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In a career that spans 20 years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary jazz. Yet, as noteworthy as his body of recorded work, entertaining live performances and other past accomplishments might be, Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change where everything once taken for granted is suddenly up for grabs. For Koz - and for all of us in this first decade of the new century - it's a new day, full of new challenges and opportunities, and new rules that are still being written.

Koz embraces this era of change - and even the uncertainty that comes with it - on Hello Tomorrow, his debut on Concord Records. Produced by Grammy-winners John Burk and Marcus Miller (who also appears on several tracks), the album features a diverse army of high-profile guests: Herb Alpert, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., Boney James, Jeff Lorber, Keb' Mo', Ray Parker, Jr., Lee Ritenour, Christian Scott and others. Each of the thirteen tracks - most of then written by Koz and his collaborators, others penned by friends and legends - focuses on being open to new beginnings, and trusting that the future is unfolding in all the right ways for all the right reasons.

"I'm excited to be with a new record label, Concord Records, after nearly 20 years," says Koz, "but it's been a big change for me personally, and there's always some apprehension that comes with big changes. The more people I talk to, the more I realize that there are millions of people with a similar story. Circumstances have forced them to take a step in a different direction or reinvent themselves in some way. They're reaching a certain point where they see a life ahead of them that they never expected. Many of us are at the beginning of a new era, and we'd be wise to embrace it.

Koz released his self-titled solo debut in 1990. Noteworthy follow-ups included Lucky Man (1993), Off the Beaten Path (1996) December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997), The Dance (1999), Dave Koz & Friends: A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001), Saxophonic (2003), Memories of a Winter's Night (2007), the seminal At The Movies, and Greatest Hits (2008). Along the way, Koz has had more than 20 top 10 hits on the contemporary jazz charts, and scored six Grammy nominations.

Hello Tomorrow is the culmination of all of these past achievements and more. It's a first step into a new creative environment, however uncharted the territory might be.

The set opens with "Put the Top Down," a lighthearted collaboration by Koz and Culbertson that features (among others) Lee Ritenour, Ray Parker, Jr., and Jonathan Butler on guitars; Marcus Miller on bass; and Sheila E. on percussion. The star-studded crew on hand for this opening salvo sets up a solid melodic hook that rides comfortably atop a funky bass-and-percussion groove.

"When Will I Know for Sure" is a quieter, more introspective piece that includes Koz and Boney James trading soprano and tenor licks, respectively. "I was very excited to record this track with Boney, because I'm a huge fan of his," says Koz. "There's an element of mystery to this song. It's about not knowing what the definitive answers are to life's questions. But it's also about being comfortable in that place where you don't have the answers, and trusting that things will unfold as they should."

Koz not only lays down the alto sax parts on Burt Bacharach's 1968 classic "This Guy's in Love with You," but sings the vocal line as well. "It's one thing to play a song on your horn, but it's another thing altogether to open your mouth and sing it," he says. "But I eventually got more confident with it until I realized it was the right thing to do." In a final nod to Bacharach's original hit, Herb Alpert steps in at the close of the track and delivers what Koz calls "those same iconic notes he played on the original."

Written and sung by Koz's longtime friend, Dana Glover, "Start All Over Again" is a passionate piece that offers hope in the face of adversity. "The message isn't new, but it's one that we all need to hear in one way or another," says Koz. "No matter how bad things might be, if you're still alive, if you're still breathing, there's still the opportunity for you to start over again and do whatever you want with your life. That's the situation a lot of people are in right now. They're being forced to pull up their bootstraps and figure out a way to move forward into uncharted territory."

In the home stretch, the quiet but compelling "Whisper in Your Ear" is an invitation to heed the subtle voice of reason that often gets buried in the noise of life's everyday struggles. "It's that faint, faint voice in our heads that tells us all the things we need to know," Koz explains. "It's so soft that we often find it hard to hear, and a lot of us don't trust it because it's so quiet and mysterious. If you listen closely, there are phrases that are being whispered throughout the track. The song reminds us to trust that inner voice."

The brief and poignant closer, "What You Leave Behind," featuring Miller in a rare moment on guitar, is a tribute to former Concord executive Hal Gaba and bassist Wayman Tisdale, two of Koz's mentors who passed away in recent years. "These two figures were such influential people when they were here, that what they left behind will reverberate for a very long time," he says. "That's what the song's about. While you're here, you have to make the most of it. Wherever possible, you have to make it count."

Hello Tomorrow pushes the reset button for an artist whose been in the game for two decades, and positions him for the next chapter in a story that's already multi-dimensional and compelling. "In many ways, I feel like this is the beginning of my career," he says. "That may sound strange, because I've enjoyed a great deal of success up until now. But I feel like my best days are still ahead of me. I've made a Dave Koz record that fans of my earlier work will be able to connect to. It's still me. It's not too foreign, but it's me in 2010, coming from a different perspective that's reflective of the times we're living in and the changes that continue to define this new era."

Ingepakt zijn 14 albums.