Richard Aaron Katz was born in Baltimore, Maryland
on March 13th 1924. His early experience playing piano was with
Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke in the house rhythm section at
New York's Cafe Bohemia, backing a succession of horn players
that included Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Gigi Gryce and Miles Davis.
He also worked with the J.J.Johnson - Kai Winding Trombone band
and Philly Joe Jones in the 1950's. Then in early 1960's he was
with Orchestra U.S.A. and later with vocalist Helen Merrill. In
1966 he free-lanced with Roy Eldridge and then Bobby Hackett,
and with Orrin Keepnews founded the Milestone record label. With
that label he acted as a producer, Artists and Repertoire man
and was able to free-lance as a pianist also.
He later left Milestone to play full time with first
Lee Konitz in 1972 and then Roy Eldridge in 1973. He toured Japan
with Konitz in 1973 and with the Konitz-Kai Winding Quintet through
Europe in 1974.
In the late 1970's he taught a jazz history course
and then went back on the road again with Budd Johnson, Kenny
Davern and later Sonny Stitt.
Much of Katz's recent activity has been with the
American Jazz Orchestra and Loren Schoenberg's big band.