American Showplace Music artist: Bruce Katz Band - Out From The Center - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Out From The Center, from Bruce Katz Band and it's smokin'! Opening with hot piano boogie, Don't Feel So Good Today, Katz leads the way on piano and Chris Vitarello has the lead on vocal and guitar. Peter Bennett plays a driving bass line and Ralph Rosen has drums. Excellent! Schnapps Man is a really cool jazz influenced instrumental with a killer beat. Katz has great chops surrounded by a super weave of guitar, drums and bass. WOW! Slow blues, The Struggle Inside is a really nice showcase for Vitarello on guitar and vocal. This is a beautiful 7 plus minute composition with plenty of room for Katz to solo and Rosen''s work on drums is nothing short of crisp. Very nice! Blues From High Point Mountain is a jazz /blues blend with powerful bones. Katz shows not only his skillful manner on the keys but also his soulful riffs. Vitarello lays the track open with some excellent riffs of his own making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Classic! Instrumental title track, Out From The Center, is a bit more exploratory in nature with a mellow central theme and adventurous improvisation by the band including Jimmy Bennett on lap steel. Very nice! With a super bottom, All Tore Up returns to mainstream with a real nice melody and Vitarello. With a nice lope and odd time change, this track has a great swing. Katz and Vitarello each take extended turns up fron on keys and guitar (respectively) giving this track real traction. (Excellent drum work by the way). Bessie's Bounce has a rag time feel compliments Katz on piano and light brush work by Rosen. Vitarello blends in nicely with his own guitar soloing but it's the piano on this tract. Tasty! Funky track, Dis-Funkshunal has a great groove set by Rosen and Bennett and riden high by Katz and Vitarello. Another excellent instrumental on a release filled with excellent tracks. Following a traditional blues bar, Another Show has a real solid bass line and vocal harmonies by Vitarello and Rosen. Katz shows another hand of hot piano riffs and Vitarello is right behind his own fill. Super. Think Fast hits into Clarence Gatemouth territory with a real hot potato. Vitarello really has it sailing on guitar and with a fst walking bass line, Katz lays into it adding depth. This is a smoking track and I can see my old pal Stilladog romping away on it. Excellent! Wrapping the release is You Got It, a real nice blues swinger with a real deep groove. With Vitarello and Katz playing in tandem this track has it all. Vitarello stretches on guitar showing his pure jazz influence and Katz rides low. Then it's Katz's turn and he's not shy with a solid groove all his own. This is an excellent closer to what may be one of the bst releases I've heard this year!



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