Keyboardist-organist Bruce Katz brings his band to The Music Ranch

LAKELAND — Over the years, his mix of melodies and chords have enhanced and enriched the recorded music and live performances of some of blues, soul, jazz and rock's most revered and renowned artists.

On more than 70 albums on which Hammond B-3 organist and keyboardist Bruce Katz has played, he's joined the likes of musicians such as John Hammond, Delbert McClinton, Gregg Allman, Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker, Little Milton, Maria Muldaur, Jimmy Witherspoon, Paul Rishell, Mighty Sam McClain, Debbie Davies, David “Fathead” Newman and Ronnie Earl, who asked him to join his band The Broadcasters.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lakeland's The Music Ranch, 1920 Banana Road, Katz and his three-piece Bruce Katz Band will bring a blend of musical styles during a stop on his 2017 "Sunshine Tour."

Until the death of Allman Brothers' drummer Butch Trucks on Jan. 24, Katz, 64, had been playing keys full time for Butch Trucks and the Freight Train Band. The four-time Blues Music Awards nominee said he's now focused on promoting his most recent release, last September's "Out of Center," while bringing blues-rooted music, jam tunes, traditional piano blues, and boogie-woogie and Hammond B-3 organ powered soul-jazz to his audiences.

On his way from upstate New York to his first show on his "Sunshine Tour" in Durham, N.C., Katz — a 2015 Living Blues Outstanding Musician (keyboards) Award nominee — said he was looking forward to playing The Music Ranch because it's "one of the top eccentric venues he's played at, and that's in a good way." He said the only time he's previously played in Lakeland was with Trucks last July at The Music Ranch. He said he'll be bringing his three-piece band — himself, Chris Vitarello on guitar, and Ray Hangen on drums — with a "wide range of rock and soul" and "blues in everything we do."

"You know, we'll go from playing a Muddy Waters or New Orleans thing to playing an Allman Brother tune or ... a Billy Preston tune. There are a lot of vocals and a lot of instrumentals. We're pretty extroverted. I guess you can dance and have a party to this music," he said. "Sometimes, people think, 'Oh, it's a keyboard player; he must be playing intellectual jazz or something. I think people will have fun."

Katz, inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013, said his band does originals and covers of iconic artists such as the Allman Brothers' "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,"  The Grateful Dead, Delbert McClinton, Joe Cocker's "The Letter" and Billy Preston's hit "Will It Go Round in Circles."

"It's usually people I've played with," he said, adding the band is even contemplating learning an early Fleetwood Mac song. 

The bulk of the show, Katz added, would be original songs and cuts from record chart-topping "Out From The Center." The new CD incorporates blues-rooted music, “jam” tunes, traditional piano blues, boogie-woogie and “soul-jazz." He said despite his band's music stemming from sounds of 40 and 50 years ago, the music still resonates with younger fans.

"I guess it depends on what they're into. If they're into Kanye West, they probably shouldn't come out because they're not going to hear anything that they like," he said. "But if they're at all into anything like rock or jam-band music, we are playing the intersection of all of that music, where jam band meets blues meets rock. I think we're doing something that not a lot of people are doing. We're taking an approach where we let ourselves wander around the whole musical landscape."

Phil Stevens, owner of The Music Ranch, said he works to get a steady schedule of "legendary" music acts to his venue -- and Katz is one of those.

"We've had a lot of legends here and to me, he just adds services to the room. It's good, quality music all around — like Julliard meets the Allman Brothers," he said.

Besides leading the Bruce Katz Band, Katz performs with the Delbert McClinton Band, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, John Hammond and others. He was a member of the Gregg Allman Band from 2007 to 2013. He was also an associate professor for 14 years at the Berklee College of Music, teaching harmony, Hammond organ, private instruction and blues history.

In 2016, The Bruce Katz Band toured 173 days.

— Paul Catala can be reached at paul.catala@theledger.com or 863-802-7533. He can be reached at Twitter @pcat0226.

If you go

WHAT: The Bruce Katz Band

WHERE: The Music Ranch, 1920 Banana Road, Lakeland

WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday

COST: $25

CONTACT: 863-815-2293 or www.musicranch.org