Simon Katz

Updated on Dec 13, 2023

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Birth name Simon Laurence Katz Role Songwriter Name Simon Katz		Website simonkatz.us Years active 1994–present

Born 16 May 1971 (age 52) Nottingham, England ( 1971-05-16 ) Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, producer Instruments Guitar, bass, keyboards Associated acts JamiroquaiGorillazDamon AlbarnMs. DynamiteSia Genres Acid jazz, Pop music, Rock music, Contemporary R&B, Funk, Dance music, Disco, Reggae Albums Travelling Without Moving, Jamiroquai ‎– Greatest Hits, JAZZiroquai, Synkronized, 1999 Remixes Similar People Toby Smith, Wallis Buchanan, Derrick McKenzie, Sola Akingbola, Stuart Zender
Music group Jamiroquai (1995 – 2000)

Simon Katz, Denver House Band Winter 2013

Simon Katz (born 16 May 1971) is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work with the band Jamiroquai. Katz was a recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal for Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" in 1997, and the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection with Jamiroquai in 1999.

Elias williamson talks about the death of his friend and bandmate simon katz

Jamiroquai, 1994–2000

Katz joined Jamiroquai in 1994, remaining a member until 2000. He was the band's guitarist on Travelling Without Moving (1996), which won a Grammy Award and four MTV Video Music Awards, and its follow-up, Synkronized (1999).

Gorillaz, 2001–2002

In 2001, Katz joined Damon Albarn's group Gorillaz, a cartoon quartet with actual musicians providing the voice and instruments for the animated "band members." During live performances and on the 2002 remix album Laika Come Home, he played guitar as the character of Noodle, a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl and guitar prodigy. Katz was featured in the 2008 film Bananaz, which documents the development of the Gorillaz band from 2000 to 2006.

For Mali Music, Albarn's project exploring the music of West Africa, Katz performed with Albarn in Mali alongside kora player Toumani Diabaté and guitarist Afel Bocoum.

Other work

From 2002 to 2003, Katz served as musical director for Ms. Dynamite, during which time she won the Mercury Prize for her debut album, A Little Deeper; two Brit Awards, including Best British Female Artist, and three MOBO Awards.

In 2010, Katz co-wrote the ballad "Be Good To Me" for Sia's fifth studio album, We Are Born.

Katz occasionally works in film. He has been featured on the scores for the 2002 film City of God and the 2006 documentary ...More Than 1000 Words, and served as music supervisor on the 2008 film Ball Don't Lie.

Personal life

Katz was born and raised in Nottingham, England. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Albums

Jamiroquai – The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994, Sony)

Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving (1996, Sony)

Jamiroquai – Synkronized (1999, Sony)

HKB FiNN – Vitalistics (2002, Son Records)

Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz – Laika Come Home (2002, Parlaphone)

E2K – If Not Now (2003, Topic)

Gemma Fox – Messy (2004, Polydor)

Mad Professor – Method to the Madness (2005, Sanctuary)

Jamiroquai – High Times: Singles 1992-2006 (2006, Sony)

Platinum Pied Pipers – Abundance (2009, Ubiquity)

Sia – We Are Born (2010, Sony)

Dazzled Kid – Fire Needs Air (2011, Dazzled Kid Records)

Sambismo – The Birth Of... (2012)

Extended plays

Tonho Crocco – Teto Solar (2011, MoMo King Records)

Singles / soundtrack songs

Jamiroquai – "Light Years" – from The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994)

Jamiroquai – "Do You Know Where You're Coming From?" – from Travelling Without Moving (1996)

Jamiroquai – "Virtual Insanity" – from Travelling Without Moving (1996)

Jamiroquai – "Cosmic Girl" – from Travelling Without Moving (1996) and Center Stage soundtrack (2000)

Jamiroquai – "Alright" – from Travelling Without Moving (1997)

Jamiroquai – "High Times" – from Travelling Without Moving (1997)

Jamiroquai – "Drifting Along" – from Zero Effect soundtrack (1998)

Jamiroquai – "Deeper Underground" – from Godzilla soundtrack (1998) and Japanese and Australian editions of A Funk Odyssey (2001)

Jamiroquai – "Canned Heat" – from Synkronized (1999) and Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack (2004)

Jamiroquai – "Supersonic" – from Synkronized (1999)

Jamiroquai – "Black Capricorn Day" – from Synkronized (1999)

Rubberneck – Keep on Giving Love (2001, City Rockers)

Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz – "Lil' Dub Chefin'" – from Laika Come Home (2002)

Ms. Dynamite – "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" – from A Little Deeper (2002)

Cee Lo Green – "All Alone Now" – unreleased demo (2009)

Jared Dietch – "You're Not Alone" (2012)

Sterling Fox – "Freak Caroline" (2015, Silver Scream)

References

Simon Katz Wikipedia

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