BIOGRAPHY

Jesse Katz is a bassist, composer, and educator, originally from Williamsburg, VA, and currently based in Los Angeles, CA. His music is heavily influenced by American folk music, and the soul music of the 60s and 70s, while remaining rooted in the jazz tradition. On the bass, Jesse is revered for his grounded, warm, and empathetic approach that captivates listeners and pulls them closer, bandmates and audiences alike. Jesse recently relocated to Los Angeles from Miami, Florida, where he was very active as a bandleader and sideman in the region’s vibrant music scene. Over the years, Jesse has shared the stage with jazz luminaries Danilo Pérez, Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Maria Schneider, to name a few. In addition to local venues, Jesse has performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival and St. Petersburg Jazz Festival.

 

Although Jesse was not born into a family of musicians, there was always music playing in the house. From an early age, he recalls being exposed to Bob Dylan, The Who, The Beatles, and the Motown catalog. Jesse’s formal introduction to music came around age 5 with piano lessons. From there, he came up in his school’s band program playing the guitar, electric bass, euphonium, and tuba, before falling in love with the double bass around age 15. Before he knew it, he was hooked and couldn’t get enough as he started to learn about and play jazz, first in school, and then forming a band outside of school to continue exploring.

 

Jesse moved to Miami, FL in 2017 after being awarded a full scholarship to pursue his undergraduate degree in Jazz Performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Before long, he immersed himself into the musical and cultural fabric of the city, and was already working full-time as a musician upon graduating in 2021.

 

Recently, Jesse collaborated with filmmaker Karla Caprali to compose an original jazz score for “South of Fifth,” a short film that was invited to be screened at the prestigious Miami Film Festival. He also helped originate and curate the music for the Miami-Dade Public Library’s ‘Lunchtime Poetry and Jazz’ series. This past summer, he served as an instructor at the University of Miami’s Young Musicians Camp.

 

Jesse maintains a private bass studio and is a recent graduate of the Berklee College of Music’s Global Jazz Institute, receiving his Master’s in Global Jazz Performance under Artistic Director Danilo Pérez.