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 Saxophonist Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff
is well known to blues, rhythm-and-blues, and jazz fans
around the world. Kaz has contributed horn arrangements,
saxophone and harmonica solos, and original songs to more
than 130 record albums over the last 25 years, as well as
producing many CD's, but he still thinks of himself as a
live musician! Albums Kaz has played on and produced have
been nominated for and won Grammy and W.C. Handy Awards.
Born
and raised in New England, Kaz went to University of
Chicago in 1967. While living in Chicago, he befriended
and played harmonica with many of the Windy Cities' best
known blues artists, learning as he went along from the
masters. He was a regular at Teresa's, Pepper's
Lounge, the 1815 club, the L. and A. lounge, and many
other great Chicago blues establishments. He got to hear
and play with Magic Sam, Little Walter, Big Walter
Horton, Louis Myers, Junior Wells, Howlin' Wolf, Otis
Rush, and many other great players in the thriving
Chicago blues scene.
After returning to Boston in the early 70's Kaz began
playing saxophone, and teamed up with Johnny Nicholas to
form the Rhythm Rockers, one of the mainstay young blues
bands in New England throughout the 1970's. Rhythm
Rockers' alumni also included Ronnie
Earl, David Maxwell, and Sarah Brown. While in
Boston, Kaz worked with Muddy Waters alumnus Luther
Johnson, in a band that also featured Bob
Margolin on guitar. Kaz also played with Geoff
Muldaur, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, and T-Blade and
the Fabulous Esquires, a wild band that featured current
record execs Steve Berkowitz (Sony) and Richard
Rosenblatt (Tone-Cool).
In 1982, Kaz was invited to come to Austin, Texas,
to work with Marcia Ball, playing saxophones in
her band for almost 3 years. This was the beginning of a
long and fruitful association with Marcia that continues
to this day.
When Kaz was not on the road with Marcia Ball, he
worked regularly at Antone's nightclub in Austin, Texas,
gradually becoming a regular member of the Antones' house-band. As part
of this versatile and world renowned band, Kaz got to know and perform with an
amazing number of blues and rhythm-and-blues artists.
While with the Antone's house band, Kaz recorded a number
of fine records with the Antone's Record label, including work
with Angela Strehli, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy,
Albert Collins, Marcia Ball, Lou Ann Barton, Memphis
Slim, Doug Sahm, Lavelle White, Pinetop Perkins, and
James Cotton. Kaz also produced his first CD during this
time, for Antones Records, with Chicago guitar great
Luther Tucker. The Antone's house band also toured
regularly with many of these same artists, as part of the
Antone's Blues Revue.
While working with Marcia Ball, who traveled and
played often in New Orleans, Kaz became friends with
Hammond and Naumann Scott. These Louisiana brothers were
just starting a blues and R&B label in the early
80's, and Kaz soon began to make records for their label,
Blacktop Records. Kaz quickly became their in-house
arranger and horn section leader. Throughout the 80's and
90's, Kaz recorded dozens of fine albums and CD's with
the Scott brothers and Blacktop, including award-winning
work with Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers, Earl King,
Snooks Eaglin, Mike Morgan, Hubert Sumlin, Ronnie Earl,
Maria Muldaur, Solomon Burke, and many others.
For the last five years, as a tribute to the high
quality of his live and studio performances, Kaz himself
has been nominated each year for a W. C. Handy award in
the Blues Performance Instrumental Categories. Delbert
McClinton's excellent CD "Live From Austin"
featured Kaz' sax work, and won a Grammy as Best Blues
Album. Kaz co-produced, performed on, and arranged W.C.
Clark’s acclaimed “Texas Soul” CD, which
won the W.C. Handy award in 1997 as Best Soul/Blues
album. Other recent production credits include Marcia
Ball (“Let Me Play With Your Poodle” for
Rounder
Records), Pat Boyack (“Super Blue and
Funky” for Rounder Records), Bob Margolin
(“Hold Me To It” for Blind Pig Records), and
Long John Hunter. Kaz played on and arranged the horns
for "The Lone Star Shootout" Alligator CD
(1999), featuring Lonnie Brooks, Philip Walker, and Long
John Hunter.
In 2001, Kaz recorded with Marcia Ball and
Double
Trouble, among others. Marcia Ball's 2001 Alligator
CD "Presumed Innocent", which featured
arrangements and a horn section led by Kaz, won several
W.C. Handy Awards in 2002, including Best Album. Kaz
produced, performed and arranged W.C. Clark's critically
acclaimed 2002 CD, "From Austin With Soul",
also for Alligator Records.
The movie "The Client" featured Kaz' song,
“She Said” (from The Tri-Sax-Ual Soul Champs
Blacktop CD). Other songs of his have been used in TV
shows such as “The Big Easy”, and international
TV commercials (American Express). Kaz can be seen and
heard on music TV shows such as Austin City Limits, Bravo
‘Up Close and Personal’, and Lonesome Pines
Special, performing with artists like Marcia Ball, Irma
Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli, Albert Collins,
Colin James, and Delbert McClinton. Kaz has performed
often at major international music festivals such as the
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage, North Sea Jazz, and Monterrey
Jazz Festivals, Chicago Blues Festival, Ottawa Blues
Festival, and San Francisco Blues Festival.
Kaz has led a local jazz/blues group, The Kaz Jazz
Quartet, for years in the Austin area, playing club
dates, festivals and parties since 1985.
In
1998, Kaz received his DMA Doctoral Degree in Jazz
Composition from the University
of Texas at Austin. He has been teaching privately for years, and presently
teaches music at St. Stephen's Episcopal High School in
Austin. Kaz continues to record and play professionally
around the world.
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