Arts Entertainment
Smooth Jazz Sensation
DAVI D
BRENNER
Appearing August 1st-3rd:
David Brenner - Best known for
guest-hosting and numerous
appearances on The Tonight
Show," he continues to regularly
appear on "Late Night with David
Letterman," "Late Night with
Conan O'Brien" and "Politically
incorrect with Bill Maher."
Showtime is 8:00 pm on Thursday,
Ticket cost is $15.00. 8 pm and
10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday,
ticket cost is $20.00.
iei4EDY
CASTL E
269 E. Fourth Street • Royal Oak 48067
(248) 542-9900
tadtilide
because
Live Entertainment:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday 5:30 - 9:30
Friday & Saturday 5:30-10:30
Sunday 12:00-9:30
(Sunday brunch from 12-3)
(1) ol ee,Gl i t
4N
7/19
2002
76
ig bia n ik
17546 'Woodward Ave.
(: blocks north of McNichols)
Detroit
(313) 865-0331
Enter rear ',Valet parking
Enjoying an ever expanding audience of urban contemporary, light jazz
andpop fans, Dave Koz brings his '21 Smooth Summer Night Tour"
to Meadow Brook Music Festival.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News
azz sax player Dave Koz
j
believes in being loyal to
members of his fan club, so he
tries to provide plenty of up-
front seats at his concerts: That's what
he'll be doing Thursday, July 25, when
he performs at the Meadow Brook
Music Festival.
Koz, also host of a syndicated jazz
radio show that isn't broadcast in metro
Detroit but reaches Muskegon from 9-
11 a.m. Sunday mornings on WSHZ-
FM, will be playing his original music
and music associated with his perform-
ing friends — Brian Culbertson on
keyboards, Norman Brown on guitar
and James Ingram on vocals.
"This will be our second year of
doing 'A Smooth Summer Night,"'
says Koz, 39, who grew up in
California and remains rooted there.
"The show is about communication,
fun and creating a wonderful, warm
environment."
Koz started playing the sax in sev-
enth grade and performed in his broth-
er's teen band. After graduating from
the University of California at Los
Angeles with a degree in mass commu
nications, he gave himself six months
to find a job in the music industry.
Before the time was up, he began
touring with different stars, including
fusion jazz artist Jeff Lorber and pop
vocalist Richard Marx. There soon was
a recording contract with Capitol
Records and his first solo album, Dave
Koz, in 1990.
After a solo tour, he went on to
appear regularly in both the Pat Sajak
Show and the Arsenio Hall Show house
bands.
More recordings — including Lucky
Man (1990), Off the Beaten Path
(1996) and The Dance (1999) — and
more appearances (he took part in
President Clinton's Inaugural
Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial)
raised his public profile.
Koz recently talked about his career
and personal life, including his reli-
gious background, with the Detroit
Jewish News:
DK: We work with a company that
JN: What can you tell us about your
saves seats for fans. One thing that's
upcoming Meadow Brook Music
kind of a drag in certain big cities is
Festival performance?
DK: It's all music original to the artists. I that the first few rows are often bought
out by people who don't
think there's one cover song
even come to the concerts
Dave Koz:
that we use for our encore.
because they're radio
"[The saxo phone]
Pretty much, we're all doing
can be very boisterous clients or record-company
our biggest hits. There's
people or retailers. Even if
or very me low or
never a dull moment.
they do show up, they
anything i n between.
It's great performing out-
aren't the true fans. It's a
Whatever
I
put
into
doors. That's what the sum-
very
common practice for
it,
I
get
rig
ht
back."
mer is all about. We have
fan networks around the
42 shows this summer, and
country to make sure that
most of them are outdoors
the
artists
have
the true fans up front
at fairly large venues. There's some-
because
that's
what
makes it more fun.
thing that happens with the summer-
time — jazz, being outdoors and
JN: What do you like about the saxo-
enjoying yourself I like to give our
phone?
audience permission to just enjoy.
DK: The saxophone is a never-ending
source of inspiration. I think it mirrors
JN: How did it come about that you
the widest range of emotions because
set aside seats for members of your
it's a wind instrument. It can be very
fan club?