(JKPR) Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour 2024-the 27th anniversary edition of the longest-running jazz-based Christmas tour-will kick off on November 29 (Black Friday) at Atlanta's Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Bringing a fresh sensibility to this rich musical tradition, Koz & Friends will perform timeless Christmas classics plus a Chanukah medley and hits from each artist's respective catalogue. This year's tour, which will visit 18 cities in less than a month, reunites Koz with long-time musical partner, guitarist/singer Jonathan Butler, and features special guests, saxophonist Vincent Ingala, guitarist Adam Hawley and vocalist Rebecca Jade-all of whom are truly artists on the rise.
Writer Gary Graff (Billboard, The Oakland Press) calls the tour "a holiday institution." 360 Sound sees it as a "kick-ass holiday party, with our host Santa Koz making all our holiday dreams come true." Esquire said, "A man who digs Dave Koz, is a man who digs life."
Koz brings a holiday vibe to a classic Disney song in the animated video for his inspired rendition of "When You Wish Upon A Star" (from Pinocchio). The track is from his new EP, Dave Koz Does Disney. Christmas Ballads-Koz's eighth and most recent holiday album-has won acclaim, with Downbeat noting, "Christmas Ballads...provide mellow aural bliss to anyone relaxing near a fireplace of crackling logs on a wintry night." The Mercury News observed, "the smooth jazz master explores the romantic side of the season as he offers up such ballads as 'Merry Christmas Darling' and 'Ave Maria.' The performances, of course, are top-notch..." Koz's latest recording project is a collaboration with the legendary Bob James, which will be released in 2025.
In over 30 years of constant touring, Koz has graced the stages of some of the most prestigious venues the world over, including Royal Albert Hall in London, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Carnegie Hall in New York City and various symphony orchestras across the country. Koz also headlines The Hollywood Bowl every other summer season as one of the legendary venue's "regulars."
In May 2024, Dave Koz & Friends at Sea sailed to Greece, Malta and Sicily on two sold-out voyages. Koz has raised over two million dollars to date for Starlight Children's Foundation through the Dave Koz & Friends At Sea silent auctions and his network of fans. He has served as global ambassador for the Foundation for 30 years. Earlier this year, Koz received the 2023 Starlight Children's Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2024
11/29 - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
11/30 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
12/1 - Sarasota, FL - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
12/2 - Naples, FL - Hayes Hall Artis-Naples
12/3 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
12/5 - North Bethesda, MD - The Music Center at Strathmore
12/6 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center For The Arts
12/7 - New Haven, CT - John Lyman Center For The Performing Arts
12/8 - Cleveland, OH - Connor Palace at Playhouse Square
12/11 - Warren, OH - Robins Theatre
12/12 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
12/13 - Carmel, IN - The Palladium At The Center For The Performing Arts
12/14 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
12/15 - Detroit, MI - Music Hall Center For The Performing Arts
12/18 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theater
12/19 - San Diego, CA - Balboa Theatre
12/20 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts
12/21 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts
12/22 - Palm Desert, CA - McCallum Theatre
12/23 - Modesto, CA - Gallo Center For The Arts
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