Dave Koz

Dave Koz started playing saxophone in seventh grade and successfully begged to join his older brother’s band, which played gigs at weddings and parties. ∙ Weeks after graduating from UCLA with a degree in mass communication, he was invited to audition for Bobby Caldwell’s band and landed his first touring job. ∙ Koz recorded a four-song demo with noted jazz artist Jeff Lorber, which led to a deal with Capitol Records. ∙ The soap opera General Hospital often used his song “Emily,” which led to Koz being asked to write a new theme song for the show’s 30th anniversary—a 1993 tune called “Faces of the Heart.” ∙ Koz’s 2013 album, Summer Horns, received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album and an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album. ∙ Over the course of his career, he has toured or collaborated with Richard Marx, Toby Keith, U2, Ray Charles, Foo Fighters, Vulfpeck, and Michael McDonald. ∙ In 2017, he appeared as himself in the Hallmark Channel movie Sharing Christmas, performing holiday tunes during the lead couple’s romantic date.