Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

SANBORN, David

(b 30 July 1945, Tampa FL) Alto sax, flute. Proficient and emotive reedman regarded by some as the white Junior Walker because of his feeling for rhythm and blues. He had polio as a child and spent time in iron lung, taking up wind playing as physical therapy. Raised in St Louis, at 14 he played with Albert King and Little Milton at youth centres, also in high school groups; he to the Chicago area early '60s, studied at U of Iowa '65-7, then to the West Coast. He joined the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, worked with that unit on and off '67-72, with Stevie Wonder '72-3; Gil Evans, David Bowie '74, Brecker brothers, Paul Simon '75, also debut LP Taking Off '75 for WB. Beck And Sanborn '75 was on CTI with jazz-funk guitarist Joe Beck (b 29 July 1945, Philadelphia; d 22 July 2008 of lung cancer: played with Miles Davis, Steely Dan etc).

Further Sanborn albums were Sanborn '76, David Sanborn Band '77, Heart To Heart '78, Hideaway '80, Voyeur '81 (won Grammy), As We Speak '82, Backstreet '83, Straight To The Heart '84. Still sessioned '80s with Bowie, Roger Waters, Michael Franks etc; toured Europe '84 playing support to Al Jarreau; scored TV movie Finnegan Begin Again. Album Double Vision '86 was co-led by fusion pianist Bob James (b 25 December 1939, Marshall MO; worked for Sarah Vaughan; at CTI, then CBS Records; formed own Tappan Zee label '77, wrote TV music etc; joined quartet Fourplay '91; 21 chart albums '74-94, some with guests Grover Washington, Earl Klugh etc). Sanborn's A Change Of Heart and Close-Up '87-8 (latter produced by Marcus Miller) were still in the top 100 albums; the rest were not: Another Hand (with Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden etc), Upfront, Hearsay, Pearls '91-5. Love Songs late '95 included Miller, James, Steve Gadd, Paul Shaffer, Linda Ronstadt. Best Of '94 had a full cast.