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Story and photos by Andy Argyrakis
For
the 15th anniversary of his annual Christmas soiree, Dave Koz brought along an
exceptional
all-star cast that will no doubt go down as one of his best to date. Besides
the famed sax man, this year's line-up at an essentially sold out Chicago
Theatre included the remarkably diverse likes of drummer/vocalist Sheila E.
(best known for her lengthy association with Prince, and more recently, Ringo
Starr), pianist/composer David Benoit, singer Javier Colon (inaugural winner of
NBC's "The Voice"), along with brand new singer/songwriter Margo Rey.
Together,
the troupe turned in a festive blend of seasonal favorites and original hits
that wasn't just high on energy, but also exuded a constant stream of style and
elegance. After Koz and tour co-founder Benoit opened with a seasonal melody
that included "The First Noel" and "Winter Wonderland," the set shifted between
individual and collaborative moments that made the most of everyone's
incomparable talents. For Koz, that meant putting his classy stamp on the tried
and true "White Christmas," alongside his jovial original "Eight Candles (A
Song For Hanukkah)," while also paying tribute to late great mentor Marvin
Hamlisch with "The Way We Were" during a poignant acoustic set.
Other
salutes included Colon offering up
a few key lines of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Benoit sharing
memories of the recently departed Dave Brubeck, though the piano man's most
impressive moment came when covering many of Vince Guaraldi's selections from "A
Charlie Brown Christmas." Vocally, Colon
also sparkled on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Michael Jackson's "Man
In The
Mirror," but relatively basic newcomer Rey was much less connective across her
current
single "This Holiday Night." However, Sheila E. had no trouble captivating the
crowd as she walked from the back of the historic theatre down the center aisle
for a vivacious version of "Little Drummer Boy" (or "Girl" as Koz
affectionately
refereed to it).
But
just because holiday music was the tour's main theme, everyone's solo
selections were equally noteworthy and helped add constant variety to the
fast-paced performance.
Koz
shined a spotlight on his new, career spanning "Live at the Blue Note Tokyo" CD
by offering up vibrant arrangements of longtime staples like "Together Again"
and "You Make Me Smile." Benoit dazzled with his breezy "Freedom At Midnight,"
though it was Sheila E.'s mega-smash "The Glamorous Life" that truly funked up
the night with her free-flowing percussion, rippling rhythms and dance party decadence.
In
fact, it's that spontaneity coupled with the ever-shifting round of engaging
personalities that doesn't just allow Koz's Christmas tour to survive, but
actually flourish even after so many years on road (and in the midst of an
economic downturn no less). For nearly three hours, he and the whole gang
helped fans forget their troubles, find healing through the music, and perhaps
more importantly, highlight the true spirits of the season.
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