Bruce Katz Band - Transformation

"I recently saw the Bruce Katz Band in a small jazz club near my house. Needless to say, I walked away from that night completely blown away. Here is a band with talent; every single member is exceptional. Of course, the true standout is Bruce Katz, who plays the piano and organ. He is AMAZING and quite possibly the best alive today. This is a collection of jazzy blues tunes, but believe me, they are anything from boring. Instrumentals are the rule here, and that is all well and good. Every time I listen to the BKB I have to just sit back and listen because it is so well done, so perfect, so talented. One of the few songs that I can actually pick out as ones that I saw live is Boppin' Out of the Abyss and once you hear it, you will know why. It is the highlight of the album. If you are a jazz or blues lover, or even a casual fan of either, purchase this or either of the other two BKB albums and you shouldn't be disappointed."(~Amazon Customer review)

Recorded two years after the Bruce Katz Band debut CD "Crescent Crawl", "Transformation" is more of the same great instrumental blues/jazz, although a bit harder to get your arms around. Consisting of all originals, Katz plays piano on seven of the tracks and Hammond B-3 organ on the other three. It has more of an avant-garde approach than its predecessor, Crescent Crawl, and its successor, Mississippi Moan. It has everything from a stride shuffle ("Larry the Spinning Poodle") to New Orleans grooves ("But Now I See") to deep jazzy blues ("The Sweeper" and "Deep Pockets"). "Deep Pockets" was later recorded by Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, of which Katz was a member.(~Ann Wickstrom)