Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Copland, Messiaen, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Satie, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Beatles, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Kraftwerk, Led Zeppelin, UK, Pat Metheny Group, Oscar Peterson, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock, traditional Indian music (Ravi Shankar, etc.), Bernard Herrmann, Wendy Carlos, Tomita, Jimmy Webb, many more....
Part 1 - The Early Years.....
Steve Katz was born on February 17, 1960 and grew up in Rockville Centre (Long Island), New York. He came from a musical family. His grandfather, Sol Greenberg, had been a pianist playing for the silent movies in New York City in the 1920’s. His mother was a classical pianist who attended the Juilliard School of Music and was his first piano teacher. At age ten, he began formal classical instruction with his most influential piano teacher, Paul Baer, also from the Juilliard School. A child prodigy, he performed at student recitals in New York City playing the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Prokofiev, and others.
Steve had also been playing pop, rock, and jazz on his own. When he was fourteen he formed his first band “Wisdom” with his brother Paul on guitar. He wrote over a hundred songs from 1974 through 1976 and recorded many of them. At age sixteen, he played keyboards (Wurlitzer electric piano and Whitehall organ) and sang in a popular local rock band “White Light”. These were his first professional engagements.
Steve was pianist and keyboardist of South Side High School’s nationally recognized jazz ensemble, which won various awards including finalist in the Maynard Ferguson big band competition in 1978. Steve was one of two seniors to receive an award for outstanding achievement in music. At this time he was also studying jazz improvisation with Joseph Neili.
In 1978, Steve co-founded the group “Pathway”. The group’s style was progressive, ambient, electronic, and improvisational. The band was active through the mid 1980’s, created many excellent recordings, and had many admirers including guitarist Steve Vai and bassist Jeff Berlin. (At various times, members of the group included Berklee alumni Joe Santerre on bass guitar and Greg Lamastro on guitar).
In September 1978 Steve entered Boston University and continued his classical music training studying counterpoint, solfege, theory, and harmony. At the same time he performed in and around the Boston area with different rock bands including the “Buzzwell Street Band”. In 1979, he transferred to the Berklee College of Music. In 1980 Steve and the group “Pathway” moved into a house in Waltham, MA. He continued his studies at Berklee at the same time the band was rehearsing and recording.
In 1981 Steve moved to Cambridge, MA and started playing with other groups. One of these was the band “Red” featuring guitarist Ottmar Leibert. Steve was one of the first musicians in Boston at that time to be using and programming the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer, and did many sessions and jingle work.
In 1982 he joined the funk/dance band “Metro” and went on the road. The group included tenor saxophonist Peter Cardarelli, and vocalist Diane Richards who at the time had a Billboard top ten R+B dance hit. When not on tour, he was at his growing recording studio (“In the Room Studio”) recording his new music, as well as producing other people’s music.
In 1984 Steve was playing a prestigious steady solo piano engagement at the Copley Place Marriott Hotel as he finished his studies at Berklee. He began to score films and videos (industrials and documentaries) in the Boston area. His independent company, “In Sound Productions”, was formed at this time. He continued to have many gigs in a variety of settings including as a solo pianist, an accompanist, a ballet rehearsal pianist, in a big band, in a duo, in a trio, etc. He also began accepting piano students.
In the mid 1980’s Steve branched out into composing music for different media including commercials and theatre. He began to utilize newer technology for creating music including Apple Macintosh computers, MIDI software, samplers, and digital synthesizers. He became a very early beta tester for Mark of the Unicorn, and many of his ideas and suggestions were subsequently implemented into Performer sequencing software.
Steve moved to Los Angeles in 1987 in order to get more involved in film scoring. He has scored over twenty films, and continues to work as a studio musician, composer, co-producer and music programmer with various artists.
Part 2 - coming soon!
Friday, July 31st. 9:00 PM at VERSAI (18 and over!!!) 351 N. FAIRFAX AVE., Los Angeles, California 90036 (please click on our profile for details)
Special 1 hour and 30 minute set with guest musicians and our new violin player, Paula. Doors open at 7pm. We play at 9pm. This is our last show for a long while because our guitar player Nacho will be leaving the country. Come join us in celebrating his friendship and musicianship!!! Thank you very much! -TGD
Thanks Steve! It was fun working together the other day, and I really like your tracks, too, especially Gift of the Wind and Mountain View. Funny coincidence: I'm currently recording an album with Ronnie Heimdal (see comment below). Take care, and I hope to work together again soon!
Steve Katz my dearest: Your classical progressive music has been fascinating me since I first heard them this morning. It reminded me mostly of GRYPHO, a classical rock progressive band of the 80's. My ears just don't get tired listening to your superb instrumentals displayed. Cordial thanks and my compliments on your songs from your Brazilian admirer,
I knew it! I just have fuzzy memories! Ah yes, The Gabble show! A lot of cool people that night too! Ok, so I listened to all your posted tunes, and it gives me ideas, which we'll talk more about when we meet next! Johnny
Thanks so much Steve! Man, I have heard of you, so I'll be giving you some listening time. Much like my friend Billy, in the comment below, I hope you'll make it out to the Roundabout/Gabble Ratchet show at the OC Pavilion on April 11th. We do some shop talk down in "The Vault", (jazz club downstairs) after the show. It would be great to meet and talk with you. Go to www. ocpavilion. com if that's good for you. A lot of great musicians come to this thing. Thanks again, Johnny - Roundabout guitars (on the right, after rehearsal with Yes!)
Hey Steve: Thx for the comment. I'm really enjoying your compositions this morning. I also found some intersting profiles from your page including Emerson's son. Have a great weekend! Craig
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