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| Capitol Records Releases Dave Koz - Greatest Hits Capitol Records will release Dave Koz - Greatest Hits on September 16th. It's a fitting time for a career retrospective of the renowned instrumentalist/composer, with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce recently announcing that Koz will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 2009. Dave has had numerous No. 1 singles and No. 1 albums and been honored with six GRAMMY nominations and an NAACP Image award nod. Although Dave Koz - Greatest Hits is packed with Koz classics, documenting a career with incredible longevity and diversity, it also provides a sneak preview of Dave's next chapter with four brand new compositions. "Life In The Fast Lane, " the first single, was most added for three consecutive weeks and is already at No. 12 on the charts. "I wrote it with Darren Rahn, one of the great up-and-coming writer/producers of today, and it reminds me of the pace my life has taken over the past 18 years, " says Dave. "It certainly feels like I've been traveling in the fast lane ... and absolutely enjoying every bit of the ride." "And Then I Knew, " another new song, was produced by his friend Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Alanis Morissette). Although the two have known each other since second grade, this marks the first time the GRAMMY-winning producer has produced one of Dave's songs - and his first time producing an instrumental artist. Other new tunes include "I Can" featuring BeBe Winans and "Bada Bing" featuring Jeff Golub. Signed to Capitol by legendary music executive Bruce Lundvall, Koz has remained with the same label for nearly 20 years. His self-titled debut album was released in 1990 and yielded numerous hits, including his first No. 1 single, "Castle of Dreams, " and "Emily, " a track he co-wrote with Bobby Caldwell and Jeff Lorber. Both are included on Dave Koz - Greatest Hits. Other highlights include "You Make Me Smile, " Koz's signature song, and "Faces of the Heart" from his first Gold album, 1993's Lucky Man. ("Faces of the Heart" was the theme song for ABC's "General Hospital" for 10 years.) His follow-up, Off the Beaten Path, was accompanied by a PBS special of the same name, and featured a more organic sound. The 1996 album's "Lullaby for a Rainy Night" is still one of Koz's all-time favorites. The swinging retro funk/hip-hop track "Can't Let You Go (Sha La Song)" featuring the late Luther Vandross on vocals was one of two No. 1 hits from 1999's The Dance, which, like Lucky Man, went Gold. Saxophonic, released in 2003, garnered Koz two GRAMMY nominations spanning two consecutive years. Like Lucky Man and The Dance before it, Saxophonic spent over 100 weeks on the charts. Included here are the breezy "Love Changes Everything" featuring Brian McKnight and the funk-inflected No. 1 singles "Honey-Dipped" and "All I See Is You." In addition to recording a string of successful albums, Dave has found the time to host a weekly syndicated radio show ("Dave Koz Radio Show, " now in its tenth year, is heard in approximately 120 markets) and a daily afternoon radio show nationally distributed on the Smooth Jazz Radio Network, tour worldwide (his summer and fall shows are staples of the touring industry and his "Dave Koz & Friends at Sea" outing is in its fourth year) and co-found an independent record label, Rendezvous Entertainment. He is also a dedicated philanthropist, serving as longtime Global Ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation and as an ongoing member of the Board of Governors for the GRAMMY Foundation. "An artist's career is a two-way street and I am grateful for my fans' help in navigating me through this adventure, " says Dave, who will wrap up his summer tour on September 27th with a performance at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. Thereafter he'll tour Japan before embarking on the fourth annual "Dave Koz & Friends At Sea" cruise on Holland America Line's m/s Westerdam. (Visit http://www.davekozcruise.com for further details.) Dates for the annual "Dave Koz and Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas" tour will be announced shortly. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |