Events

Nine-time GRAMMY® nominee and saxophonist extraordinaire Dave Koz will be joined by special guests Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer and Bill Medley in the must-see holiday show of 2015.

The irrepressible Jonathan Butler, who has earned accolades in the R&B, contemporary jazz and gospel fields, and Dutch saxophone star Candy Dulfer, who was introduced with the smash pop single “Lily Was Here” and has since released 10 studio albums and performed with such artists as Prince, Dave Stewart and Lionel Ritchie, are both “alumni” of the tour. The run will mark the legendary Bill Medley’s first time on the road with Koz. Medley, who co-founded The Righteous Brothers with Bobby Hatfield, has released 14 solo albums, including the GRAMMY-winning Dirty Dancing. Koz and his guests will put fresh spins on holiday classics as well as other selections that beautifully capture the spirit of the season.

“By all rights, smooth jazz should own the holiday season, and the saxophonist Dave Koz is better positioned than anyone to make it so,” said The New York Times in a review of his 2014 album, The 25th of December. “His Christmas shows have delighted scores of fans through the years,” said the Bristol Observer and Examiner.com dubbed him “Santa Koz.” The El Paso Times summed up his annual tour with a simple equation: “Dave Koz = Christmas.” Koz, who is Jewish, describes the universal appeal of beloved holiday songs. “They already have, inherently, in their DNA, all the things you want in a piece of music. Why do we want to hear these same songs year after year? Because they’re more than just lyrics or notes on a page. They’re touchstones. They are musical doorways that enable us to go back and visit times in our lives that were much simpler and much more innocent.”

Fans can expect an extra-festive show this year, as Koz is celebrating his 25th year as a recording artist. His latest album, Dave Koz’s Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection (Concord Records), marks his ninth album to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and it is still in the Top 5. The album, which is available HERE, shines a light on some of the saxophonist’s most memorable creative partnerships, drawing from Koz’s extensive catalog as well as other artists’ recording projects – including duets with such artists as Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Michael McDonald, Barry Manilow and Luther Vandross. Newly recorded tracks include the first single, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” featuring Rick Braun and Kenny Lattimore, which was a Top 5 hit at Smooth A/C and Jazz radio. The follow-up single will be “Good Foot” featuring the man Koz credits with starting his career, Jeff Lorber. Last night, Koz performed at the United Nations General Assembly reception in New York City at the request of President and Mrs. Obama, who were in attendance along with heads of state, members of Congress and other dignitaries.

Koz, who played his first shows in China earlier this year, heads next to South Africa to perform at the Macufe Festival and London, where he’ll play seven shows, including two with Peter White. The next three Dave Koz and Friends At Sea Cruises – 2016’s The Ultimate Caribbean and 2017’s Venice and Beyond Voyage One and Voyage Two – are all sold out.