A Fun Puzzle Easily Solved

It’s summer time in Southern California. Is there any place filled with more possibilities? What to do, where to go, who to see . . . it kinda feels like a big jigsaw puzzle to me. I love the feeling of abandon I get as I throw all the pieces on the floor--spreading them out to create the perfect summer, piece by piece.

Every year at this time, however, I find myself out of town and on the road for days and weeks due to my touring schedule. “Jazz and summer,” my managers remind me, “they go together like cones and ice cream.” My response is usually the same: “But what about my puzzle?” So once again, I’m faced with the challenge of choosing my pieces wisely.

I usually return to the things that have always made me happy. For that, there’s nothing like a Dodgers game. When I was a kid growing up in the San Fernando Valley, my parents religiously took my brother, sister and me to Dodger Stadium. Sure I liked the games, but frankly, I really went for the food. I’d start with the Dodger dog, then down some peanuts, onto the cotton candy, and who wouldn’t want to follow it all up with a nice Carnation frozen chocolate malt? Thankfully, some things never change.

With my travel schedule being so hectic, I really enjoy coming back to wide-open spaces. I love the gardens at the Getty Center. Just to walk the grounds and marvel at the architecture and views are worth the price of admission, which is free, by the way. June 3 and Aug. 5, there’s a Family Festival at the Getty, featuring storytelling, dance and art workshops. It’s also a nice way for me to visit my mom; she volunteers there every weekend.

For true peace and quiet, no place in L.A. can compare with the Lake Shrine at the Self-Realization Fellowship on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. This is one of those rare places where, once inside, you feel transported--so far away from the city, yet so nearby. No matter what religious persuasion you happen to be, this is a sanctuary of quiet beauty--a place in which to think, stroll and meditate. Life, on the road, in L.A. or wherever can be so crazy--I love going there to get away from all that.

There are other things I crave when I’m away from home. Like good chips and salsa, and a nice margarita for starters. So, I’m pretty much hitting El Carmen on 3rd Street in L.A. within the first 24 hours of returning. The guacamole is a triumph. Of course I could settle for the Papardelle Bolognese at I Cugini on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. A great summer day off--spend it at the beach in Santa Monica, maybe stroll along the Santa Monica Pier. Play some Skee-ball in the arcade. Take a long walk in the late afternoon along Palisades Park, lay down a blanket and watch the sunset. After the last sliver of sun is long gone, walk back and get some of that Papardelle. Multiple triumph.

One of the highlights of the season will be taking out my nieces. I’ve narrowed their choices down to two: a culture-filled evening at the historic outdoor venue the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre seeing “Jaliyaa: An Evening of Traditional West African Music and Dance” on July 14, or the ‘N Sync concert at the Rose Bowl July 24. I have a pretty good idea what they’ll choose. But I may be able to bribe them to indulge me in my choice--I love ‘N Sync.

Music in the Open, a Summer Staple

My mom and dad instilled a love in me for classical music, and there’s no shortage of puzzle pieces for classical aficionados. How about a leisurely drive to the Ojai Festival at the Festival Bowl (May 29-June 3), with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting. While there, visit the Ojai Valley Inn Spa for a massage treatment you won’t soon forget. Who knows--you may even run into Esa-Pekka there between movements.

Of course, no L.A. summer puzzle is complete without a visit to the Hollywood Bowl--the ultimate centerpiece of the season. There’s a show there to fit everyone’s taste, but I’m choosing the July 4 Fireworks Spectacular, which is best enjoyed if you can get box seats accompanied with a really good bottle of wine and a few Dodger dogs. And on July 20 and 21, my buddy John Mauceri is conducting with Welsh singer Charlotte Church as the soloist. John was so kind to offer me the thrill of a lifetime, to be a soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra that weekend. (I won’t need the box seats.)

No shortage of jazz either, rounding out the musical collage this summer. Kurt Elling is at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City on June 3. David Benoit is at UC Santa Barbara June 5. And a big, wonderful night of jazz back at the Hollywood Bowl happens on Aug. 19 for the JVC Jazz Festival featuring Lee Ritenour, Joe Sample, Gerald Albright and Brenda Russell. Awesome.

I’m also excited about my summer tour because we’re debuting a new show called “Dave Koz and Friends: A Smooth Summer Night,” which will feature singer Michael McDonald, guitarist Norman Brown and keyboardist Brian Culbertson. We’ll be visiting 35 cities across the U.S., with a stop here July 14 at the Greek Theatre (one of the coolest places to spend an evening, no matter who’s on stage).

Finally, I can’t forget Wave LA at the UCLA Tennis Center, Aug. 4, or I might lose my day gig! You see, last month I began hosting the morning show for the Wave (KTWV-FM, 94.7), and have been having a blast. This is the station’s annual summer blowout, and will star smooth jazz greats Boney James, the Rippingtons, Patti Austin and Everette Harp. A hot summer may get even hotter with that lineup.

So there you have it. Literally thousands of pieces to this puzzle we call summer in Southern California--and the coolest thing is that everyone’s will be different. So relax, open the box, throw the pieces on the floor, sift through, see what you got. Sip a lemonade and rest easy, you have all summer long to put it together.

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Dave Koz is a saxophonist and the morning DJ on KTWV-FM (94.7).