|
 In
a career spanning nearly two decades, Dave
Koz has established himself as a platinum-selling
artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host, and
instrumental music advocate. As the recipient of six
Grammy® nominations, the list of artists who Koz has
played with bears testament to his talent and includes
such musical luminaries as Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles,
Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Kenny Loggins, U2, Michael
McDonald, Luther Vandross, and Rod Stewart.
Born and raised in L.A.'s San Fernando
Valley, Koz initially picked up the
saxophone to gain entry into his big brother's band.
What began as a ploy became a lifelong obsession. Years
later, after earning his degree in mass communications
from UCLA, Koz decided to become a professional
musician. Within weeks of that decision, he was recruited
as a touring member of Bobby Caldwell’s band. It was
during this time that Koz befriended
keyboardist Jeff Lorber, who invited Koz to
come play on one of his tours. That stint was followed
by a fourteen-month tour with pop singer Richard Marx.
Signed to Capitol Records by Bruce Lundvall, Koz released
his self-titled solo debut album in 1990. This was the
first in a body of best-selling work, which includes
the gold-certified Lucky Man (1993), Off
The Beaten Path (1996), and the holiday-themed
albums December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997)
and Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz
Christmas (2001). His gold-certified fifth
album, The Dance (1999), spawned
no less than five Top 5 contemporary jazz hits. Saxophonic (2003)
produced another four Top 5 singles and garnered Koz two
Grammy nominations spanning two consecutive years.
In 2007, Koz released
two chart-topping collections of standards. At
The Movies, his lush, romantic celebration
of timeless melodies from cinema, spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s Top
Contemporary Jazz chart and was nominated for a Grammy
in the “Best Pop Instrumental Album” category. Produced
by the legendary Phil Ramone, and accompanied by a full
orchestra, it features special guest performances by
India.Arie, Anita Baker, Chris Botti, Barry Manilow,
Johnny Mathis, Donna Summer, and Vanessa Williams. The
album also includes several stunning instrumentals, including Koz’s moving
rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” which
received a Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Instrumental
Performance.”
Memories Of A Winter’s Night,
released in September 2007, is a festive collection of
12 holiday standards celebrating the wonders of the season.
The album, which hit #1 on Billboard’s Top
Contemporary Jazz chart that December, includes Dave’s duets
with Kelly Sweet, Kimberley Locke, and Brenda Russell
and also features Rick Braun, Peter White, and David
Benoit.
Fans will be treated to Dave
Koz At The Movies Double Feature CD + DVD in
February 2008. It features Koz’s popular At
The Movies CD with two never-before-released
bonus audio tracks plus a new DVD
capturing Dave and his guests making
the album. A track-by-track commentary and exclusive
artist interviews are also included on the DVD.
Dave serves as a radio personality in
two different outlets: on weekdays, as the host of an
afternoon radio show that airs in 20 markets across the
nation, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore,
San Francisco and Denver; and on weekends, as the host
of the syndicated Dave Koz Radio Show, now in
its eleventh year, in over 120 markets.
As an entrepreneur, Koz is
co-founder of the independent record label, Rendezvous
Entertainment. As a philanthropist, he serves as Global
Ambassador for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, recently
completed a four-year term on the Grammy Foundation Artists
Committee, has served as National Trustee for the National
Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) and
is an ongoing member of the Board Of Governors for the
Grammy® Foundation.
Koz is constantly touring, summer and
winter, on land and by sea, with a summer tour, holiday
tour, and Dave Koz-branded cruise via the Holland America
Cruise Line.
With a triumphant career as an artist
and radio personality, his independent record company,
and the well-earned respect of the recording industry, Dave
Koz’s artistry, commitment and influence continue
to grow. |
