Celebrate with Dave Koz

DAVE KOZ

By Marcia Luttrell

Dave Koz has a sleigh-full of surprises for his fans this holiday season.

The multi-Grammy nominated saxophonist is celebrating a record-breaking milestone, a new family member, a new album, and if that isn’t enough, a secret from his past.

Christmas Ballads marks the sax player’s eighth holiday CD, with 10 elegant and thoughtful selections of traditional songs, an original co-written composition, and some songs Koz has never recorded before.

A longtime core of close friends and contemporary jazz musicians contributed to the album, including David Benoit on acoustic piano, Rick Braun on trumpet and flugelhorn, and acoustic guitarist Peter White. French composer and multi-instrumentalist Philippe

Photo: Nathan Phillips Saisse, who produced and arranged Christmas Ballads, also has a long history with Koz.

In 2010, Saisse played keyboards in Dave Koz & The Kozmos, the house band for “The Emeril Lagasse Show.” Koz also enlisted Saisse to co-write songs and perform on A New Day (2020), his first album of original music in a decade.

Koz is adept at playing alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, and he said that the decision about which sax to use is often an instinctive feeling. On Christmas Ballads, for instance, listeners benefit from his skilled instrument choices. “I think it’s really about the feel of a song,” Koz mused.

“The key has something to do with it, but you can always change the key to fit the sax. It’s a hunch that it’s the right instrument. But I’ve been wrong before. I might start a song on soprano, and nope, it’s turned into an alto song. For me, there is a way of being expressive on soprano that’s different than on alto or tenor.”

On the song “Merry Christmas Darling,” his soprano sax summons memories of the late Karen Carpenter’s clear, melodic vocal range. Koz also

Photo: Nathan Phillips Photo: Nathan Phillips

Jim Gosnell (Koz’s agent), Eric Guerra (WineandJazz.com), Dave Koz, Josh Foisy (Koz Cruise production manager), Brian Foisy (Koz Cruise co-producer) and vocalist Javier Colon celebrate a winning hand during the 2022 Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruise to Amsterdam and the British Isles

chose the soprano for “Ave Maria,” a surprising and poignant addition to the collection of holiday favorites.

“‘Ave Maria’ is a sacred melody,” said the platinum-selling artist. “I never recorded that song before, and I wanted to be as respectful as possible. I felt I could be more classical with the soprano sax; it’s almost like an oboe and more appropriate to play on soprano.”

A belated anniversary appearance at Art Good’s Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival on Oct. 22 will precede his Christmas tour. “Catalina [Island] JazzTrax Festival was one of the first gigs I ever had when I was first starting out,” Koz recalled. “My first album came out in October of 1990, and Art said, ‘Let’s do a 30th anniversary.’ But then COVID happened. So, we moved the anniversary to 2022, and we’ll celebrate, even though it’s 32 years now.

“Art was one of the first creators of the community destination event where the camaraderie and the music brings together everyone because of their shared love of music. I’ve always had a soft spot for Catalina,” Koz said of the scenic isle he describes as a “hidden gem” in Southern California.

Soon after the Catalina appearance, Koz will travel to Atlanta to launch his

Photo: Nathan Phillips

Dave Koz welcoming passengers aboard his 2022 Dave Koz & Friends at Sea full-ship charter to Amsterdam and the British Isles

Dave Koz and Friends 25th Anniversary Christmas Tour on Thanksgiving weekend. Koz will be joined by all-star veterans Braun, White and pianist Keiko Matsui. Vocalist and San Diego Music Awards-winner Rebecca Jade, who sings “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” on Christmas Ballads, is the tour’s newcomer.

“It blows me away that we have been able to do this tour, uninterrupted, for 25 years,” Koz enthused. “It’s the longest running jazz Christmas tour of all time. We mix it up with different casts every year so the audience is exposed to new talent.”

Koz mixed it up during this past summer, too.

Instead of his usual Summer Horns shows, he performed a series of festival dates in Europe with pop-funk guitarist Cory Wong. He and Wong collaborated in 2021 and released The Golden Hour CD, featuring a five-piece horn section arranged by Michael Nelson, Prince’s primary horn arranger.

Koz also appeared as Barry Manilow’s special guest on his arena tour of the East Coast. It’s a longtime friendship with the special benefit of getting invited to travel on Manilow’s private plane.

“Barry has always been a mentor in music and in life,” Koz said. “The single most important thing I’ve learned from him is that if you are lucky enough to build a fan base that is loyal to you, it’s something to be nurtured and never taken for granted.”

Koz has another responsibility to nurture, with one slight drawback.

Dave Koz, musicians and artists toasting passengers during the sail-away party in Amsterdam aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas in 2022

Photo: Nathan Phillips

Dave Koz deals blackjack in the casino aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, while guitarist Cory Wong hopes for a winning hand

Photo: Nathan Phillips

Dave Koz toasting passengers on one of his three sold-out full-ship charter cruises aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas in May 2022

continued from page 21

Buddy, his mixed-breed rescue puppy, does not appear to be a fan of the saxophone.

“Every time I play, he howls,” Koz said with a laugh. “He just celebrated his first birthday. He’s like an old Jewish man in a young dog’s body. I co-parent him with my assistant, Janice. I always wanted a dog. I grew up with dogs, and I love them so much. I always talked myself out of getting one because of my travel schedule. Then it was, let’s just do this. He has brought so much joy. He’s a very smart dog, but he’s a momma’s boy. When Janice is not around, he thinks, ‘I’ll hang with you.’”

However, Koz fans are always eager to “hang out” on land or at sea with the consummate entertainer whose motto is “Seeing the world together through music.” All three weeks of his 2023 Dave Koz & Friends at Sea full-ship charter cruises to Spain, Morocco and Portugal are sold out.

Few musicians can attain the longevity or the success that Koz has enjoyed, a result of expert musicianship and smart collaborations.

And, the future continues to beam brightly for Koz, who never stops developing his craft, working with artists of all generations, expanding his influence and branching out into a variety of other projects.

The 59-year-old musician said that he has just completed his segments for a soon-to-be-released documentary about the contemporary jazz genre produced by A24, a New York-based entertainment company.

Then there is the six-episode web series “Just Be Koz” (view at www. davekoz.com) in which Koz fans learn details never before revealed.

Originally, the idea was to create a video biography, a way to connect with fans by sharing personal history. But an artist from Finland suggested presenting the information as lighthearted animation.

The first episode, titled “Lose the ‘ID,’ Kid,” shows Koz as a young man meeting with art directors to approve the image and title of his first album cover. The cover is a photograph of him leaning back and blowing into his horn with the name Dave Koz depicted in bold lettering.

Photo: Rose Eichenbaum

Dave Koz and his new dog, Buddy

“I never referred to myself as Dave, ever, until my first record came out,” Koz said. “I’ve always been David. David Stephen Koz. I thought it was funny that they thought I should be ‘Dave Koz,’ and I just went with it.”

It’s not all in a name. Perhaps, Koz reveals who he really is through his devotion to his craft. At the end of the animated clip, he wrote a note:

“Even when outside forces try to change you, rest assured, the real you still comes through.”

For more information about Koz, including his complete tour schedule and cruise itineraries, visit www.davekoz.com.

Photo: Nathan Phillips

Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer, Dave Koz and a Royal Caribbean chef making offertjes (Dutch mini pancakes) during “Cooking with Koz” on the 2022 Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruise

ON TOUR

Photo: Nathan Phillips

Oct. 22

Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival

Catalina Casino Ballroom Avalon, California, jazztrax.com

Nov. 25

Dave Koz & Friends 25th Anniversary Christmas Tour— featuring Rick Braun, Peter White, Keiko Matsui and Rebecca Jade—kicks off a 24-date nationwide itinerary

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, Georgia www.davekoz.com

Dec. 31

Rick Braun’s New Year’s Eve Getaway

JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona www.rickbraunnewyearseve.com

May 1-8; May 8-15; and May 15-22, 2023

Dave Koz & Friends at Sea: (sold-out, waitlist only)

Three, 7-day, full-ship charters aboard Holland America’s MS Oosterdam. Ports of call at Barcelona, Spain; Ibiza, Spain; Alicante, Spain; Málaga, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; Seville, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal

Voyage One: May 1-8, 2023

Embarkation at Barcelona, Spain

Voyage Two: May 8-15, 2023

Embarkation at Lisbon, Portugal

Voyage Three: May 15-22, 2023 Embarkation at Barcelona, Spain

www.davekozcruise.com