He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Donald Fagen, Billy Cobham, Chris Potter, David Binney, and Carla Bley.

Since the early 1990s, Krantz has focused primarily on his solo career, mostly as the leader of a trio with Tim Lefebvre and Keith Carlock.

[1] A native of Corvallis, Oregon, Krantz was inspired to play guitar when he was fourteen after hearing the Beatles.

[2] He formed a trio with Lincoln Goines and Zach Danziger, then with Tim Lefebvre and Keith Carlock.

In 2012, Krantz released Howie 61 (a reference to Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited), which includes John Patitucci, Charley Drayton, Tal Wilkenfeld, Vinnie Colaiuta, Anton Fig, Jeremy Stacey, Paul Stacey, Pino Palladino, Gabriela Anders, Kenny Wollesen, Nate Wood, Henry Hey, and Owen Biddle.