DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS CHRISTMAS TOUR Returns to Columbus

Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2011, a cherished holiday tradition marking its 14th anniversary, brings together a magical combination of musicians to celebrate this special season. Joining multi-Grammy® nominee and saxophonist extraordinaire Dave Koz on the coast-to-coast outing will be trumpeter/composer/producer Rick Braun, South African singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, and Dutch saxophone star Candy Dulfer. The foursome will perform hits from their respective catalogues and jam on fresh, lively arrangements of seasonal favorites in an uplifting, high-energy show the whole family will love.

CAPA presents Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2011 at 8pm on Saturday, December 3, at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.). Tickets are $27.50-$62.50 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Students between the ages of 13-19 may purchase $5 High Five tickets while available.

In a career that spans 20 years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music. But for as noteworthy as his body of recorded work and as entertaining his live performances and other past accomplishments might be, Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change where everything once taken for granted is suddenly up for grabs. It's a new day, full of new challenges and opportunities, and new rules that are still being written.

Koz embraced this era of change-and even the uncertainty that came with it-on Hello Tomorrow, his 2010 debut on Concord Records. Produced by Grammy winners John Burk and Marcus Miller, the album featured a diverse army of high-profile guests-Herb Alpert, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., Boney James, Jeff Lorber, Keb' Mo', Ray Parker, Jr., Lee Ritenour, Christian Scott, and others. Each of the 13 tracks focused on being open to new beginnings, and trusting that the future is unfolding in all the right ways for all the right reasons.

After earning a degree in mass communications from UCLA, Koz took the leap into a career as a professional musician, a decision that immediately led to touring gigs with vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Bobby Caldwell, keyboardist Jeff Lorber, and pop singer Richard Marx. He signed with Capitol and released his self-titled solo debut in 1990. Noteworthy follow-ups included the gold certified Lucky Man (1993), Off the Beaten Path (1996) and three holiday albums-December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997), Dave Koz & Friends: A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001), and Memories of a Winter's Night (2007). The gold certified The Dance (1999) and Saxophonic (2003) each spawned five Top 5 hits on the contemporary jazz charts, and the latter album scored two Grammy nominations.

In addition to the 2007 Christmas album, Koz also released At the Movies that same year. Produced by the legendary Phil Ramone and crafted as a celebration of timeless melodies from the cinema, At the Movies spent 12 weeks at the top of Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart and scored a second Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. A year later, Koz followed up with Dave Koz at the Movies Double Feature CD + DVD, which included the original CD with two new bonus tracks, a new DVD, and a track-by-track commentary.
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Dave Koz: Greatest Hits, a retrospective collection released in the fall of 2008, debuted at the top of Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well as iTunes' Jazz Album chart. The album included several of Koz's hits plus four brand new tracks.

In addition to compiling an ambitious discography over the past two decades, Koz continues to flex his mass-communications muscles as a radio personality in two different outlets. On weekdays, he hosts an afternoon radio program that's nationally distributed on the Smooth Jazz Radio Network; and on weekends, he hosts the syndicated Dave Koz Radio Show in approximately 120 markets.

Koz also keeps a hand in various other entrepreneurial and philanthropic ventures. He is the founder of Rendezvous Records, and has served for 17 years as global ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation-an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and life-altering injuries.

He recently partnered with Vinum Cellars, a Napa Valley boutique winery, and Whole Foods Market to introduce three types of KOZ wines. The wines are available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores in California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada, with all proceeds going directly to the Starlight Foundation.

He 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.

www.davekoz.com

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