Dave Koz preview

Dave Koz
Chicago Theatre, Chicago
Friday, June 15, 2007

Saxophonist Dave Koz is often called the second coming of David Sanborn, which is kind of morbid because Sanborn isn’t quite dead (though anti-smooth jazz fans might argue otherwise). Despite the astounding similarities in the pair’s styles, it is Koz, however, who holds the tenuous lite sax scepter these days, and he comes to Chicago to celebrate . . . film.

He won’t have the full cast with him at the Theatre, though At The Movies (Capitol) promises to unfold as one of Koz’s most popularly accessible works in years. Teeming with standards — though it does seem he could have picked such obvious selections in his sleep — the disc has taken residency atop jazz charts due to collaborations with Barry Manilow (“Moon River”), Vanessa Williams (“The Way We Were”), and India.Arie and Peter White tackling different versions of “It Might Be You.” Koz fans will also be treated to a whole other set of “Dave,” a greatest-hits offering of sorts.

The audience should be well attuned to remakes by the time Koz gets up. Veteran R&B session singer Phil Perry has turned a couple of solo false starts into a career of cover songs. Following last year’s Classic Love Songs, on which he tackled Marvin Gaye, The Spinners, and The Stylistics, Perry turns his ear to the broader lite-rock spectrum on A Mighty Love (Shanachie). While versions of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Unbreak My Heart,” and “The World Is A Ghetto” won’t spin the globe off its axis, they don’t intend to. Perry is just adding a little soul and if he’s second fiddle to the tunes, so be it.

David Benoit also performs.

— Kevin Keegan

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly