Jazz saxophonist brings holiday concert to Fox Tucson

But he did love those Christmas songs.

As a kid, he'd "disappear to friends' houses and trim the tree and get the whole taste of the music and the food" of the season, he said. 

And he'd hear those classic carols.

"One thing I can tell you as a musician, and even as a Jewish musician, Christmas music is so rich, it's so powerful, it's so much more than just songs or notes," Koz said in an early December phone call. "These are songs that are steeped in tradition and nostalgia. And if you talk about the later repertoire, the stuff that was written in the '30s and '40s and '50s. These were written by some of the greatest songwriters of all time."

Twenty-eight years ago, Koz, 62, and his longtime friend, jazz pianist David Benoit, turned to those holiday gems to help them grieve losing parents.

The result was the inaugural "Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour" featuring several of Koz's smooth jazz friends. 

The 26th iteration of the tour swings into Fox Tucson Theatre on Tuesday, Dec. 16. It will be only the second time the show has stopped here — the last time was in 2016 — and it will likely be the last.

"We're going to try and make it to 30 years, which is a couple years from now, and then I think it will be a good time to pass the torch to somebody else," said Koz, the 10-time Grammy nominee whose latest nomination is for the 2026 Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. "We did it, and we had a great, great time doing it, but I kind of want to make some space for something else to come through, too."

This year's "friends" include South African guitarist and singer-songwriter Jonathan Butler, whom Koz said will have the audience in tears when he sings "O Holy Night," and jazz bassist Casey Abrams of Postmodern Jukebox fame.  

The rising jazz pianist Kayla Waters and vocalist Haley Reinhart, who landed a record deal after her third-place "American Idol" finish in 2011, will team up on a medley of holiday hymns including "Ava Maria."

"It's a really nice mix of fun, but also very emotionally resonant music that can take people on this really nice two-hour journey through the holidays," Koz said. "Hopefully when the show is over, people are firmly deposited in their holiday spirit."

Tuesday's concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets start at $57.50 through foxtucson.com.