Dick Katz is a versatile arranger and pianist. He has also been a producer and sideman for numerous memorable recordings. In addition to his studies at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music as well as piano lessons from Teddy Wilson, he also studied at the Peabody Institute. He gained valuable experience in the 1950s as a member the Cafe Bohemia’s house rhythm section, along with Kenny Dorham and Ben Webster, and later, with Carmen McRae. Katz was a member of the J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding Quartet (1954-1955), and Orchestra USA. He also participated in Benny Carter’s classic Further Definitions album. He was a freelancer throughout his career, and was instrumental in some of Helen Merrill’s greatest recordings. Katz, who began playing with Roy Eldridge, Lee Konitz, and other musicians in the late 1960s, co-founded Milestone Records with Orrin Keepnews in 1966. Dick Katz was a pianist and arranger for the American Jazz Orchestra in the 1990s. He hasn’t recorded as a leader very often, but the jazz world knows his talent. Allmusic
