Artists

Dave Koz

With the release of his ambitious new Capitol Records album Saxophonic, Grammy nominated saxophonist and composer; Dave Koz cements his reputation as one of the most expressive voices in the contemporary musical pantheon. It's been over 15 years since Koz exploded onto the Los Angeles music scene as an in-demand touring saxophonist with Richard Marx, Jeff Lorber and Bobby Caldwell. Since then, Koz has established himself as a world-renowned saxophone player, a multi-million selling solo recording artist, humanitarian, syndicated radio host and instrumental music advocate. The growing list of artists he has played with bears testament to his talent -- a list including such musical luminaries as Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Kenny Loggins, U2, Luther Vandross, Vanessa Williams, Be Be Winans and others. He is the recipient of numerous nominations and honors from prestigious organizations such as The Recording Academy (Grammy Awards), the NAACP (Image Awards) and Oasis (Smooth Jazz Awards).

Now, at the historic dawn of a new millennium, Koz has added yet another distinction to his résumé -- that of entrepreneur. Koz recently co-founded Rendezvous Entertainment, an independent record company headquartered in Los Angeles. Additionally, the saxophonist hosts a weekly syndicated radio show, "The Dave Koz Radio Show," that features artist interviews and music (the show currently runs in approximately 120 markets). He also anchors, "Dave Koz in the Morning", a daily morning radio show on KTWV, the 5th ranked station in the Los Angeles market.

Koz serves as Global Ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation. He recently completed a four-year term with the Grammy Foundation Artists Committee, a non-profit arm of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences dedicated to reserving America's rich cultural legacy and bringing music into schools.

Born and raised in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, Koz initially picked up the saxophone as a means of gaining entry into his big brother's band. But what began as a ploy became a lifelong obsession. Years later, after earning his major in mass communications from UCLA, Koz decided to make a go of becoming 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 14-month tour with pop singer Richard Marx.

Signed to Capitol Records on the strength of a Lorber-produced demo recording, Koz released his self-titled solo debut album in 1990 -- the first in a continuing body of best-selling works, including Lucky Man (1993), Off The Beaten Path (1996), two holiday-themed albums, December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997) and Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001) and a various artist compilation, Golden Slumbers: A Father's Lullaby (released on Rendezvous Entertainment 2002). His gold-certified fifth album The Dance (1999) spawned no less than five Top 5 contemporary jazz hits.

Now, with Saxophonic, Koz has created the most adventurous and sax-intensive recording of his career -- a scintillating fusion of R&B, funk, jazz and pop, with well-conceived detours into hip hop instrumentalism, bebop, electronica and African folk. With a triumphant performing career, an independent record company, a radio show and the respect of an increasingly jaded and complicated record industry, Dave Koz's artistry, commitment and influence continues to grow.