Ray Brown, Lew Tabackin, Joe Lee Wilson and Eddie Henderson. He is also musical director of the jazz world music group CANDELA (www.candelatokyo.com). Jonathan's duo with CANDELA's leader, shakuhachi innovator Bruce Huebner has also toured Japan and Europe, and CANDELA has toured North America twice, making its international debut at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival and Joe's Pub in New York in June 2003, and visiting New York again in 2004 to play at the Blue Note and record their 2nd CD RISE ABOVE. In 2003, Jonathan began a cross-Pacific collaboration with alto saxophonist Dave Pietro (Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra) and top Japanese musicians Daiki Yasukagawa (bass) and Yoshihito Eto (drums), called the New York-Tokyo Connection (NYTC) that has toured the U.S. and Japan. Jonathan has also performed with several of Japanâ€™s top symphony orchestras, often under the baton of maestro Bob Sakuma, including the NHK Symphony (with Itsuki Hiroshi), the Tokyo Philharmonic (BS2 TVâ€™s â€œFuyu no Sonata Classic Concertâ€), the New Japan Philharmonic (TV Asahiâ€™s â€œDaimei no Nai Ongakukaiâ€), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Philharmonic (Special Pops Concert at Orchard Hall). Jonathan has recently turned his attention to big band arranging, and currently leads his own 17-piece group, the Tokyo Big Band, which features top jazz musicians on the Tokyo scene. E-mail: [email protected] Website: http//www.jkatz.net

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 5/31/2007
Band Website: jkatz.net
Influences: Fats Waller, Bud Powell, Erroll Garner, Horace Silver, Red Garland, Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark, Wynton Kelly, Dave McKenna, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Richie Beirach, etc. etc. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Stravinsky, etc. etc. etc. Julius Watkins, John Clark, Tom Varner, etc. The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Led Zepellin, Gumby Theater, Inity, Brailehouse, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Rufus T. Firefly, Ralph Kramden, Oscar Madison, Felix Unger, Basil Fawlty, Benny Hill, Monty Python, etc. etc.
Sounds Like: :-)
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Tom Harrell

Heard the Tom Harrell Quartet tonight at the Cotton Club.It was very different from what I usually hear him play. It was very fusiony, reminiscent of the Miles Davis Quintet's late 60s sound. A lot of...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:28:00 PST

Ikebukuro Jazz Festival gig

On Sunday night (Sept. 7th), Tokyo Big Band performed as the final group at the 5th Ikebukuro Jazz Festival. The location was a band shell at the Ikebukuro Station West Exit Park. This spot is well-kn...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:44:00 PST

Bob Florence concert -- updates

I'm about to go to play in the Serendipity 18 big band on a Bob Florence memorial concert. This band plays his charts almost exclusively, so I know it means a lot to the director, Masashi Sugiyama, to...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:16:00 PST

Updating...

I put up some pics from the July 9th gig taken by Naoyuki Maruyama, a very sharp photographer who has graced us with many super photos over the years.I've been buzzing the French horn mouthpiece again...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:10:00 PST

TBB 3 Report

Hi Friends,Just came off of an exhilarating Tokyo Big Band gig at the Akasaka B Flat two days ago.We had another big enthusiastic audience, and a few special guests. Bruce Huebner joined us on shakuha...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:06:00 PST

Update - songs & pics

I added some pics from the May big band gig. (Hopefully I'll have some sounds soon, too.)Also, I have two different songs up --> The Cattle Herder of Nambu, which features shakuhachi player Bruce H...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:37:00 PST

TBB 2

Last night at the Akasaka B Flat was a blast. We had a big, enthusiastic audience and the band was clicking on many levels. I'll put up new pics when I get the chance.Our next one will be July 9th.JK...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Sat, 17 May 2008 07:25:00 PST

Tokyo Big Band tonight

Tokyo Big Band's 2nd live gig is tonight at the Akasaka B Flat.We'll have four new arrangements (including one of Haru no Ogawa), and feature just about everybody in the band again. The French horn se...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Fri, 16 May 2008 06:22:00 PST

Put up some new songs

I finally got around to putting up some new songs on MySpace, 4 to be exact. Two are from my duo project with my sempai, shakuhachi shihan Bruce Huebner.Here are some of our comments about Zen Out and...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:34:00 PST

Tokyo Big Band PICS!

I finally put up some pics from the Tokyo Big Band gig on Valentine's Day. They will give you an idea of the vibe that night.The B Flat has agreed to have monthly rehearsals/reading sessions in the af...
Posted by Jonathan Katz on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:49:00 PST