David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

with

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 11 and released his first solo album, ''Taking Off,'' in 1975. He was active as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

and played on numerous albums by artists including

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

, Sting, the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

, Rickie Lee Jones,

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

, George Benson,

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

, Bryan Ferry, Ween, and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. Sanborn released more than 20 albums and won six Grammy awards. In 2012, Sanborn was described by critic Scott Yanow as "the most influential saxophonist on pop, R&B and crossover players of the past 20 years." He became identified with radio-friendly smooth jazz, although he disliked the term and said he was not a jazz musician.

Early life

Sanborn was born in 1945 in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, where his father was stationed in the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. David grew up in

Kirkwood, Missouri Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis located in western St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 29,461. Founded in 1853, the city is named after James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Pacific Railr ...

, a western suburb of

St Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. He contracted

polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

at the age of three. He "accepted his fate stoically" and endured a "miserable childhood". He was confined to an

iron lung An iron lung is a type of negative pressure ventilator, a medical ventilator, mechanical respirator which encloses most of a person's body and varies the air pressure in the enclosed space to stimulate breathing. It assists breathing when Musc ...

for a year, and polio left him with impaired respiration and a left arm shorter than the right.The Times Register: Obituary David Sanborn, 29 May 2024 While confined to bed, Sanborn was inspired by the "raw rock 'n' roll energy" of music he heard on the radio, particularly saxophone breaks in songs such as

Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...

's "

Ain't That a Shame "Ain't That a Shame" is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino's recording of the song, originally stated as "Ain't It a Shame", released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million copies. It reached ...

" and

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

's "Tutti Frutti". He loved the sound of the saxophone and at the age of eleven was happy to change to saxophone from piano lessons when doctors recommended that he take up a wind instrument to improve his breathing and strengthen his chest muscles. When he was 14, he was competent enough playing saxophone to play with

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

musicians in local clubs. Alto saxophonist

Hank Crawford Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...

, who was a member of

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

's band at the time, was an early and lasting influence on Sanborn. Sanborn attended college at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...

, directly north of Chicago and studied music. He transferred to the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...

east of

Des Moines Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

where he played and studied with saxophonist J. R. Monterose.

Career

Sanborn performed with blues musicians

Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...

and

Little Milton James Milton Campbell Jr. (September 7, 1934 – August 4, 2005), better known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist, best known for his List of number-one R&B singles of 1965 (U.S.), number-one R&B single "We're Gonna Ma ...

at the age of 14. In 1967 he took a Greyhound bus to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

to join the "

Summer of Love The Summer of Love was a major social phenomenon that occurred in San Francisco during the summer of 1967. As many as 100,000 people, mostly young people, hippies, beatniks, and 1960s counterculture figures, converged in San Francisco's Haig ...

". While visiting recording studios he was invited to sit in on a session with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He made such an impression that he joined the band for five years. He recorded on four Butterfield albums as a

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...

member and a soloist from 1967 to 1971. Early in the morning on August 18, 1969, he appeared with the band at the Woodstock Music Festival in

Bethel, New York Bethel is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 3,959 in 2020 United States census, 2020. The town received worldwide attention after it served as the locati ...

. In 1972, Sanborn played on the track "Tuesday Heartbreak" on the Stevie Wonder album ''

Talking Book An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

''. In 1975 he worked with

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

on '' Young Americans'' and on the

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...

recording of " How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" on the album ''

Gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...

''. In the mid-1970s, Sanborn became active in the popular

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

scene by joining the

Brecker Brothers The Brecker Brothers were a jazz fusion music duo consisting of siblings Michael and Randy. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn. The brothers attended Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylva ...

band, where he became influenced by

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as a performer and composer, received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in ...

. While with the Brecker brothers, he recorded his first solo album, '' Taking Off'', which became a jazz/funk classic. In 1985, Sanborn and

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...

played two sold-out concerts at Chastain Park in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. Although Sanborn was most associated with smooth jazz, he studied

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

in his youth with saxophonists Roscoe Mitchell and

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

. In 1993, he revisited this genre when he appeared on Tim Berne's '' Diminutive Mysteries'', which was dedicated to Hemphill, who was Berne's mentor. Sanborn's album ''Another Hand'' featured avant-garde musicians. He found life on the road increasingly difficult but continued to tour. In 2017, despite plans to reduce his workload to no more than 150 gigs a year, he embarked on a tour which included

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

and

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

, Kenya.

Recordings

Sanborn was a highly regarded session player from the late 1960s onward and played with an array of well-known artists, including James Brown,

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began t ...

, Bryan Ferry, Michael Stanley,

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, Bobby Charles,

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...

Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...

, Stevie Wonder,

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...

, the

, Michael Franks,

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...

, Casiopea, Players Association,

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

, Bruce Springsteen,

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of the Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward in ...

, Tommy Bolin, Bob James,

, Pure Prairie League,

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selli ...

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

, George Benson,

Joe Beck Joe Beck (July 29, 1945 – July 22, 2008) was an American jazz guitarist who was active for over 40 years. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Beck moved to Manhattan in his teens, playing six nights a week in a trio setting, which gave him an opp ...

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, backing vocalist, and arranger who ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto" ...

, Elton John,

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian Americans, Canadian–American jazz pianist, Music arranger, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators i ...

, Carly Simon,

Guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

, Kenny Garrett,

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

, Ween, the Eagles,

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

Nena Gabriele Susanne Kerner (born 24 March 1960), better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer who rose to international fame in 1983 as the lead vocalist of the band Nena (band), Nena with the Neue Deutsche Welle song "99 Luftballons". I ...

Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

, The Rolling Stones, Ian Hunter, and Toto. Many of Sanborn's solo recordings were collaborations with bassist/multi-instrumentalist/composer and producer

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

, whom he met in the ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' band in the late 1970s. Sanborn performed with Clapton on film soundtracks such as ''

Lethal Weapon ''Lethal Weapon'' is a 1987 American action film directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Mitchell Ryan. In ''Lethal Weapon'', a pai ...

'' (and its sequels) and '' Scrooged''. In 1991, Sanborn recorded '' Another Hand'', which the ''

All Music Guide to Jazz ''All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz'' is a non-fiction book that is an encyclopedic referencing of jazz music compiled under the direction of All Media Guide. The first edition, ''All Music Guide to Jazz: the Best CDs, Album ...

'' 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. The album, produced by Hal Willner, featured musicians from outside the smooth jazz scene like Terry Adams,

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, B ...

, Bill Frisell, and

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, Rock music, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notab ...

. In 1994, Sanborn appeared in '' A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who'', also known as ''Daltrey Sings Townshend,'' a two-night concert at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

produced by Roger Daltrey of English rock band

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

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 Sanborn performed in '' The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'', a musical performance at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT) and released on CD and video in 1996. In 2006, he featured in

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece Orchestral jazz, jazz orchestra led by Gordon Goodwin that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. Since ...

's album ''The Phat Pack'' on the track " Play That Funky Music", a remake of the Wild Cherry hit in a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

style. Sanborn often performed at Japan's

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

venues in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Sanborn played on the song "Your Party" on Ween's 2007 release ''

La Cucaracha La Cucaracha (, "The Cockroach") is a popular folk song about a cockroach who cannot walk. The song's origins are Spanish, but it became popular in the 1910s during the Mexican Revolution. The modern song has been adapted using the Mexican genr ...

''. On April 8, 2007, he sat in with

the Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

during their annual run at the Beacon Theatre in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. In 2010, Sanborn toured with a trio featuring jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco and

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American jazz fusion drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction i ...

. They played the combination of blues and jazz from his album ''Only Everything''. In 2011, Sanborn toured with keyboardist

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

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 also played baritone, soprano and sopranino saxophones; saxello; flute; and keyboards/piano on some recordings.

Broadcasting

Sanborn performed and hosted radio, television, and web programs. He was a member of the ''Saturday Night Live'' band in 1980. Beginning in the late 1980s he was a regular guest member of

Paul Shaffer Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian musician, actor, and comedian who served as David Letterman's musical director, bandleader, and sidekick on ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (1982–1993) and ''Late Show with D ...

's band on ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...

''. He also appeared on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' a few times in the 1990s. From 1988 to 1989, Sanborn co-hosted '' Night Music'', a late-night music show on television with

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...

. Using producer Hal Willner's eclectic approach, the show positioned Sanborn with many famed musicians including

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound", San ...

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed circa 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re ...

, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray,

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

Elliott Sharp Elliott Sharp (born March 1, 1951) is an American contemporary classical music, contemporary classical composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, author, and visual artist. A central figure in the Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimenta ...

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz and jazz fusion violinist and composer. He is considered a pioneer of jazz-rock, particularly for his use of the electric violin starting in the 1970s. He rose to prominence for his colla ...

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

Youssou N'dour Youssou N'Dour (, ; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' described him as, "perhaps the m ...

, Pere Ubu, Loudon Wainwright III, Mary Margaret O'Hara,

Screamin' Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, shouting vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

, Was (Not Was), Anson Funderburgh,

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conducting, conductor, saxophonist, arrangement, arranger and record producer, producer who "deliberately resists category". His Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimental music, ex ...

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

, Richard Thompson, and Jo-El Sonnier. During the 1980s and 1990s, Sanborn hosted a syndicated radio program, ''The Jazz Show with David Sanborn''. He recorded many shows' theme songs, as well as several other songs for '' The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder''. In 2021, as the coronavirus pandemic paused live music performances in public venues, Sanborn hosted a series of 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, New York Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous coun ...

Equipment

Sanborn played a Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone. In the early 1980s he was endorsed by Yamaha and he played their saxophones on the albums '' As We Speak'' and '' Backstreet.'' He can be seen playing a Yamaha saxophone at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

in 1981. According to an April 1988 interview in the jazz magazine ''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'', he had a preference for Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones in the 140,000-150,000 serial number range, all produced in 1967. From the late 1970s, Sanborn played with mouthpieces created by Bobby Dukoff. He later played a mouthpiece designed by Aaron Drake.

Personal life

Sanborn was married to his fourth wife, French-born Alice Soyer Sanborn, a pianist, vocalist, and composer. His first three marriages ended in divorce. He had one son, Jonathan, a bass player and two granddaughters. Sanborn died of complications from

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the administrative divisions of New York#Town, town of Greenburgh, New York, Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, Unit ...

, west of White Plains, on May 12, 2024, at the age of 78. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2018. On November 25, 2024, a David Sanborn Tribute Concert was held at Sony Hall in New York City. The concert was live-streamed by WBGO and hosted by Marcus Miller and Pat Prescott, and featured performances by

Eric Marienthal Eric Marienthal (born December 19, 1957) is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres. Early life Eric Marienthal was born on December 19, 1 ...

, Bob James,

, Will Lee, Kurt Elling,

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...

, Alex Han and

Dave Koz David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in Los Angeles, California. Early life Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologis ...

Awards and honors

Sanborn's first Grammy Award was for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for the single "All I Need is You". Sanborn won six

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

and had eight gold albums and one platinum album. He won Grammy Awards for '' Voyeur'' (1981), '' Double Vision'' (1986), and the instrumental album ''Close Up'' (1988). In 2004, Sanborn was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. File:David Sanborn in San Francisco.jpg,

Union Square, San Francisco Union Square is a public plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. "Union Square" also refers to the central shopping, hotel, and theater district surrounding the plaza for several b ...

, 2003 File:David Sanborn 2008 2.jpg, Riviera Maya Jazz Festival in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 2008 File:David Sanborn.jpg,

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is a festival held annually on the second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. The festival moved to Rotterdam in 2006 after the demolition of the Statenhal in The Hague where it was originally held. ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

, 2015

Discography

As leader

* '' Taking Off'' (Warner Bros., 1975) * ''

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1976) * '' Promise Me the Moon'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * ''Heart to Heart'' (Warner Bros., 1978) * '' Hideaway'' (Warner Bros., 1979

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-Germa ...

– No. 2 jazz hit; No. 33 R&B hit * '' Voyeur'' (Warner Bros., 1981) – No. 1 jazz hit * '' As We Speak'' (Warner Bros., 1982) – No. 1 jazz hit * '' Backstreet'' (Warner Bros., 1983) – No. 1 jazz hit * '' Straight to the Heart'' (Warner Bros., 1984) – live; No. 1 jazz hit * '' Double Vision'' with Bob James (Warner Bros., 1986) – No. 1 jazz hit; No. 16 R&B hit * '' A Change of Heart'' (Warner Bros., 1987) * ''Close-Up'' (Reprise, 1988) * '' Another Hand'' (Elektra Musician, 1991) * '' Upfront'' (Elektra, 1992) * ''Hearsay'' (Elektra, 1994) * ''Pearls'' (Elektra, 1995) * ''Songs from the Night Before'' (Elektra, 1996) * ''

Inside Inside may refer to: Film * ''Inside'' (1996 film), an American television film directed by Arthur Penn and starring Eric Stoltz * ''Inside'' (2002 film), a Canadian prison drama film * ''Inside'' (2006 film), an American thriller film starri ...

'' (Elektra, 1999) * '' Time Again'' (Verve, 2003) * ''Closer'' (Verve, 2005) * '' Here and Gone'' (Decca, 2008) * ''Only Everything'' (Decca, 2010) * ''Quartette Humaine'' with Bob James (Okeh, 2013) * ''Time and the River'' (Okeh, 2015) * ''This Masquerade'' (Warner, 2018) Compilations * ''The Best of David Sanborn'' (Warner Bros., 1994) * ''

Love Songs A love song is a song about love, falling in love, broken heart, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sa ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * ''Dreaming Girl'' (WEA, 2008) * ''Then Again: The Anthology'' (Rhino, 2012) -CD* ''Anything You Want'' (Cherry Red, 2020) -CD As guest *

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for ov ...

, '' All My Friends Are Here'' (NuNoise, 2010) – on "So Blue" * Anders Wihk, ''Same Tree Different Fruit'' – on ”Thank You For The Music” (Capitol Music Group AB, 2012)

As sideman

With George Benson * 1975: ''

Good King Bad ''Good King Bad'' is the thirteenth studio album by American guitarist George Benson featuring performances recorded in 1975 and released by CTI Records in 1976.Payne, DCTI Records discographyaccessed February 24, 2012 Reception The Allmusic r ...

'' (CTI, 1976) * 1975 '' Pacific Fire'' (CTI, 1983) * 1983: ''

In Your Eyes In Your Eyes may refer to: Film * ''In Your Eyes'', a 2004 film featuring Michael DeLorenzo * In Your Eyes (2010 film), ''In Your Eyes'' (2010 film), a Philippine romantic drama * In Your Eyes (2014 film), ''In Your Eyes'' (2014 film), a film writt ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1983) With

* ''

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

'' (Polydor, 1974) * ''

Reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...

'' (Polydor, 1974) With the

* '' The Brecker Bros.'' ( Arista, 1975) * '' Back to Back'' (Arista, 1976) * '' Return of the Brecker Brothers'' ( GRP, 1992) With

* ''The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion'' (Piloo, 2013) * ''Rocks'' (Piloo, 2019) With

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

* '' The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw'' (Elektra, 1967) * '' In My Own Dream'' (Elektra, 1968) * '' Keep on Moving'' (Elektra, 1969) * ''Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin'' (Elektra, 1971) * ''Better Days'' (Bearsville, 1973) * ''Put It in Your Ear'' (Bearsville, 1976) * ''Live: New York, 1970'' (RockBeat, 2015) CD– live rec. 1970 * ''The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Live At Woodstock'' (Run Out Groove, 2020) LP– live rec. 1969 With

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

* '' Anything Goes'' (Kudu, 1975) * '' Yellow & Green'' (CTI, 1987) – in bonus tracks With

* ''

Svengali Svengali () is a character in the novel ''Trilby'' which was first published in 1894 by George du Maurier. Svengali is a Jewish man who seduces, dominates and exploits Trilby, a young half-Irish girl, and makes her into a famous singer. Defini ...

'' (Atlantic, 1973) * ''

The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix ''The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix'' is an album of Jimi Hendrix's compositions by jazz composer, conductor and pianist Gil Evans. The music was arranged by Evans and members of his orchestra. The album was recorded in 1974 ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''Montreux Jazz Festival '74'' (Philips, 1975) * '' There Comes a Time'' (RCA, 1976) * '' Gil Evans Live at the Royal Festival Hall London 1978'' (RCA Victor, 1979) * '' Priestess'' (Antilles, 1983) – live rec. 1977 With

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

* ''

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock music, rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (musician), Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simon ...

'' (Columbia, 1976) * '' Maynard'' (Columbia, 1981) – compilation * ''Hollywood'' (Columbia, 1982) With Michael Franks * '' The Art of Tea'' (Warner Bros., 1976) * '' Sleeping Gypsy'' (Warner Bros., 1977) * '' Tiger in the Rain'' (Warner Bros., 1979) * '' Objects of Desire'' (Warner Bros., 1982) * '' Skin Dive'' (Warner Bros., 1985) * '' Abandoned Garden'' (Warner Bros., 1995) With Bob James * '' Heads'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1977) * ''

Touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1978) * '' Lucky Seven'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1979) * '' Foxie'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1983) With

* '' Heart's Horizon'' (Reprise, 1988) * '' Tenderness'' (Reprise, 1994) – live With

Steve Khan Steve Khan (born Steven Harris Cahn; April 28, 1947) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Steven Harris Cahn was born in Los Angeles. His father, lyricist Sammy Cahn, "loved to hear any and all versions of his songs". He took piano lessons as a ...

* ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' (Tappan Zee/Columbia, 1977) * ''The Blue Man'' (Columbia, 1978) * ''Arrows'' (Columbia, 1979) With Lisa Lauren * ''What Comes Around'' (Planet Jazz, 1998) * ''My Own Twist'' (Planet Jazz, 2001) * ''It Is What It Is'' (Planet Jazz, 2004) * ''Lisa Lauren Loves the Beatles'' (Planet Jazz, 2006) With

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

* ''

'' (Atlantic, 1975) * ''

Brasil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

'' (Atlantic, 1987) – 1 track With Pure Prairie League * '' Can't Hold Back'' (RCA, 1979) * '' Firin' Up'' (Casablanca, 1980) * '' Something in the Night'' (Casablanca, 1981) With

* '' High Adventure'' (Columbia, 1982) * '' Vox Humana'' (Columbia, 1985) With

* '' Boys in the Trees'' (Elektra, 1978) * '' Spy'' (Elektra, 1979) * ''

Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggl ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1981) * '' Hello Big Man'' (Warner Bros., 1983) With Mike Stern * ''Neesh'' (Trio, 1985) * '' Upside Downside'' (Atlantic, 1986) * '' Give and Take'' (Atlantic, 1997) With

* ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1975) * '' JT'' (Columbia, 1977) * ''

Flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

'' (Columbia, 1979) * '' That's Why I'm Here'' (Columbia, 1985) With

John Tropea John Tropea (pronounced 'tro-pay'; born January 7, 1946) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. Career Tropea began guitar studies at the age of 12. His musical education continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied jaz ...

* ''Tropea'' (Marlin, 1975) * ''To Touch You Again'' (Marlin, 1979) With others *

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

, '' Guess Who'' (ABC, 1972) *

, '' Album III'' (Columbia, 1972) *

Idris Muhammad Idris Muhammad (; born Leo Morris; November 13, 1939 – July 29, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He had an extensive career performing jazz, funk, Rhythm and blues, R&B, and Soul music, soul music and recorded with musicians s ...

, '' House of the Rising Sun'' (Kudu, 1972) *

, ''

'' (Tamla, 1972) * Michael Stanley, '' Friends and Legends'' (MCA, 1973) *

, '' A Wizard, a True Star'' (Bearsville, 1973) * O'Donel Levy, '' Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) *

, '' David Live'' (RCA, 1974) *

, ''

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

'' (Kudu, 1975) * Joe Bataan, ''Afrofilipino'' ( Salsoul, 1975) *

, '' Young Americans'' (RCA, 1975) – rec. 1974-75 * Hubert Laws, '' The Chicago Theme'' (CTI, 1975) * Tommy Bolin, '' Teaser'' (Nemperor, 1975) *

, ''

Initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformatio ...

'' (Bearsville, 1975) *

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...

, '' Michael Bolotin'' (RCA Victor, 1975) *

, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (Columbia, 1975) *

, ''

Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...

'' (Island, 1975) * Mark Murphy, '' Mark Murphy Sings'' (Muse, 1975) *

, '' Born to Run'' (Columbia, 1975) *

, ''

'' (Epic, 1976) – rec. 1975 *

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

, '' Second Childhood'' (Columbia, 1976) * Michael Stanley, ''Ladies' Choice'' (Epic, 1976) *

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...

, '' Aspects'' (Arista, 1976) * Ian Hunter, '' All American Alien Boy'' (Columbia, 1976) *

, '' Blue Moves'' (MCA, 1976) *

Mose Allison Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...

, '' Your Mind Is on Vacation'' (Atlantic, 1976) *

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

, ''Futures'' (A&M, 1977) * Mike Mainieri, ''Love Play'' (Arista, 1977) * Garland Jeffreys, ''

Ghost Writer A ghostwriter is a person hired to write literature, literary or journalism, journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and pol ...

'' (A&M, 1977) *

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...

, ''

Prime Time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

'' (Arista, 1977) *

, '' Living in the USA'' (Asylum, 1978) * Steve Forbert, '' Alive on Arrival'' (Nemperor, 1978) * David Clayton-Thomas, ''Clayton'' (ABC, 1978) * Garland Jeffreys, '' One-Eyed Jack'' (A&M, 1978) *

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

, '' Chaka'' (Warner Bros., 1978) – rec. 1977–78 * Dr. John, ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American synchronized sound film, sound romance film, romantic comedy drama, comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a ...

'' (Horizon, 1978) *

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek language, Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Flora Purim, ''Everyday Everynight'' (Warner Bros., 1978) * Tony Williams, '' The Joy of Flying'' (Columbia, 1978) *

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London, 1974 L ...

, '' Fearless'' (A&M, 1979) * John McLaughlin, '' Electric Dreams'' (Columbia, 1979) – rec. 1978 *

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

, '' The Glow'' (Warner Bros., 1979) * JD Souther, '' You're Only Lonely'' (Columbia, 1979) *

, '' The Long Run'' (Asylum, 1979) – rec. 1978–79 *

, ''

Gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...

'' (MCA, 1980) – rec. 1978–80 *

, '' Aretha'' (Arista, 1980) *

James Last James Last (, ; born Hans Last; 17 April 1929 – 9 June 2015) was a German composer and big band leader of the James Last Orchestra. Initially a jazz bassist, his trademark "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and ...

, ''The Seduction'' (Polydor, 1980) * Rickie Lee Jones, '' Pirates'' (Warner Bros., 1981) – rec. 1980–81 *

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

, ''Sleepwalk'' (Warner Bros., 1982) * Garland Jeffreys, '' Guts for Love'' (Epic, 1982) *

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...

, ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1982) *

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American retired jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, sh ...

, ''Windsong'' (Warner Bros., 1982) * Karla Bonoff, '' Wild Heart of the Young'' (Columbia, 1982) *

, '' An Innocent Man'' (Columbia, 1983) *

Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inte ...

, ''Papa Lips'' (Eastworld, 1983) *

, ''

Undercover A cover in foreign, military or police human intelligence or counterintelligence is the ostensible identity and role or position in an infiltrated organization assumed by a covert agent during a covert operation. Official cover In espionage, a ...

'' (Rolling Stones, 1983) – rec. 1982–83 * Earl Klugh, ''

Wishful Thinking Wishful thinking is the formation of beliefs based on what might be pleasing to imagine, rather than on evidence, rationality, or reality. It is a product of resolving conflicts between belief and desire. Methodologies to examine wishful thin ...

'' (EMI, 1984) – rec. 1983 *

Dave Grusin Robert David Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, incl ...

, '' Night-Lines'' (GRP, 1984) – rec. 1983 *

, ''

The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking ''The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking'' is the debut solo studio album by Roger Waters, bassist/songwriter and co-founder of English rock band Pink Floyd; it was released in 1984. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Associati ...

'' (Columbia, 1984) – rec. 1983 *

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

, '' Electric Outlet'' (Gramavision, 1984) *

, '' ?'' (CBS, 1984) – rec. 1983 * Bryan Ferry, '' Boys and Girls'' (E.G., 1985) – 1 track *

Kazumi Watanabe is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence. Career Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. He released his first album ...

, ''Mobo Splash'' (Domo, 1985) * Harvie S, Urban Earth (Grama-Vision, 1985) * Glenn Monroig, ''Glenn Monroig Con David Sanborn'' (Mamoku, 1985) * Toto, ''

Fahrenheit The Fahrenheit scale () is a scale of temperature, temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the German-Polish physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accou ...

'' (Columbia, 1986) *

Hiram Bullock Hiram Law Bullock (September 11, 1955 – July 25, 2008) was an American guitarist known mainly for playing in jazz funk and jazz fusion, but he also worked as a session musician in a variety of genres. Biography Bullock was born in Osaka, Ja ...

, ''From All Sides'' (Atlantic, 1986) * Ronnie Cuber, ''Pin Point'' (Electric Bird, 1986) * Patty Smyth, '' Never Enough'' (Columbia, 1987) – rec. 1986 *

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

, '' Primitive Cool'' (Columbia, 1987) – rec. 1986–87 *

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is a multiple grammy-winning American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation ...

, ''At Home'' (Atlantic, 1987) *

, ''Give It What U Got'' (Atlantic, 1987) *

Brenda Russell Brenda Russell (née Gordon; born April 8, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and keyboardist. Russell has a diverse musical range which encompasses Rhythm and blues, R&B, pop music, pop, soul music, soul, dance music, dance, and ...

, '' Get Here'' (A&M, 1988) – rec. 1985–87 * Robert Cray, '' Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'' (Mercury, 1988) *

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

, ''

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, ''

Journeyman A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...

'' (Reprise, 1989) *

Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...

, '' Steady On'' (Columbia, 1989) *

Eddie Palmieri Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Corsican and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive. ...

, ''Sueño'' (Intuition, 1989) * Tim Berne, '' Diminutive Mysteries'' (JMT, 1993) – rec. 1992 *

, '' The World's Most Dangerous Party'' (Capitol, 1993) * Oleta Adams, ''

Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

'' (Fontana, 1993) * John McLaughlin, '' The Promise'' (Verve, 1995) *

Larry Goldings Lawrence Sam Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is an American jazz keyboardist and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and jazz fusion, fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner. Life and career Golding ...

, ''Whatever It Takes'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * Candy Dulfer, '' Big Girl'' (RCA, 1996) * Ricky Peterson, ''Souvenir'' (Windham Hill Jazz, 1999) * Jason Miles, ''Celebrating the Music of Weather Report'' (Telarc, 2000) *

Take 6 Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as D ...

, ''Beautiful World'' (Warner Bros., 2002) *

, '' 34th N Lex'' (ESC, 2003) – rec. 2002 *

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album, Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album Impressions ...

, '' To Love Again: The Duets'' (Columbia, 2005) *

, '' The Phat Pack'' (Immergent, 2006) * Livingston Taylor, '' There You Are Again'' (Whistling Dog Music, 2006) * Ween, ''

'' (Rounder, 2007) *

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note Records, Blue Note album ''Components (album), Components'', is one of his best-known composi ...

, '' Enjoy the View'' (Blue Note, 2014) *

Jimmy Chamberlin James Joseph Chamberlin (born June 10, 1964) is an American drummer and record producer. Described as "one of the most powerful drummers in rock," he is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. Following the ...

and Frank Catalano, ''Bye Bye Blackbird'' (Ropeadope, 2016)

Video

* ''Love and Happiness'' (1986) * ''The Super Session'' (1997) − David Sanborn & Friends * ''The Super Session II'' (1998) − David Sanborn & Friends * ''Legends: Live at Montreux 1997'' (2005) * ''The Legends of Jazz: Showcase'' (2006) * ''Live at Montreux 1984'' (2009)

Filmography

Actor/Host

* ''The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'' (1995)
Cast member in the TV stage musical * '' Scrooged'' (1988)
Played a street musician * '' Sunday Night'' (1988)
Was the host of this music show * '' Magnum P.I.'' (1986)
Was ''guest saxophonist'' in the episode ''L.A.'' * ''Stelle Sulla Citta'' (1983)

Himself

* ''

'' (March 15, 1980) * '' One Trick Pony'' (1980) * ''

'' / ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'' (occasionally, 1986–2010) * ''The 1st Annual

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of '' Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

'' (1987) * ''The 2nd Annual Soul Train Music Awards'' (1988) * ''

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

: Symphony in Riffs'' (1989) * ''

Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, record producer and musician. Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was born in ...

: Concerto for Saxophone'' (1991) * ''Celebration: The Music of

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, principal songwriter and leader of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s an ...

and

'' (1994) * '' Forget Paris'' (1995) * ''

: One Amazing Night'' (1995) * ''

The Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five Honor ...

: A Celebration of the Performing Arts'' (1996) * ''

& Friends in Concert'' (1999)

Composer

* ''Moment to Moment'' (1975) * ''Stelle Sulla Citta'' (1983) * ''Finnegan Begin Again'' (1985) * '' Psycho III'' (1986) * ''

Lethal Weapon 2 ''Lethal Weapon 2'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor and Patsy Kensit. It is a sequel to the 1987 film '' Letha ...

'' (1989) * '' Lethal Weapon 3'' (1992) * ''

Lethal Weapon 4 ''Lethal Weapon 4'' is a 1998 American buddy cop action film directed and produced by Richard Donner, and starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li (in his international film debut). It is the fourth ins ...

'' (1998)

Musician

* ''

'' (1975) * '' Murphy's Romance'' (1985) * ''Psycho III'' (1986) * ''

'' (1987) * '' Tequila Sunrise'' (1988) * ''Lethal Weapon 2'' (1989) * ''Lethal Weapon 3'' (1992) * '' Forget Paris'' (1995) * ''Lethal Weapon 4'' (1998)

Videography

Sanborn Sessions
official Youtube channel

References

External links

* * * * * *
Interview by Pete Lewis
, ''Blues & Soul'', September 2008
Interview
, RundgrenRadio.com
The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story (EPK)
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Chaka Khan − So Blue
on

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanborn, David 1945 births 2024 deaths 21st-century American saxophonists American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz soprano saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz pianists American session musicians American television hosts Bienen School of Music alumni Grammy Award winners Jazz radio presenters Jazz soprano saxophonists Music of St. Louis Musicians from Tampa, Florida Paul Butterfield Blues Band members Musicians from St. Louis County, Missouri Warner Records artists Verve Records artists American musicians with disabilities Saturday Night Live Band members Smooth jazz saxophonists Jazz musicians from Missouri 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Deaths from prostate cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians The Sunday Night Band members