Famed Jazz Group’s Performance Entertains Passengers Amid Flight Delays

Photo Credits: AP News

Being stuck on an aeroplane for longer than necessary is an experience few would look forward to. However, when a renowned jazz group found themselves on a heavily delayed Alaska Airlines flight, the crew invited them to lift the spirits of their fellow passengers. The musicians gladly obliged, unpacking their horns and delivering a surprise concert. 

In a video now circulating online, Dave Koz and the Summer Horns can be seen performing their rendition of Stevie Wonder's You Haven't Done Nothing. This impromptu performance was arranged due to multiple delays, diversions and timed-out staff en route from St. Louis to their next tour stop in Seattle. 

The event took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning, right on the tarmac after the flight diverted to Boise, Idaho. Seeing that people were close to losing their patience, a flight attendant approached the group and asked if they wanted to play. "We end up getting our instruments out and everyone's excited and all these phones are coming out. We're just thinking about giving people a great concert on an aeroplane." Said fellow saxophonist Marcus Anderson. 

The 16-man group pulled out their whatever equipment they could and selected a song from their show set list. "We got the video content from people, and I said, 'Hey, Dave, I'm going to post it and share it.' By the time we got off the plane, it was trailing close to maybe 200,000 views," Anderson explained, referring to the initial explosion of interest on social media. "It started skyrocketing." 

Koz said he had "never played on a plane" before, whereas Anderson had once performed a solo version of America the Beautiful on the Fourth of July.