Dave Koz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Koz
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Koz in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Stephen Koz |
| Born | March 27, 1963 Tarzana, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, rock, glam rock, heavy metal (formerly) |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, record producer, radio personality |
| Instruments | Soprano and alto saxophones (primary), tenor saxophone (secondary), baritone saxophone (formerly), piano, keyboard |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Capitol, EMI, Rendezvous, Concord |
| Associated acts |
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David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American musician. He is famous for playing the saxophone. Dave is also a composer, a record producer, and a radio host. He lives in California.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Dave Koz was born in Encino, California. His parents were Norman, a skin doctor, and Audrey, a pharmacist. Dave has a brother, Jeff, who is also a musician. He also has a sister named Roberta.
Dave went to William Howard Taft High School. There, he played the saxophone in the school's jazz band. After high school, he studied mass communications at UCLA. He graduated in 1986. Just a few weeks later, he decided to become a professional musician.
Dave Koz's Music Career
Soon after college, Dave joined Bobby Caldwell's band for a tour. Dave first played rock music on his saxophone. But in 1989, he started playing smooth jazz.
Throughout the 1980s, Dave worked as a session musician. This means he played music for different rock bands. He also toured with Jeff Lorber. Dave was part of rock musician Richard Marx's band. He toured with Marx in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During this time, he was also a guest saxophonist on The Arsenio Hall Show. He also played in the band for The Pat Sajak Show.
Solo Albums and TV Music
In 1989, Dave Koz decided to start his own music career. He began recording for Capitol Records. His first solo album, Dave Koz, came out in 1990. Other popular albums include Lucky Man, The Dance, and Saxophonic. His album Saxophonic was even nominated for a Grammy Award.
In 1993, Dave released his second album, Lucky Man. While working on this album, the TV show General Hospital asked him to play on their show. They had used his song "Emily" from his first album. After his appearance, the show's producer asked Dave to write a new theme song. Dave used parts of the old theme and added his own smooth jazz style. The new theme, "Faces of the Heart," first played on April 1, 1993. It was used until 2004. This song also became the third track on his Lucky Man album.
Radio Shows and Cruises
In 1994, Dave Koz started hosting his own radio show. It was called The Dave Koz Radio Show. He shared new music and interviewed famous musicians. For six years, Dave also co-hosted The Dave Koz Morning Show on 94.7 The Wave in Los Angeles. He left that show in 2007.
In 2002, Dave started his own record label called Rendezvous Entertainment. Since 2005, he has also hosted yearly "Dave Koz & Friends Jazz Cruises."
Dave also hosts a TV show called Frequency. On this show, he interviews musicians like Earth, Wind & Fire. At the end of each interview, he plays along with them. He adds his saxophone parts to their hit songs.
He was also the bandleader for The Emeril Lagasse Show. His band was called Dave Koz & The Kozmos. Dave also hosts a weekly radio show on Sirius-XM Radio's Watercolors channel. It's called "The Dave Koz Lounge."
Awards and Collaborations
On September 22, 2009, Dave Koz received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for famous people in entertainment.
In 2010, Dave performed a song called "Start All Over Again" on the TV show Desperate Housewives. He sang with Dana Glover. In 2012, he appeared on The Eric André Show.
In December 2014, Dave opened a restaurant and music place called Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge. It's in Beverly Hills, California.
Dave has also worked with other musicians. In 2018, he worked with guitarist Cory Wong on two songs. They worked together again in 2021 on the album The Golden Hour. In 2022, Dave played on the song "Supernatural" with singer-songwriter Ben Rector.
Instruments Dave Koz Plays
Dave Koz uses specific saxophones for his music. He plays a silver alto sax made by Yamaha. He also uses a straight silver soprano sax, also by Yamaha. Sometimes, he uses an older curved soprano sax. For tenor sax, he plays a Selmer Mark VI. He uses special reeds called Rico Plasticover. Besides the saxophone, Dave also plays keyboards and piano. He uses these instruments to write his songs.
Discography
Solo Studio Albums
- Dave Koz (1990)
- Lucky Man (1993)
- Off the Beaten Path (1996)
- December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997)
- The Dance (1999)
- A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001)
- Golden Slumbers: A Father's Lullaby (2002)
- Saxophonic (2003)
- Golden Slumbers: A Father's Love (2005)
- At the Movies (2007)
- Memories of a Winter's Night (2007)
- Hello Tomorrow (2010)
- Ultimate Christmas (2011)
- Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns (2013)
- Rest (2014)
- Dave Koz & Friends: The 25th of December (2014)
- Dave Koz and Friends: 20th Anniversary Christmas (2017)
- Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns II From A to Z (2018)
- Gifts of the Season (2019)
- A New Day (2020)
- A Romantic Night In (The Love Songs Album) (2021)
With Cory Wong
- The Golden Hour (2021)
Awards and Nominations
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| Wins | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
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Note
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Dave Koz has been nominated for many awards for his music. These include Grammy Awards and NAACP Image Awards. He won a Soul Train Music Award in 2011 for his album Hello Tomorrow.
See also
In Spanish: Dave Koz para niños
