Adventures Into the Well-Known

Thursday, May 16, 2024

David Sanborn

I was up and reeling a bit after work last night and happened to put on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and I was watching and laughing a little, and then it came time for the Late Show Band to play the music into the commercials.

And this happened.

Well, something happened, but I'm not sure I can share it because YouTube may not allow me to. Suffice it to say, the Late Show Band did a classy thing.

There was no announcement, no acknowledgment, Colbert probably didn't even know they did it after. They just did it, they played a David Sanborn song.

This one.

Bob James & David Sanborn - Maputo

Sanborn died May 12 at age 78. His album Voyeur was one of the first records I ever owned as a teenager. It is a magical amalgam of nice pretty jazz and funky shit, largely due to Sanborn's ability to make an alto saxophone scream and also due to his partnership with bassist Marcus Miler. There's also a lovely analog aesthetic to this album that makes me think Memory Man was responsible for much of its sonic energy. This is one of those albums that happened just before studios started discovering digital, much like Diver Down, or like these days when Louis Cole is drumming in some person's bathroom.

The thing about Sanborn though is that you know him even if you don't. He played with Albert King and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band when he was a youngster. As the latter arrangement, he played Woodstock. He played on Talking Book. He is the sax on Bowie's "Young Americans" and on James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is." He played with James Brown. He played with Michael Stanley. Jaco Pastorius. Kenny Loggins. Bruce Springsteen. Little Feat. Donny Hathaway. Elton John. Linda Ronstadt. Billy Joel. Steely Dan. Ween. Again, I said WEEN. The Rolling Stones. Toto. That's like half of it.

He played in the Saturday Night Live band and later sat in with Paul Schaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band on Letterman.

Sanborn was so prolific that I think the only person he hasn't performed music with is me.

I love his music. But I've only dipped my toes in. He's a whole universe of music and now he's gone, so you go, David Sanborn. You no longer have to wet your reeds. People, go on Spotify and listen to him and good on the Late Show band for a subtle but effective remembrance.