Son of jazz pianist Dick Katz and brother of drummer Frank Katz, born and raised in New York City, Ivan Katz a.k.a. “Ive 09” has been playing drums from the age of 14. Katz has a B.A. in music studies from Skidmore College in upstate New York, but his true masters degree comes from being a drummer in the school of hard knocks in the wonderful city of New York!! Growing up with the sounds of Jazz, Soul, Hip hop, Pop, Rock, and Reggae all around him, he soon discovered his mission was simple: To make people move!
2009-2017 has been a particularly exciting time for Katz, having performed collectively in 150 cities in 60 different countries around the world. Highlights include the Glastonbury festival for three consecutive days in the U.K. with the Easy Star Allstars, a feature in Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival in July, and performing at the Falls festival in Australia.
Katz has been the touring drummer for “The Easy Star Allstars” for the last eleven years, a reggae group who has sold more than 100,000 units of their Dubside Of The Moon album, the highly acclaimed reggae remake of “Pink Floyd’s” “Dark Side Of The Moon.” Katz’s drumming is featured on the group’s follow up Album, “Radio Dread” which features an amazing roster of reggae superstars including Toots Hibbert, Sugar Minott, Citizen Cope, “The Meditations,” Frankie Paul, Horace Andy, and Morgan Heritage. Katz’s drumming is also featured on The Easy Star Allstars “Until That Day” E.P., and their upcoming release, “Thrillah” .(a reggae re-arrangement of the entire Michael Jackson Thriller album)
In 2008 , Katz traveled to the Far East with internationally acclaimed soul songstress Maya Azucena as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s American Music Abroad program. The program was funded by the U.S. Department of State, with performances as well as educational workshops in Burma, China, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka . The response abroad was incredible, with the beat of hip-hop combined with Maya’s powerful and compelling vocal melodies representing itself as a worldwide language of expression for youth around the globe. Katz feels especially honored to have had the opportunity to connect with the people of Burma through the vehicle of his beat in Maya’s music.
Katz’s drumming, as well as his production and songwriting, are featured on Maya Azucena’s debut album Maya Who?. His percussion playing and arrangements are also featured on Azucena’s follow up acoustic album “Junkyard Jewel” . Katz has been touring with Maya for the last 10 years in both the “Acoustic” and “Electric” configurations of her live band. Benefit performances have always been an important part of the live experience with Maya. In May of 2006, The Maya Azucena acoustic trio performed in front of more than 10,000 supporters on Washington DC's historic Mall at the Save Darfur Rally against genocide in the Sudan, in solidarity with national activists and celebrities such as Barack Obama, Al Sharpton, and George Clooney.
Through his experiences with the wide range of artists he has performed and produced with, Katz pursues one common goal: to create new art using drums as the vehicle in the truly Universal language of Music. “The main reason the higher powers called on me to do this is to make heads nod, to make people feel good…from that foundation the music has no choice but to uplift, inspire, heal, move, and unite the world,” said Katz.
Artists Performed With:
A Guy Called Gerald, Amber Sunshower, Buckshot, China Moses, Coral, Easystar Allstars, Gigi. Guru, Imani Uzuri, Itaal Schuur, Jeru The Damaga, Leon Ware, Maya Azucena, Monica, Primordial Source, Pete Miser, Ranking Joe, Sister Carol, Sister Nancy, Special Ed, Toni Blackman, The Toasters, and Wunmi.
Countries Performed In:
Antigua, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, The Gambia, Germany, Holland, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Morocco, The Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.
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