A smooth jazz holiday tradition bursting with international talent returns to Columbus this weekend. CAPA presents the Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour at the Palace Theatre on Friday, December 8th, at 8pm. Limited tickets are available via Ticketmaster here, at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and by phone at (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000. Nine-time GRAMMY nominee saxophonist Koz will be joined by fellow superstars, two who were part of Koz’s original Christmas tour – pianist David Benoit and guitarist Peter White – along with trumpeter and previous tour member Rick Braun and tour newcomer, vocalist Selina Albright. Albright is enjoying a banner 2017, as her debut album Conversations has two hit singles and features high-profile collaborations with top talent including her father, Gerald Albright. Expect the fivesome to put their own spin on holiday favorites and share their own celebrated material. Keep reading for full details from CAPA on this festive cavalcade of stars.
Dave Koz Annual Christmas Tour Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary at the Palace December 8
The Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour promises to be extra-special, reuniting Koz with two members of the original lineup—David Benoit and Peter White—and Rick Braun, a guest on many of Dave’s holiday jaunts dating back to the early years. Newcomer Selina Albright will also join in the festivities. Together, the five remarkable artists will perform fresh renditions of Christmas classics as well as a Chanukah medley and hits from their respective catalogs.
CAPA presents the Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Friday, December 8, at 8 pm. Tickets are $32.50-$74.50 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.
Two decades ago, GRAMMY® nominee Dave Koz – a nice Jewish boy – launched his first-ever Christmas tour. Now, fans and families across the country await his arrival with the kind of anticipation formerly reserved for St. Nick himself, earning the saxophonist extraordinaire the nickname “Santa Koz.”
“By all rights, smooth jazz should own the holiday season, and the saxophonist Dave Koz is better positioned than anyone to make it so,” observed The New York Times while The El Paso Times said, “Some might say it wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa, but in El Paso, it’s not Christmas until Dave Koz comes to town.”
Koz has logged nine No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Album chart, including 2015’s Collaborations: 25th Anniversary Collection, and received nine GRAMMY nominations. His five holiday albums include 2014’s The 25th of December.
Pianist David Benoit is a three-time GRAMMY nominee who has released 35 albums, scored several films, and conducted such symphonies as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra.
Trumpet maestro Rick Braun has racked up more than 20 No. 1 singles and is also known for his work with RnR and the powerhouse trio BWB.
One of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape, Peter White has had numerous No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz Songs chart and is featured on tour mate Rick Braun’s latest hit, “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
Selina Albright’s 2013 EP, Brighter, topped the UK Soul Chart for four weeks and her new full-length album, Conversations, is out now. She has collaborated with the renowned DJ duo Manufactured Superstars and has appeared on Gerald Albright’s GRAMMY-nominated projects, dating back to 1997.
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The Ohio Arts Council helped fund CAPA’s 2017-18 season with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. CAPA also appreciates the generous support of The National Endowment for the Arts, the Martha G. Staub and Willis H. Liggett Funds of The Columbus Foundation, and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
About CAPA
Owner/operator of downtown Columbus’ magnificent historic theatres (Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre) and manager of the Riffe Center Theatre Complex, Lincoln Theatre, Drexel Theatre, Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts (New Albany, OH), and the Shubert Theater (New Haven, CT), CAPA is a non-profit, award-winning presenter of national and international performing arts and entertainment. For more information, visit www.capa.com.