Dave Koz & Friends at Sea Cruise, Part 2: Dave, Dave, Dave!

by Kevin Wierzbicki

After spending a week aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship "Rotterdam" on the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea Cruise we have discovered something about Koz that maybe many folks don't know; he is part Energizer Bunny! The cruise saw Koz appearing at multiple shows and events every day, so many that at times it was hard to keep track of him. And while Dave plays saxophone and does not beat a drum like the lovable mascot of Energizer batteries, he does have something in common with the busy bunny; he just keeps going, and going, and going!

The 2025 Dave Koz & Friends at Sea adventure was actually two cruises that sailed back-to-back in mid-June. The first left Rotterdam in the Netherlands, bound for two ports in Norway and two ports in Iceland before wrapping up in Reykjavik while the second cruise retraced the route back to Rotterdam. A phenomenal amount of talent accompanied Koz on the cruises with Richard Elliot, Peter White, Maysa, Take 6, Ron Artis II, Vincent Ingala, Mindi Abair, Michael Lington, Marcus Anderson and Eric Darius among the many stars of smooth jazz who were on board. Koz made guest appearances at the shows of the other players and on sail away day, the first day of both cruises, he had a show where he introduced every single one of the dozens of musicians. He appeared as a guest during Rick Braun's "Great American Songbook" show, hosted two special gospel brunches, held an autograph signing session, participated in the "Sax Academy" Master Class, previewed his annual holiday tour with a special "Christmas in June" show, hosted a conversation with the members of Take 6, starred in the "Straight to the Heart" tribute to the late David Sanborn and even teamed with singer Maysa to whip up "Maysa's Famous Chocolate Dream Cake" during an episode of "Cooking With Koz." And when fans were in their cabins they could watch a number of videos featuring Dave at any time of day. You would expect an event that carries Koz's name to have him front and center but he truly went above and beyond to show everyone a good time during the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea cruises. And nowhere was his boundless energy more on display than it was during his own Dave Koz & Friends showcase.

Koz's showcase took place in the ship's largest venue, the World Stage, and it just so happened to coincide with the cruise's '70s Night where fans were encouraged to dress up in clothing from the era, which many did. Some went all out to get in a '70s mood; one gentleman dressed as Bootsy Collins while a foursome appeared in costume as KISS, complete with face makeup and inflatable guitars. Some of Dave's set honored the era too with a medley that included KC and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way I Like It," Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging," Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" and in a nice tribute to the recently deceased Sly Stone, a snippet of "Dance to the Music." Koz frequently vamped with guitarist Randy Jacobs (also the cruise's music director) as the axe man reeled off incendiary riffs and there was also a hot preview of Koz's upcoming Summer Horns 2025 tour featuring Leo P on sax, Evan Taylor on trumpet, Marcel Anderson on vocals, Marcus Anderson on sax and Jeff Bradshaw on trombone. The five players, all dressed in outfits that matched Koz's, executed some fancy footwork and choreographed dance moves. Also in the set was a take on "New Hope" from Koz's recent album with Bob James and in a surprising moment, Koz, not known as a singer, crooned a sublime take on the Bacharach/David chestnut "This Guy's in Love With You."

The World Stage, large as it is, is not big enough to hold all cruisers at once, so to accommodate all fans Dave played the show three times over the course of the evening. I'm telling ya, Energizer Bunny!

In Part 3 of our cruise coverage we'll look at some of the fun that took place while the ship was in port.

Keep up with everything that Dave Koz is up to here.

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