Steve Katz is a founding member of the Grammy-winning band Blood, Sweat & Tears; the producer of two albums by his friend, the late Lou Reed; a former vice president of Mercury Records; and a professional photographer. The Kent, Connecticut resident published his memoir, "Blood, Sweat and My Rock ’n’ Roll Years: Is Steve Katz a Rock Star?" last year and enjoys touring to promote it. His next such appearance is on Friday, July 15 at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, Mass. I’m mainly from the New York area; I spent four years in Schenectedy, and then I lived in Greenwich Village for years when I was performing. My wife and I decided that we wanted to live in the country, and moved to Kent 18 years ago. We built a studio on the property for Alison, where she also holds workshops. It’s a 24-hour job when I’m on the road, so at home I take care of the website and the logistics, but I still have enough time to play with my dogs every few hours. Right now I’m producing a record by a big band/jazz/rock group from Fairfield, Conn. called New Duke. We’re able to live the country life that we really love. The cities are so close, and sometimes we’ll have a meeting in NY, but the internet has made things easier in that sense. At this point, this is what I want to do. I like to be with my dogs and wife, in my house watching Breaking Bad for the second time.
I’ve been very lucky; I’ve met a lot of legendary people, had hit records, I was able to do what I love the most which is play music and I’m very thankful. Last year I published my memoir, which is a recap of the things I’ve done. I was an English lit major in college, so I thought, “I can do this." I felt like a fool when my editor went through it. The book is meant to be entertaining and funny; it’s not your typical rock and roll story. It took me two years to write and edit, and I’ve been on the road doing my solo show ever since. During my appearances, I tell stories and sing songs in chronological order. I spent years playing in front of thousands of people, but I love small audiences. I talk about the Village and the “great folk scare." People from my generation sometimes come up to me afterwards, practically in tears, telling me how great it is to hear about the ‘60s. It really brings people back.
