By Khalida Sarwari
Date nights are few and far between for Alisha and Scott Testa. Still, there they were, the parents of six children sprawled on a blue blanket on the green lawn at the Montalvo Arts Center, snacking on chicken pesto wraps and tabouli, all worries and preoccupations left behind.
Minutes later, the man who brought the Belmont couple to Saratoga for the evening would hop up on stage and, clutching his saxophone, greet his audience with a familiar tune. As the sun slowly made its descent behind the hills, the pink and purple-hued stage lights of the amphitheatre lit up the sky, and the smell of wine and chocolate mingled in the toasty-warm air.
“Montalvo, make some noise!” was the command from the stage, uttered by the star of the show, saxophonist Dave Koz. There was no hesitation from the audience; they responded with claps, cheers, whistles and stray declarations of “I love you!”
“I love you right back,” Koz said into his microphone, adding, “It’s always nice to have family here.”
The Testas were among the hundreds of music fans who trekked up to Montalvo on this particular Friday night to see Koz play. He was joined for a two-hour set by trumpeter Rick Braun and R&B crooner Kenny Lattimore.
Feet were tapped to the beat, bodies wriggled in their seats and hands were quick to shower Koz and crew with applause, sometimes even before the end of a song. Nearly every other song was rewarded with a standing ovation.
Halfway through the show, one man and his date promptly stood up and danced in front of their seats, turning around and encouraging others to do the same. It seemed even the flies buzzing in the air were dancing to the music. In quieter moments, the distinguishable chirp of crickets could be heard in the distance.
Meanwhile, the energy on stage never let up, with the spotlight shifting from one saxophonist to the next, and to the delight of the audience, at times all three musicians challenged each other or burst into spontaneous jam sessions.
In between songs, Koz told jokes and shared stories. There was the story about his young nieces questioning him about why he hasn’t recorded any covers from the soundtrack of the 2013 Disney film, “Frozen.” He said he went into the studio and recorded something to make them happy, but ended up falling in love with the song himself.
“This is for the 12-year-old girl in all of us,” Koz announced before introducing the wildly popular “Let It Go.” And demonstrating their range, the trio threw in some Beatles and Smokey Robinson for good measure.
“He took our breath away,” said Alyssa Thomas of San Jose. She and her husband, Jeff, and their friend, Lisa Trusso of Saratoga, had seen Koz in a meet-and-greet at the Carriage House Theatre prior to the concert and walked away impressed by the artist.
“I think he’s inspirational and he’s actually timeless,” Trusso said. She has seen Koz in concert 16 times, she said. “He’s got incredible energy. He’s an incredible showman who always makes you feel he’s really enjoying what he’s doing.”
Trusso’s sentiment came across in the half-hour meet-and-greet segment where, after posing for photos with individual fans on stage, Koz leaned against the stage and, displaying an easy smile and a relaxed demeanor, answered questions about touring with Barry Manilow, introducing President Bill Clinton to his parents and how he’s managed to maintain a youthful appearance at 52.
“Botox and hair dye,” he joked.
He ended the meet-and-greet by playing an impromptu song for his audience of about 40. Some of them raised their phone to capture the moment.
Alyssa Thomas walked in as one of Koz’s newer fans, but she walked out promising to return for his future concerts. “We will be back every year, too, ” she said.
The Testas said they’re looking forward to seeing Koz someday on one of the jazz cruises he hosts about once a year. But for the night, there was nowhere else they would rather have been.
Fortunately, their eldest daughter was off from work and available to babysit their younger kids so they could enjoy an infrequent date night in Saratoga.
“You can’t beat Montalvo on a summer night,” said Alisha Testa.
Link: Music fans enjoy a night with Dave Koz at Montalvo Arts Center
