Hot Koz In The Summertime

Having Winans onboard for Koz’s summer outing is icing on the cake. The gospel / R&B star sang the title track to his 1999 album The Dance.

“BeBe and I have been friends for 20 years, but this is the first time we’ve toured together and I’m so excited,” Koz said. “We’ve unofficially dubbed it ‘Brothers From Another Mother’ tour because superficially we couldn’t be more different, but we actually have so much in common.”

Before Koz & Winans hit the road the saxophonist has a few May engagements in California, playing the Alex Theatre in Glendale with the Glendale Pops Orchestra May 11; San Ramon at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center May 18, and Campbell at the Heritage Theatre May 19.

The summer excursion with Winans begins in El Paso, Texas, at the Plaza Theatre June 22 and finishes in Saratoga, Calif., at the Montalvo Arts Center Aug. 25. Stops in between include Englewood, N.J., at the Bergen Performing Arts Center June 23; San Antonio at Majestic Theatre July 20; Red Bank, N.J., at Count Basie Theatre Aug. 2; and Vienna, Va., at Filene Center at Wolf Trap Aug. 22.

Koz has a couple of dates sans Winans this summer, playing the Embarcadero Marina Park South in San Diego with the San Diego Symphony July 29 and the Center For Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind., with Monica Mancini Aug. 8.