David Katz (author)

For German-Swedish psychologist, gestalt perception, see David Katz (psychologist) (1884-1953)

David Katz is a music journalist, photographer, A&R consultant, disc jockey and reggae historian, raised in the US but long resident in Britain.

Katz is author of People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry (first published by Canongate in 2000, revised edition published by Omnibus in 2006, Japanese edition published by JD Medusa in 2008) and Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae (Bloomsbury ], 2003, Italian edition published by Stampa Alternativa in 2007). He also contributed to the Rough Guide to Reggae of Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton (Penguin, 1997), A Tapestry of Jamaica (MacMillan Caribbean, 2003), I-Land Reggae: From Heartbeat to Revolution (Opo, France, 2004) and Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady and Dancehall (Greenwood, 2006). His writing and photographs have appeared in many international publications, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Mojo, Q, The Wire, XLR8R, Rhythm, Wax Poetics, Riddim, Sky Writings, Caribbean Beat and Murder Dog. Katz has co-ordinated and annotated over 100 retrospective collections of Jamaican music for labels such as Island, Universal, Trojan, Motion, Ariwa, Heartbeat, Wall of Sound, Nuphonic, Strut and Auralux, has released an original record in France, and has co-hosted reggae radio programmes on three continents for stations such as Kiss FM, XFM, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, Mojo Radio, WBAI, and KUSF.

Katz has contributed to several radio and television documentaries, including Blood & Fire: Roots, Reggae, Rastafari (BBC Radio 2, 2007), Tighten Up: The Trojan Story (BBC Radio 2, 2006), Can’t Take It With You: Bob Marley (BBC Bristol, 2003), Pioneers: Lee Perry (Channel 4, 2002), and Choice World Clubbing (BBC Choice, 2000). He wrote co-scripted the narration for Don Letts and Rick Elgood's documentary Return of the Super Ape (Channel 4, 1997) and contributed to the feature documentaries Dub Stories (UWE, France, 2006) and Dub Echoes (Brazil, 2007). Katz also worked as an Associate Producer on the feature documentary The Upsetter: The Music And Genius of Lee Scratch Perry (Upsetter Films, 2008) and was a music consultant on the feature film Dreaming Lhasa (White Crane Films, India/UK, 2005).

Katz holds a regular residency as a disc jockey, presenting his Dub Me Always nights at the Ritzy in Brixton, south London. He has also deejayed at the Jazz Cafe with Aswad, at the Royal Festival Hall and Great Eastern Dining Room as part of the Lee Scratch Perry Meltdown, and at Momo's with Mad Professor. He has also spun records at New York's NuBlu with Ras Kush and the Black Redemption Sound System, as well as at select functions in France for the I-Land Festival in 2004, for which he was also partly responsible for securing performances by King Jammy, Admiral Bailey, King Stitt, Jim Brown, the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari and others. He has also been involved in the "Reggae University" at the annual Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Osoppo, Italy, conducting workshops with Horace Andy, Jah Shaka, Beenie Man and Zion Train, among others.

Katz has also given presentations about Jamaican music at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica.

Originally from San Francisco, he has been a London resident for over 20 years.

External links

• Template:Myspace
• People Funny Boy
• Solid Foundation
• Solid Foundation Italian Edition
• People Funny Boy Japanese Edition