A name that for many is synonymous with smooth jazz, Dave Koz has over the past three decades continued to captivate audiences worldwide with his sublime saxophone melodies and infectious energy.
Koz performs at the Blue Note Summer Sessions at The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa on Aug. 15. The show is part of his Summer Horns 2025 tour and will feature Marcus Anderson, Jeff Bradshaw, Leo P and Evan Taylor.
Born in 1963, Koz, an Encino native, grew up in a musical family, where he developed an early fascination with horn-driven bands like Chicago; Tower of Power; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Blood, Sweat and Tears. But by the time Koz reached his teens, rock and soul bands had largely moved away from using horn sections.
It was around that time the upstart musician became fascinated with instrumental jazz, particularly that of the acclaimed alto saxophonist David Sanborn, who passed away last May at the age of 78.
“David Sanborn changed the way that instrument will be played forever,” Koz said in a recent interview. “He took the saxophone from a traditional jazz setting and brought it into a more contemporary jazz setting.”
A pivotal moment in Koz’s artistic development came when the young musician was introduced to his hero backstage at a concert. “I was so nervous,” he recalled. “I’d learned every lick, every melody, and it was like, gosh, l want to be just like you, you know, the typical young kid meeting their idol. And he was patient, and he was smiling, and finally he just said, ‘Stop. Let me be me, and you find out who you are.’”
Koz took Sanborn’s advice and learned how to blend smooth jazz with elements of R&B, pop and funk in ways that set him apart from his contemporaries. Over the course of the last few decades, he’s gone on to become one of the most in-demand saxophonists of his era. He’s collaborated with a remarkably diverse range of artists, including Ray Charles, U2, Postmodern Jukebox, Kenny G, Shelby Lynne, Burt Bacharach, Michael McDonald; the list goes on.
Along the way, he’s also earned nine Grammy nominations while releasing nearly two dozen albums under his own name, many of which happen to be Christmas albums. So it comes as no surprise that he continues to celebrate his favorite holiday season with Christmas tours every year.
The Christmas tours aren’t Koz’s only recurring outings. He’s also put together “Summer Horns” recordings and tours, where he joins with other musicians to perform music that predates his move toward jazz. This summer, his latest edition for the Summer Horns trek finds him joined by vocalist Marcus Anderson, trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, trumpeter Evan Taylor and sax players Leo P and Marcel Anderson.
“That was an opportunity for us, in many different iterations, to pay tribute to some of these amazing bands,” he said. “You listen to these records, whether it’s Tower of Power; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Chicago; or Kool & The Gang, and they hold up, even after 40 or 50 years, because the songs are so good, the arrangements are so good and, of course, above all else, their musicianship is so superior.”
And through it all, there remains David Sanborn’s advice, to be who you are, which continues to resonate with Koz on a more personal level.
“Those words were very prophetic and really helped me establish my own identity,” said Koz, who would come out as gay midway through his career. “I did it about 20 years ago. I never thought I would, but something sort of happened and changed in me, and I was like ‘OK, well, I’m gonna do this. And if this changes my career trajectory, or it all stops, I’ve had a great run.’”
As it turned out, it “was” a major change, but for the better. Not only was he accepted; he also felt a renewed creative energy. “I was finally able to express myself musically in a very authentic way that I felt like I hadn’t quite accessed before. Like right now, I’m doing an album with this wonderful artist named Bob James. It’s just piano and saxophone, so there is no place to hide. I don’t think I would ever have been able to make this album, really baring my true heart, had I not come out,” he noted.
For Koz, it was an internal change he explains with a personal metaphor.
“I’d created this huge mountain in front of me that I thought I would never be able to scale,” Koz said. “And then I got over it. You face your fear, and you turn to look at the mountain thinking, ‘I’ve done it, I’ve done it.’ And when you look back, there is no mountain. That was the surprise of it all: There’s no mountain.”
Dave Koz performs 8pm, Friday, Aug. 15, at the Blue Note Summer Sessions at The Meritage Resort and Spa, 850 Bordeaux Way, Napa. The event is outdoors and will take place rain or shine.
