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Born in Los Angeles, pianist Fred Kaplan was drawn to the ivories at age three, began lessons when he was five and performed his first recital at age seven. In the mid-1960s while working at his father's furniture store, one of the customers sold him discarded 45 rpm records for a nickel apiece from his juke box-servicing business. The sounds of T-Bone Walker, Big Joe Turner, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, BB King and Little Richard opened new frontiers and whetted Kaplan's appetite to learn more.

Kaplan’s early blues piano influences were players such as Otis Spann, Floyd Dixon, Charles Brown, Big Maceo Merriweather, Bob Call, Blind John Davis, Sunnyland Slim, Walter Roland, Pete Johnson, Professor Longhair, Leroy Carr, Amos Milburn, Ray Charles, Roosevelt Sykes and others too numerous to mention. In later years, his jazz piano influences were ivory aces such as Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, Hampton Hawes, Earl Hines, George Shearing, Ahmad Jamal, Willie The Lion Smith, McCoy Tyner, Barry Harris, Horace Silver, Thelonius Monk, Errol Garner, Paul Smith, Johnny Guanieri, Tete Montoliu and Bobby Timmons, just to name a few. Then there were his deep gospel piano influences such as Arizona Dranes, Thomas Dorsey, Evelyn Starks Hardy, Mildred Falls, Evelyn Gay and several others. Some of Fred’s favorite Hammond Organ players that greatly impacted his playing were pioneers such as Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott, Jimmy Smith, Baby Face Willette, Larry Goldings, Charles Earland, Richard Groove Holmes, Wild Bill Davis, Bill Doggett, Jimmy McGriff and Dr. Lonnie Smith.

To meet blues greats, Kaplan swept floors at The Golden Bear. During his time off, he hung around the Ash Grove, meeting Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters, among others. However, Kaplan's most profound experience came from befriending Lloyd Glenn at the local musicians’ union hall in Los Angeles. Their close friendship lasted many years, affecting Fred’s playing style forever.

Through Al Blake, Kaplan met Hollywood Fats in the early 1970s, playing first as The Headhunters trio, which evolved into the original Hollywood Fats Band. During his tenure with the band, Kaplan was fortunate enough to have played with some of the greatest living blues artists of our time, including Pee Wee Crayton, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, George Harmonica Smith, Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulson, Margie Evans, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Joe Willie Wilkins, Freddie King, Johnny Shines, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Big Mama Thornton, Finis Tasby, Louis Myers, Freddie Robinson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Roy Brown, Snooky Pryor, Little Sammy Davis, Johnny Dyer, Phillip Walker, Lee Allen, T-Bone Walker, Junior Wells, Bobby Jones, Shakey Jake Harris, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, John Lee Hooker, William Clarke, Lynwood Slim, Rod Piazza, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, James Harman, Charlie Musselwhite, Kid Ramos, Junior Watson, Kim Wilson, The Mannish Boys, Rick Holmstrom and Otis Rush.

Fred’s highly acclaimed instrumental recording Signifyin’ was released in the late 1990s and re-released on his own label in 2009. He has also released his new solo CD Triage. Watch for an upcoming blues instrumental CD from Fred. Internationally recognized as one of the most versatile and original blues pianists of our time, Fred continues to record and tour worldwide, both as a solo pianist and as an integral member of the Hollywood Blue Flames.

Check out Fred’s website
www.fredkaplanmusic.com