Koz often draws comparisons to another well-known saxophonist, David Sanborn. Because the two sound almost alike, Koz is sometimes billed as the second coming of Sanborn.
Koz graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communications in 1986 and started into his musical career almost immediately afterwards playing for crooner Bobby Caldwell. For the rest of the 1980s, Koz served as a session musician in several bands, toured with artists such as Richard Marx, and played in the house band on Arsenio Hall's late-night talk show.
In 1990, Koz decided to pursue a solo career. The move proved to be successful, and his self-titled album earned high praise from critics and fans alike. His later albums include Lucky Man, The Dance, and Saxophonic. Saxophonic was nominated for both a Grammy and an NAACP Image Award.
In 1994, Koz began hosting a syndicated radio program, "The Dave Koz Radio Show" (formerly "Personal Notes"), featuring the latest music and interviews with who's who in the genre. He is currently co-host of the morning show on 94.7 The Wave, a smooth jazz station in Los Angeles.
In 2002, Koz started a record label, Rendezvous Entertainment, with Frank Cody and Hyman Katz. One of the first albums from that label was Golden Slumbers: A Father's Lullaby, which came at the time his brother Jeff became a father for the first time.
Koz also performed "Faces of the Heart", which served as the theme song on the ABC hit soap General Hospital from 1993 to 2004.
Koz came out publicly as a gay man in an April 2004 interview with The Advocate magazine. Later the same year, he was named by People magazine as one of their "50 Hottest Bachelors" in their June issue.
In 2006, Koz was selected to host a syndicated afternoon show for Broadcast Architecture's new Smooth Jazz Network. The show, based in Los Angeles, will be broadcast on other Smooth Jazz stations across the country. Koz and Ramsey Lewis will become the only two Smooth Jazz personalities to host two different syndicated shows during the week.
The Shadow of Your Smile
Dave Koz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day in early spring
You held a piper in your hand
To mend its broken wing
Now I'll remember many a day
And many a lonely mile
The echo of a piper's song
The shadow of a smile
The shadow of your smile
When you are gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn
Look into my eyes, my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me
Our wistful little star
Was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I
Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
The shadow of your smile
is a haunting and melancholic song that delves into the bittersweet memories of lost love. The first stanza describes a memory of walking along the sand in early spring with a broken piper in hand, likely referring to a type of bird. The lyrics suggest that the memory will be etched in the singer's mind, serving as a constant reminder of what once was. The lonesome imagery is evoked through the mention of "many a lonely mile" and the "echo of a piper's song."
The chorus, "the shadow of your smile when you are gone," is a poignant reminder of the person they have lost and their presence that lingers on in memory. This is heightened by the use of the word "shadow," which suggests something fleeting and intangible. The line "will color all my dreams and light the dawn" implies a certain hopefulness for the future despite the pain of the present.
The final stanza reinforces the idea of memory and the constant recollection of a past love. The lyrics suggest that not only will the singer remember spring and the joys of love but also the accompanying sadness. Overall, the song is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and memory.
Line by Line Meaning
One day we walked along the sand
Once upon a time, we strolled on the beach together.
One day in early spring
It was in the beginning of the spring season.
You held a piper in your hand
You carried a small bird in your palm.
To mend its broken wing
The bird was injured and you were trying to help it.
Now I'll remember many a day
I will cherish this memory for a long time.
And many a lonely mile
Even during lonely times, this memory will stay with me.
The echo of a piper's song
I can still hear the sound of the bird's chirping.
The shadow of a smile
But more than anything, I remember the smile on your face.
The shadow of your smile
Even though you may not be here with me, the memory of your happiness stays with me.
When you are gone
When you're no longer present in my life.
Will color all my dreams
Every dream I have will have a touch of your presence in them.
And light the dawn
Your memories will bring light and joy to my every new day.
Look into my eyes, my love and see
When you gaze into my eyes, I hope you'll see how much you mean to me.
All the lovely things you are to me
I see you as a beautiful, loving, and caring person who means the world to me.
Our wistful little star
Our hopes and dreams that may not have come true.
Was far, too high
Our aspirations were out of our reach.
A teardrop kissed your lips
I saw tears rolling down your face.
And so did I
And I also cried with you, sharing your pain and sorrow.
Now when I remember spring
Whenever I think of the beautiful spring season.
All the joys that love can bring
I will remember all the happiness and positivity that love brings with it.
I will be remembering
I will hold on to these memories.
The shadow of your smile
Most of all, I will remember the happiness that your beautiful smile brings to me.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind