(September 8, 2020) Through the desperate times of a pandemic, the possibilities are endless for a gifted musician to find eternal hope on the other side of the storm. Leave it to one of Billboards’ highest charting contemporary jazz saxophonists, Dave Koz, to pull off this enormous task. For his upcoming project of all original material in a decade entitled A New Day, Koz crafted a soundtrack that offered the positive aspects of living in New York City despite the chaos surrounding the health crisis of Covid-19.
As part of Koz’s musical healing suite, First Listen spotlights a smooth jazz lover’s delight in “Summertime in NYC” (Just Koz Entertainment). Anchored by Koz’s warm saxophone and Brian McKnght’s gentle tenor fills, “Summertime in NYC” stands out with its sophisticated funk vibe beckoning Earth Wind and Fire– frosted with the scat vocal hooks of their mid-seventies top 20 R&B hit, “Sun Goddess.” EWF percussionist Ralph Johnson accents the finger-snapping rhythm track. And the accompanying video celebrates some of the sights and sounds of the Big Apple while the chorus declares: “Chilling in the park…dancing in the dark.”
Koz’s instrumental proficiencies have been a joy for jazz lovers in the past three decades, and his artistic choices as a composer are the reason that “Summertime in NYC” is an engaging listen for all seasons.
By Peggy Oliver
Dave Koz feat. Brian McKnight
“Summertime in NYC”