Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns rehearsal with Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot

My favorite show of last summer, Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns, is back! Koz and his buddies Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot are hitting the road together again. They’ll be swinging through the U.S. with 20 shows, performing new versions of the tunes from the GRAMMY-nominated Summer Horns album.

“I remember a particular bus ride last summer, riding along with Richard, Mindi and Gerald—it was to the last gig of what was an incredibly memorable and fun few months of touring together. We were all in a bit of a funk…kind of a bittersweet moment, when we knew this wonderful thing we had built together was coming to an end. Everyone was thinking it, so I just blurted it out…’Hey, why don’t we do it again next summer?’ Well…here we are, summer of 2014, and at it once again!” said Koz from a Los Angeles studio where the group was rehearsing.

“We all jumped at the chance to have another Summer Horns tour because, quite frankly, it’s the most fun you can have on stage. The four of us have such a great bond and a wonderful friendship onstage and off. That, plus our collective love and admiration for the music we play, makes for a really fun and exciting show. We’re thrilled to be back at it!”

The four saxophonists will be accompanied by the stellar band they toured with last year. Once again, the amazing Randy Jacobs will be jammin’ on guitar and performing duties as the show’s music director. They’ll be sharing the stage with keyboardist Tracy Carter, bassist Nathaniel Kearny Jr. and drummer Third Richardson.

I’m curious how the new arrangements will sound. It will be fun to see how they make their already-imaginative takes on the classic hits of Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears and other brassy juggernauts of the ’60s and ’70s any better than they already have.

The Summer Horns “Hot Fun In The Summertime” Tour 2014 starts today at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida. It runs through September, and includes a stop at One World Theatre in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 9.

For a complete schedule, visit www.davekoz.com.

Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot rehearsing for Summer Horns “Hot Fun In The Summertime”