David Sanborn
(born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off
in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school. [1]
One of the most commercially successful American saxophonists to earn prominence since the 1980s, Sanborn is often identified with radio-friendly smooth jazz. However, Sanborn has expressed a disinclination for both the genre itself and his association with it. [2]
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DAVID SANBORN TICKETS
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Biography
Early years
Sanborn was born in
Tampa, Florida and grew up in
Kirkwood, Missouri. He suffered from
polio in his youth, and began playing the saxophone on a physician's advice to strengthen his weakened chest muscles and improve his breathing. Alto saxophonist
Hank Crawford, at the time a member of
Ray Charles' band, was an early and lasting influence on Sanborn.
[3] Sanborn performed with
blues musicians
Albert King and
Little Milton at the age of 14, and continued playing blues when he joined
Paul Butterfield's band in 1967.
Although Sanborn is most associated with
smooth jazz, he explored the edges of
free jazz in his youth, studying with saxophonists
Roscoe Mitchell and
Julius Hemphill. In 1993, he revisited this genre when he appeared on
Tim Berne's
Diminutive Mysteries
, dedicated to Hemphill.
Recordings
He has been a highly regarded session player since the late 1960s, playing with an array of well-known artists, such as
James Brown,
Bryan Ferry,
Eric Clapton,
Roger Daltrey,
Stevie Wonder,
Paul Simon,
Jaco Pastorius, the
Brecker Brothers,
Casiopea,
Players Association,
David Bowie,
Todd Rundgren,
Bruce Springsteen,
Little Feat,
Tommy Bolin,
Bob James,
James Taylor,
Al Jarreau,
Pure Prairie League,
Kenny G George Benson,
Joe Beck,
Donny Hathaway,
Elton John,
Gil Evans,
Carly Simon,
Guru,
Linda Ronstadt,
Billy Joel,
Kenny Garrett,
Roger Waters,
Steely Dan,
Ween,
The Eagles,
The Grateful Dead, the German group
Nena, and
Japanese pop star
Utada Hikaru.
[4]
Sanborn has won numerous awards including Grammy awards for
Voyeur
(1982),
Double Vision
(1986) and the instrumental album
Close Up
(1988). In television, Sanborn is well-known for his sax solo in the theme song for the NBC hit drama
L.A. Law
. He has also done some film scoring for films such as
Lethal Weapon
and
Scrooged
. In 1991 Sanborn recorded
Another Hand
, which the
All Music Guide to Jazz
described as a "return by Sanborn to his real, true love: unadorned (or only partly adorned) jazz" that "balanced the scales" against his smooth jazz material.
[5] The album, produced by
Hal Willner, featured musicians from outside the smooth jazz scene, such as
Charlie Haden,
Jack DeJohnette,
Bill Frisell, and
Marc Ribot. His more recent albums include
Closer.
In 1994 Sanborn appeared in
A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who
, also known as
Daltrey Sings Townshend
. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall produced by
Roger Daltrey of English rock band
The Who in celebration of his fiftieth birthday. In 1994 a CD and a VHS video were issued, and in 1998 a DVD was released.
In 1995 he performed in
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
a musical performance of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the
Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and issued on CD and video in 1996.
Broadcasting activities
Sanborn has done both radio and television broadcasting. Since the late 1980s he has been a regular guest member of
Paul Shaffer's band on
Late Night with David Letterman
. From 1988-89, he co-hosted a late-night TV music show on
NBC with
Jools Holland. The show,
Night Music
, following producer
Hal Willner's eclectic approach, drew Sanborn together with many famed musicians, such as
Miles Davis,
Dizzy Gillespie,
Lou Reed,
Santana,
Todd Rundgren,
Youssou N'dour,
Pere Ubu,
Loudon Wainwright III,
Mary Margaret O'Hara, and
Curtis Mayfield. During the 1980s and 1990s, Sanborn hosted a syndicated radio program,
The Jazz Show with David Sanborn
.
He also recorded the theme song as well as several other songs for
The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder.
More recent activities
In 2004, Sanborn was inducted into the
St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 2006, he was featured in
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's most recent album
The Phat Pack
(released on June 13) on the track "
Play That Funky Music", a remake of the
Wild Cherry' hit in a big band style. Sanborn often performs at
Japan's
Blue Note venues in
Nagoya,
Osaka, and
Tokyo. He plays on the song "Your Party" on
Ween's 2007 release
La Cucaracha
. On April 8th 2007, Sanborn sat in with the Allman Brothers Band during their annual run at the Beacon Theater in New York City.
Discography
Albums
- Taking Off
(1975)
- David Sanborn
(1976)
- Promise Me to the Moon
(1977)
- Heart to Heart
(1978)
- Hideaway
(1979)
- Voyeur
(1980)
- As We Speak
(1981)
- Backstreet
(1982)
- Straight to the Heart
(1984)
- Double Vision
, with Bob James (1986)
- A Change of Heart
(1987)
- Close Up
(1988)
- Another Hand
(1991)
- Upfront
(1992)
- Hearsay
(1994)
- The Best of David Sanborn
(1994)
- Pearls
(1995)
- Love Songs
(1995)
- Songs From the Night Before
(1996)
- Inside
(1999)
- The Essentials
(2002)
- Time Again
(2003)
- Closer
(2005)
- Here and Gone
(2008) [6]
DVDs
- Legends: Live at Montreux 1997
(Released: 2005)
- The Legends of Jazz: Showcase
(Released: 2006)
Filmography
Actor/Host
- The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
(1995)
Cast member in the TV musical
- Scrooged
(1988)
Played a street musician
- Sunday Night
(1988)
Was the host of this music show (later known as ''Michelob Presents Night Music)
- Magnum P.I.
(1986)
Was guest saxophonist
in the episode L.A.
- Stelle Sulla Citta
(1983) [7]
Himself
- Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert (1999)
- Burt Bacharach: One Amazing Night
(1995)
Performed Wives and Lovers
on this TV special
- The Kennedys Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts
(1996)
- Forget Paris
(1995)
- Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who
(1994)
- Michael Kamen: Concert for Saxophone
(1991)
- Benny Carter: Symphony in Riffs
(1989)
- One Trick Pony
(1980)
- The David Letterman Show
• 29 October 1993
• 15 October 1993
• 21 September 1993
• 10 September 1993
• 22 December 1988
• 10 November 1988
• 25 December 1987
• 7 October 1987
• 22 May 1986
- Saturday Night Live
(15 March 1980)
Composer
- Lethal Weapon 4
(1998)
- Lethal Weapon 3
(1992)
- Lethal Weapon 2
(1989)
- Psycho III
(1986)
- Finnegan Begin Again
(1985)
- Stelle Sulla Citta
(1983)
- Moment to Moment
(1975)
Musician
-
Forget Paris (1995)
- Tequila Sunrise
(1988)
- Psycho III
(1986)
- Murphy's Romance
(1985)
- Saturday Night Live
(1975)
Gear List
- Saxophone
Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone
Manufacturer: Selmer
Location: Paris, France
Retail Value (approx): $6,000 (US)
- Reeds
Vandoren V16 reeds
Each reed lasts David roughly a week.
- Mouthpiece
A modified Dukoff D8 Metal Alto Sax Mouthpiece
- Ligature
A Harrison Ligature
- Bell Jar
To keep his reeds humidified without over-soaking them, David uses a bell jar. First he soaks them for a couple of hours in the jar, and then empties out most of the water so that the reeds won't get wet, but will still stay humid. He finds this technique extremely valuable. [8]
References
- Biography
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz
- David Sanborn
- Sessions
- All Music Guide to Jazz
- Discography
- Filmography
- Gear List