David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American
alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend
jazz with
instrumentalpop and
R&B.[1] He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school and was a session musician long before its release.[2] He remains popular as a session musician, playing in several albums of various artists (see
Discography).
One of the most commercially successful American saxophonists to earn prominence since the 1980s, Sanborn is described by critic Scott Yanow[3] as "the most influential saxophonist on pop, R&B, and crossover players of the past 20 years." He is often identified with radio-friendly
smooth jazz, but he has expressed a disinclination for the genre and his association with it.[1]
Early life
Sanborn was born in
Tampa, Florida, and grew up in
Kirkwood, Missouri. He contracted
polio in his youth.[4] He began playing saxophone on a physician's advice to strengthen his weakened chest muscles and improve his breathing, instead of studying piano. Alto saxophonist
Hank Crawford, at the time a member of
Ray Charles's band, was an early and lasting influence on Sanborn.[5]
Sanborn recorded on four Butterfield albums as a
horn section member and soloist from 1967 to 1971. In the early morning of Monday, August 18, 1969, Sanborn appeared as a member of the band at the
Woodstock Music Festival at Bethel, NY.
In the mid-70s Sanborn became active in the popular jazz fusion scene by joining the
Brecker Brothers band where he became influenced by
Michael Brecker, and it was with the brothers that he recorded his first solo album,
Taking Off, nowadays regarded as something of a jazz/funk classic.
Many of his solo recordings were collaborations with the bassist/multi-instrumentalist/composer and producer
Marcus Miller, whom he met in the Saturday Night Live band in the late 1970s.
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.[7] 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.
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 broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT) and issued on CD and video in 1996.
In 2010, Sanborn toured primarily with a trio featuring jazz organist
Joey DeFrancesco and
Steve Gadd where they played the combination of blues and jazz from his album Only Everything. In 2011, Sanborn toured with keyboardist
George Duke and bassist Marcus Miller as the group DMS. In 2013, Sanborn toured with keyboardist
Brian Culbertson on "The Dream Tour" celebrating the 25th anniversary of the song "The Dream".
Besides playing alto saxophone as his main instrument, Sanborn plays also tenor, soprano and sopranino saxophone, saxello, flute & keyboards/piano on some recordings.[9][10][11][12]
Broadcasting
Sanborn has performed and hosted radio, television, and web programs. He was a member of the
Saturday Night Live Band in 1980. From the late 1980s he was a regular guest member of
Paul Shaffer's band on Late Night with David Letterman. He also appeared a few times on the Late Show with David Letterman in the 90s.
In 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic paused live music performances in public venues, Sanborn hosted a series master classes on
Zoom and also virtual productions of "Sanborn Sessions" with artists such as Marcus Miller,
Christian McBride,
Sting,
Michael McDonald, which involved live performances and interviews from his home in Westchester, N.Y.[13]
According to an April 1988 interview published in the jazz magazine
DownBeat, he has a preference for Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones in the 140,000-150,000 serial number range, all produced in 1967. From the late 70s Sanborn played mouthpieces created by
Bobby Dukoff. He is currently playing a mouthpiece designed by Aaron Drake.
Awards and honors
He has won six
Grammy Awards and has had eight gold albums and one platinum album.[14]
Sanborn won Grammy Awards for Voyeur (1981), Double Vision (1986), and the instrumental album Close Up (1988).