Musical director/composer/producer Simon Katz’s award-winning career spans several continents and decades. Classically trained in the violin at the age of five, Katz was a prolific composer of original theatrical scores even before beginning his adult career. Steeped in the London live/deejay scene of the early ‘90s, Katz entered the public eye touring with the James Taylor Quartet (Acid Jazz). From there he joined global multi-platinum band Jamiroquai, as a key member and co-writer from 1993-2000. Featured on four albums during the height of the band’s career, Katz was a shared recipient of a Grammy award for Best Band Performance, the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection and five MTV Video Music Awards in 1997, surrounding the release of Travelling Without Moving. Yoruba Jazz People, an Afrobeat fusion supergroup featuring Tony Allen (Fela Kuti) also occupied his playing abilities from 1998-2000, before he traveled on to Sao Paolo to play as a featured musician on Antonio Pinto’s acclaimed original score for the motion picture City of God. Throughout this period Simon scored miscellaneous titles and incidental music for both the BBC and MTV.

From 2001 – 2003, he worked directly with Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad and The Queen) as guitarist for the first Gorillaz album/international tour and was a featured player on the critically-heralded Laika Come Home: Gorillaz Vs Spacemonkeyz remix album. Katz also joined Albarn for Mali Music, an Oxfam project that brought together star musicians from Britain and Mali to perform with kora legend Toumani Diabate. He is currently in New York working with gospel singer/songwriter Tim Sheff (Blue Note).