As a music journalist who has made the melodic, urban driven sounds of the genre/format known as Smooth Jazz a centerpiece of his work for decades, I get it when outsiders check out a few tunes on the radio, assume they’ve heard enough and dismiss it as hipped up, well played aural wallpaper—an issue I poke fun at with my license plate, "SNUZJAZ."
Yet as the thousands of partying enthusiasts at the Hollywood Bowl’s annual Smooth Summer Jazz mini-fest can attest, the wealth of music falling under that umbrella moniker that final night in August was often so intensely grooving, danceable and funkified, that branding consistency issues aside, the venue should perhaps in the future consider dubbing it FUNKY SUMMER JAZZ or SUMMER JAZZ-FUNK FEST. Because while the winsome, multi-talented opener, keyboardist Kayla Waters, was pretty breezy and gospel/jazz great Jonathan Butler offered some dazzling balladry, what the latest iteration of Dave Koz & Friends’ adventurous, wildly energetic Summer Horns and legendary '70s funkateers, the Ohio Players threw down wasn’t smooth by anyone’s definition.
One of the true icons and impresarios of smooth jazz for over three decades, Koz’s original concept for Summer Horns (both recording and live) in 2013 was playing fiery arrangements of classic '70s horn band songs with fellow genre sax stars Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot. The 2018 lineup found him jamming with Albright, Elliot, trumpet great Rick Braun and trombonist/vocalist Aubrey Logan. No offense to all that killer star power and those amazing artists, but the lineup he’s had since the pandemic era—and that joined him at the Bowl this year to conclude “The Ultimate Summer Party” tour—is the by far the most spirited, dynamic and versatile, making their concert much more compelling than the smooth jazz all-star shows of the past.
Although they are all successful solo artists with growing, impactful discographies, it’s likely many in the audience weren’t previously aware of the magic of saxman Marcus Anderson, trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, baritone saxophonist Leo P, trumpeter Evan Taylor and Marcel Anderson, whose powerhouse lead vocals made this like a 2020s version of Tower of Power. The varied instruments make them more of a true horn section than the previous Summer Horns lineups, allowing for more explosive and imaginative arrangements.
They’re all exciting, stellar performers in their own right, but together, they were off the charts, offering pure joyful transcendence on exuberant brassy classics like the Earth, Wind & Fire version of “Got to Get You Into My Life,” Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” (part of an otherworldly Stevie medley), and The Ides of March musical muscle car “Vehicle,” which they also blissfully recently released as a single.
Though they joined Koz to play some of his upbeat, crowd-pleasing classics like “Together Again” and “Honeydipped,” one of the coolest aspects of the varied set was the abundance of solo spotlights for each of the horn cats to strut their individual stuff - most notably the dramatic, dancing bari sax entertainer Leo P strutting his stuff on TOP’s mid-'70s romp “Squib Cakes” (and letting us know why the former busker’s got millions of views on YouTube) and Taylor’s performing a clever, breezy “Rise and Shine” medley of Herb Alpert’s “Rise” and his own recent radio hit. The spotlights on Anderson and Bradshaw’s tunes were engaging as well. Speaking of Andersons, Marcel somehow managed to outsexy Marvin Gaye on “Let’s Get It On” and brought joy to the Disney gods with his soaring duet with special guest Regina Belle on Belle’s Aladdin hit “A Whole New World.” All told, one of the best Dave Koz non holiday shows in years and definitely the best summer horns showcase ever!
Koz’s predecessors in “funky, not smooth” Hollywood Bowl electrifying were the legendary Ohio Players, whose current ensemble featuring many longtime members carries on the legacy left by recently departed Greg Webster (the band’s original drummer) and Clarence “Chet” Willis. Led by drummer James “Diamond Williams and keyboardist and trippy “Funky Worm” vocalist Billy Beck from their classic hitmaking '70s lineup, they did dazzling dances with everything from their slow jam “I Want To Be Free” and hilarious “Jive Turkey” to the showstopping, ever-buoyant trademark hits “Love Rollercoaster” and “Fire.”
Kayla Waters and Jonathan Butler may have opened the festival with their grand, multi-faceted individual sets, but they are both A-list headliners in their own right. While Butler charmed with his classic instrumental “Song for Elizabeth,” “No Woman No Cry,” and audience participation hits “Sarah Sarah” and “Lies,” the beyond the hits highlights included his passionate rendering of “Falling in Love with Jesus” and his powerful interactions with his wife and muse, violin virtuosa Nadira Kimberly Scruggs-Butler. Kayla may always be best known for being the daughter of legendary urban jazz saxophonist Kim Waters, but she’s a great composer and infectious keyboard performer in her own right that deserves more major showcases like Smooth Summer Jazz.
Smooth Summer Jazz
Dave Koz & Friends Summer Horns
With Special Guest Regina Belle
The Ohio Players
Jonathan Butler
Kayla Waters
Sun / Aug 31, 2025 - 6:30 p.m.
"Our annual celebration of the smoothest sounds around returns."
