David Sanborn
Born July 30, 1945 in Tampa, FL and raised in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, David Sanborn is one of the most recognized musicians in contemporary jazz, with a signature alto sax tone - tart, astringent and rooted in the popular R&B of Earl Bostic and the soul-jazz of Hank Crawford - that is instantly identifiable.
Sanborn took up sax as a way to strengthen his breathing after a childhood bout with polio, and by the time he was a teenager, he was jamming in St. Louis clubs at Gaslight Square and on the east side, as recounted in this interview. His first big professional gig was as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. After that, he joined the original incarnation of the Brecker Brothers Band while simultaneously embarking on a career as one of the busiest session players of the late Seventies and Eighties, making memorable contributions to recordings by David Bowie, James Taylor, Paul Simon and many others as well as to film soundtracks like Michael Kamen's scores for the Lethal Weapon movies with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
As a solo artist, Sanborn can be considered the prototype for many contemporary saxophonists in the smooth jazz genre, though his music is both grittier and more substantive than many of his would-be imitators. Moreover, on albums such as Another Hand, Sanborn has proven himself fully capable of performing alongside some of the best players in mainstream jazz.
One of my favorite Sanborn projects was the late night TV show Night Music, which featured many musical guests rarely seen on network television, sometimes collaborating in novel combinations, like the time Sonny Rollins accompanied singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, or when Sanborn and folk duo the Indigo Girls backed avant-rockers Sonic Youth. The show only lasted a couple of seasons, but it is still remembered fondly by many music fans.
Given his high profile and ongoing career, there's plenty of information about Sanborn on the Web. His official site and fan club site are two good starting places to find out more about him. For more on what he's been up to lately, check out these two interviews from earlier this year when he released his most recent album Closer.
And though some are little out of context, you may also enjoy reading this list of Sanborn quotes. Finally, check out this transcription of Sanborn's solo on "Butterfat," a song from his very first solo album, to get an idea of how his approach to soloing lays out on paper.
