Dave Koz: Out and About
By Deborah J. Draisin
Openly gay Dave Koz has had music in his life for as long as he can remember. He took piano lessons as a toddler, then switched to drums in the fourth grade, but found no voice in either instrument. In middle school, as the only means of joining his brother newly formed band, Dave took up the saxophone and fell in love with it. Upon completion of his Bachelor’s at UCLA, Dave won a coveted spot in Bobby Caldwell’s band. The early notoriety paid off: next stop was a 14-month tour with renowned pop singer Richard Marx. Koz debuted his first album in 1990 and maintained a mutually fruitful 15-year relationship with Capitol Records, consistently topping the Contemporary Jazz charts, achieving double platinum status and garnering Grammy and NAACP Image Award nods.
Almost 35 years after the release of their classic debut album Dreamboat Annie, the Wilson sisters (Ann and Nancy) of Heart show no signs of slowing down. Their new album Red Velvet Car (Legacy), follows not only their previous studio recording, 2004’s Jupiter’s Darling, but also Ann’s first ever solo release, 2007’s Hope & Glory (on which she performed duets with Rufus Wainwright and Sir Elton John, among others). The good news is that the timeless Red Velvet Car has everything Heart fans have come to expect from the band, including razor sharp rockers and mellow acoustic tracks. I spoke with Nancy shortly before the release of the disc.
Out singer/songwriter Chris Pureka has been peddling her brand of moody folk music for nearly 10 years. Think Mary Gauthier, minus the occasional twang. With each album, including the fittingly named How I Learned To See In The Dark (Sad Rabbit), Pureka continues to mature as both a songwriter and performer. Opener "Wrecking Ball," from which the disc’s title is drawn, sets the atmosphere, with its mournful fiddle, courtesy of Merrill Garbus. Songs with titles such as "Hangman" and "Shipwreck" maintain the aura as you might surmise. But by "Barn Song," the darkness begins to show signs of lightening, although the rhythmic "Broken Clock" casts a shadow. The bouncy "Lowlands" shows a Springsteen influence. 
On my 19th at Sonar I was invited to witness the first collaboration of Lil Peazy and Sir Chris Lundy, both local gay artist but bringing their individual style when it came to fashion and lyricism. Titling themselves "Chris-P" the duo felt that coming together could create a new style to help both artists stand out in the Baltimore scene. 
