Fred Katz

Recordings

I love this track because of its ingenuity in arrangement and timbre. The small ensemble to create a robust, resonant sound without over complication of rhythm or melody. Bassist, Carson Smith, emphasizes 'and 1' creating a slow, lulling pulse. On top of this, Jim Hall constructs chords that are atypical of the jazz guitar (0:01). Hall uses open strings that ring between chord changes creating a beautiful, ominous vamp. This unique introduction fits the cello that enters perfectly.

Fred Katz demonstrates his expressive ability on the cello. He starts the melody simple and low in register, full of rich tone with fast, expressive vibrato (0:17). Carson Smith matches this tone, adding more resonance and depth with his bow. Katz continues this character until he plays a rapid 2 octave run into the B section. He demonstrates that cello is not just a rubato instrument. This new character uses a straight tone and embellishments, emphasizing the drama of the melody (1:03). The trills and turns in the higher register demonstrate the versatility of character the cello can have in jazz. I find that like the other jazz cellists, like Oscar Pettiford and Tomeka Reid, most jazz cellists have a special way of utilizing these embellishments. The timing of trills and turns are atypical of classical cellists but are aren't completely typical of jazz horn players.

To end the tune, Katz returns to the warmer first character, using the vamp now as an outro (1:35). Here we experience the lush tones of all the strings together one last time. Katz slips in harmonics at (1:54) and at the last chord, adding depth and newness to the vamp. Katz demonstrated with Hall and Smith the tranquillity and uniqueness of cello with bass and guitar in a ballad.

The tune begins with drums playing light and quick while the bass plays a repetitive chromatic line. (0:01) The cello enters cementing us in F major by playing a C dominant scale. Katz plays with quick staccato, adding direction to the tune in its scales and lines of harmony (0:05). Hall and Collette join in Katz's energy by playing the joyful melody, with Katz hurriedly accompanying them (0:10).

A main source for the happy energy in this tune is the interaction between instruments. In the solo section, this is done via trading (0:34). What is particularly special about this solo section is that Collette and Hall are able to trade and delve into simultaneous soloing while playing melodies that complement and fit with each other. They manage to have the right balance in order to create enough space for each other to play melodies, while still playing their own melodies, and responding to each other. That is very difficult to do!

While Buddy Collette and Jim Hall are trading solos, Katz expands on his accompaniment, adding new texture and movement to the trading solo (0:34). Katz plays these repetitive notes and rhythms exasperating the stagnant harmonic changes. These accompaniments help move the song along while supporting the solos. Cello is usually so focused on notes but here Katz demonstrates rhythmic capability in jazz.

This is a wacky arrangement of this jazz standard. The arrangement of parts is unique and the listener never knows what will happen next. The part that Johnny Pisano and Fred Katz play a rubato introduction and ending further adds to the odd arrangement of sections in this tune (0:01). Katz transposes '6th' double stops to outline a harmony in the introduction. Pisano, on guitar, moves between minor pentatonic scale, whole tone scale, and chromatic scale in ii-V fashion. There is a lot of harmonic content for an introduction, setting the stage for the rest of the arrangement of this tune.

Katz opens with the melody in the lower and mid-range (0:18), with an excursion of pizzicato from guitar and cello (0:52).

After a brief return to arco, Hall Gaylor on bass quickly takes the melody (1:11). Hearing this focus on low range is impressive and a great change of pace for ballads. During this section, Katz leaves harmonic space for Gaylor by playing ponticello close to the bridge. This technique creates a brighter yet eerie texture that supports Gaylor both functionally and aesthetically. I've noticed that Katz frequently plays a slide of 5th double stops down to some other 5ths (1:31). It is also in "My Funny Valentine at 1:54 and 3:57. It is a distinctive Katz technique and I just had to learn it myself.

All of a sudden, Katz is taking a solo (2:24)! Katz solo is hurried and has some of the best jazz bow technique I have heard. Katz demonstrates that he can go between accompaniment, melody, and soloing with deceiving ease. Once again, Katz's rhythm is king.

This tune seems never to settle too long on a style. First we have a modern jazz intro that is a bit unsettling. Then it turns into a ballad. Then it feels like a rhythm changes tune. Then back to ballad then to rhythm changes again. While this constant progression is interesting, the melody is somewhat obstructed. And, because traditional jazz is so centered on the melody, this is a bold choice to make. This was recorded when modern jazz was breaking those traditions. This gives a great perspective to how this tune is performed in a modern jazz style.

Footnotes:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/arts/music/fred-katz-who-married-cello-to-jazz-dies-at-94.html

2. Most string players avoid open strings because the difference in tone can make it stick out from the texture. This difference in tone is not usually wanted because of the emphasis on polished, pretty sounds in classical music, as well as other genres such as pop music. Folk style fiddle does not emphasize this polished pretty sound and so makes use of open strings very often. And, folk styles tend to like an unpolished sound which the open string will give you.

3. https://www.discogs.com/The-Chico-Hamilton-Quintet-Spectacular/release/779322

4. https://www.discogs.com/Fred-Katz-Hal-Gaylor-Jothnny-Pisano-4-5-6-Trio/release/4655377