In his new single, ‘Summertime In NYC’, professional sax player Dave Koz takes us back to the long hot summers in of the 1970s. Specifically those in New York City, where the late evening sun flares as it sinks between the apartment blocks, and friends, family, and neighbours gather as suddenly there’s a chance to breathe after the stiflingly relentless heat of the day.
Someone’s put a speaker in their window, and out of it flows the smooth silky sax sounds: it could just as easily be The Fifth Dimension, or Bill Withers, or Earth, Wind & Fire, but it’s Dave Koz and his gorgeous soprano sax, accompanied by – well here’s the E W & F link – Ralph Johnson on drums; along with the luscious vocals Brian McKnight, known best for his 1999 album, ‘Back At One’, and his 16 Grammy Award nominations.
Koz is no stranger to awards either, having been nominated both for a Grammy and an NACCP Image Award. He wrote the theme song for – wait for it – ‘General Hospital’: who knew! And he’s got 20 albums under his belt, with his latest, ‘A New Day’, recorded this summer, and in true 2020 quarantine style, each person laid down their parts in different locations around the US, including home studios. ‘Summertime In NYC’ certainly gives nothing of this away however – it’s as real as it comes and sounds as though it’s been tracked in the one place.
Given the song is about NYC, and was mostly recorded there, of course there was no other option worth considering than to also make the video in The Big Apple. The clip was directed by Jonah George and Henry Corneros, who took their Super 8 cameras out to the streets and shot reels of beautifully grainy handheld footage, which could be located in any time – except when some very real modern day talk appears in the form of a street sign saying, “Wear a mask. Yeah, you.” The clip and the song are an escape from what feels like the new normal; but life finds a way.
Dave Koz and his music can be found online on his official website.
