The Bruce Katz Band

THREE FEET OFF THE GROND

(Audioquest)

Boston-based keyboardist Bruce Katz puts a little chicken skin in his music this time out: greasing up his grooves with Delta soul on "In the Shadow"; making the snare split the difference between New Orleans street parades and 2 a.m. raves on "Beef Jerky"; revisiting the three-sets-a night-heyday of jazz organ combos all over the disc. (There's an especially nasty rip of B-3 organ that threads through all of "Wrecking Ball.") The funkier approach works -- especially when it's spiced by the snarling guitar of band member Julian Kasper or guest stringer Duke Robillard. Kasper summons a touch of the familiar, dialing up little homages to Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Lowell George with his attack. Robillard sticks bone-close to blues. And they both sound fine over the hard rhythm section. But it's Katz who really gets down, playing more B-3 than he ever has before, and reaping the rewards.

-- Ted Drozdowski