Katz and Gloria have two sons, both of whom are involved in music. Their oldest son, Alan, 49, is a music teacher in Lawrence public schools, and their other son, Jonathan, 47, is a musician who lives in Tokyo.

Sixty-seven years after he picked up Esquire Jazz Magazine at a candy store in Far Rockaway, Katz was finally rewarded for his lifelong dedication to music at the Paramount Theatre in October. If you ask any of his colleagues or students, they’ll tell you the accolade was a long time coming.

“I love working with students,” said Katz. “I love giving them information and giving them what I’ve experienced all through my life.

“And I still love it to this day,” he added.