Fred Katz (cellist)

Frederick Katz (February 25, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY - September 7, 2013 ) was an American cultural anthropologist, composer and cellist who was known particularly in the context of jazz.

Life and work

Katz, who came from a Jewish family of musicians was, at age 13 his first concert in the Town Hall in New York City. He attended master classes with Pablo Casals, among others, and then worked until 1941 as a solo cellist in the National Symphony Orchestra of the United States. After his military service he worked as a piano accompanist, inter alia, for Lena Horne. On the west coast he began in 1955 his collaboration with jazz musician Chico Hamilton, with whom he published several boards, including some under his own name.

Katz worked in Hamilton's quintet until 1959, where he both painted and pizzicato started the cello. His performances earned him the reputation as one of the first jazz cellist. Katz composed with Hamilton a part of the music for " Sweet Smell of Hand " (1957). Then he wrote more film scores (about the Roger Corman films " The Wasp Woman " and " Little Shop of Horrors " ), composed a Cello Concerto (1961 ) and Religious Music. He also worked as a studio musician and as a music teacher as well as an arranger, including Paul Horn and Eric Dolphy Milt Bernhart. He also recorded solo albums and has worked as a music producer for Decca Records.

He then accepted an appointment as professor of Cultural Anthropology at California State University, Fullerton, where he dealt in particular with ethnic music. In 1989, he was at a revival of the classic Chico Hamilton Quintet while (CD "Reunion" ).