Saxophonist David Sanborn has died of prostate cancer at age 78. Some obituaries focused on his work with Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen et al, but David first made a mark with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. At the Grande Ballroom in Detroit in 1968, David busted up the place, and the next year he played with Paul at Woodstock. In due time, Sanborn would go solo, with a distinctive sound.
The altissimo range is more difficult on alto, and with “Up There in Orbit,” Earl Bostic set a high standard. Sanborn took it from there, with great success. His “Taking Off” album appeared in 1975 and “Hideaway” (1979) was also a big seller. “Voyeur” (1981) earned Sanborn his first Grammy, and the altoist would share the stage with jazz and rock stars on the “Night Music” television show.
Here is Sanborn with Eric Clapton on “Hard Times,” the Ray Charles version. Sax man David Newman also wrote a tune titled “Hard Times,” which Sanborn recorded in fine style. Check out David with the great Phil Woods on “Willow Weep for Me.” Sanborn can also hold his own on soprano saxophone, as on “In My Own Dream,” with the Paul Butterfield band, way back in 1968.
David Sanborn had a dream of his own, and he made it happen. In the Age of the Guitar, he built a career on saxophone and introduced a generation to those who came before him. At that jam session in the great beyond, David Sanborn is sure to get a warm welcome.
