Dave Koz & Friends 25th Anniversary Tour Comes To The Van Wezel This Month

Join Dave Koz and Friends for a special holiday treat! The 25th Anniversary Christmas tour comes to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on Saturday, November 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale.

For the past quarter century, it's been the time of year that multiple generations of Dave Koz fans have always looked forward to, offering, to borrow the title of one of his many seasonal albums, spectacular Memories of a Winter's Night.

Wherever else the nine-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist performs the rest of the year - aboard his sold-out cruises, headlining tours or, as he did this past summer, performing U.S. dates with Barry Manilow and major European shows with guitarist Cory Wong - they know when the holidays roll around, Dave Koz and Friends will be there to usher in and celebrate the musical joys of the season. The annual tradition - which began as a simple six city tour with David Benoit to promote Koz's 1997 release December Makes Me Feel This Way - marks 25 years in 2022 with a new all-star 25-date tour and the release of Christmas Ballads, the saxophonist's most intimate holiday collection to date.

Both onstage and in the studio, one of Koz's trademarks is continually giving his fans an experience like none he's created before. So, when it came time to creating a beautiful souvenir for this special anniversary, his vision was very different than any of his other holiday sets. Unlike his previous, rhythmically eclectic mixes of buoyant funk and soulful slow-jams, Christmas Ballads is designed as an exploration of the romantic side of the season, setting a gentle, laid-back mood for a quiet night, by the fireside with a glass of wine.

Koz says, "As much fun as I have creating a party atmosphere live and on many of the previous recordings, if you ask me my favorite part of the holidays, it's taking the time to relax and enjoy the quiet moments, reflecting and feeling gratitude. These ballads are the kind of music I want to be listening to after the big festivities are over and the Sleigh Bells fade into the night."

For this year's tour, Koz will be joined by special guests Rick Braun, Peter White, Keiko Matsui and Rebecca Jade.

Tickets are $32 - $87 and can be purchased at www.VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799 or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Pre-show dining is available through Mattison's at the Van Wezel which is located inside the theatre. Reservations can be made on VanWezel.org or through the box office.

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