Fred Katz

Frederick Katz (February 25, 1919 – September 7, 2013) was an American cellist and composer. He was among the earliest jazz musicians to establish the cello as a viable improvising solo instrument. Katz has been described in CODA magazine as "the first real jazz cellist." Biography Born in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York City, Katz was classically trained and studied under Pablo Casals and performed with several symphony orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra. He was a child prodigy on both the cello and piano and performed in public as a teenager, and was drawn to the music of Manhattan nightclubs and to folk music. In his youth, Katz was a member of the American Communist Party. During World War II, he conducted concerts and wrote musical revues for the U.S. Seventh Army. Katz is best known as a member of drummer Chico Hamilton's quintet, one of the most important West Coast jazz groups of the 1950s. Katz's arco cello defined the "chamber jazz" focus of Chico Hamilton's Quintet and the group quickly gained popularity. The Chico Hamilton Quintet, including Katz, appeared in the film Sweet Smell of Success (1957), starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Katz and Hamilton wrote a score for the film which was ultimately rejected in favor of one by Elmer Bernstein.