David Sanborn

Rogerb · Oct 28, 2006

I am surprised not to have found him here already; his is 'the sound' I'd love to get close to!

Not everyone's cup of tea of course, but he has been very influential, IMO, in the development of the 'contemporary' alto sound.

Jules · Oct 28, 2006

I've always thought Sanborn's sound, initially at least, was very much influenced by King Curtis. For a great album and a lot of storming proto-sanborn(?) licks, try King Curtis at Fillmore West.

spike · Oct 28, 2006

A young sax player at that time - Haight Ashbury - Paul Butterfield Band - I reckon you couldn't help but be influenced in some way by King Curtis and Junior Walker however Sanborn has said in interviews that he idolised Hank Crawford, so I guess we can draw some conclusions from that information. I guess I've got about every second or third album from D.S. and it's great how he's changed over the years and always pushed his own boundaries, not content to ride on the laurels of the early hits like some of his contemporaries! Recently got hold of his Transcription book, and am getting some good mileage out of it.
No attempt to change the subject, but certainly worth a mention:
Another name, another great sound and similar track record, but this time with a different idol, namely Cannonball Adderly, is Eric Marienthal. His "Walk Tall" album has to be in my top twenty.

tengu01 · Oct 28, 2006

David Sanborn is one of those players when, after a single note, you know it's him. He has spawned many imitators and I remember once reading he got quite depressed during the late 80s/early 90s by hearing how many sound-alikes he had (I personally would be quite flattered)

He plays some incredibly funky stuff and does have a sound which epitomises an era of soft-porn/film-noir saxophone soundtracks. I have heard him play with Branford Marsalis on a Buckshot LeFonque album (Music Evolution) on a track dedicated to James Brown and damn the guy can play funky. I have also heard him in a live version of "footprints" with Wayne Shorter. Really interesting version, switching meter and tempo as it goes along. If anyone wants to hear it, please PM me.

Apparently if you want to sound like Sanborn, try a Dukoff. They (so I have heard) give that buzzsaw edge to your tone which many players seem to shy away from. However, I am not attempting to reopen that particular can of worms (mouthpiece influence on sound, same setup as famous person = sounding like them?)

Hope you enjoy his music

Tengu

Pete Thomas · Oct 28, 2006

tengu01 wrote:
Apparently if you want to sound like Sanborn, try a Dukoff. They (so I have heard) give that buzzsaw edge to your tone which many players seem to shy away from. However, I am not attempting to reopen that particular can of worms (mouthpiece influence on sound, same setup as famous person = sounding like them?)

Yes, if all else fails use the same mouthpiece as your idol. It might help but probably won't.

mfox · Oct 28, 2006

hes a great player but ive never much cared for Mr Sanborn style.
now for a funky player try Maceo Parker.

mfox · Oct 28, 2006

is chase sanborn any relation?

Bobby G · Oct 29, 2006

"Sanborn has said in interviews that he idolised Hank Crawford".

Quite right too, Hank is great. Very accessible style, quite bluesy bordering on funky at times, good solid sound (not too much of the buzzsaw) and a fluid, logical approach. I have a cd, 'Right Turn on Blue' by Jimmy McGriff that features Hank and very good it is too.

I'm not too familiar with Sanborn, although I am familiar with the sound (I thought I read somewhere he used a metal Brilhart mpc?). I do have a very odd recording of him playing on 'Heartbreak Hotel' with, among others, John Cale and Richard Thompson. A radical reworking of the Elvis classic to say the least.

Cheers, Bob

Rogerb · Oct 29, 2006

mfox wrote:
hes a great player but ive never much cared for Mr Sanborn style.
now for a funky player try Maceo Parker.

A very fine sax-playing friend recommended I listen to Maceo, and Edgar Winter, when he heard I liked Sanborn.

I bought CDs of both.... liked the sound, but not as much, and really didn't like the type of music they were playing.
(Anyone want a couple of CDs? 😉 )

Simon · Oct 31, 2006

Here's a clip of Sanborn playing 'Tin Tin Deo' with none other than Dizzy Gillespie.

If you haven't checked 'YouTube.com' yet, get there before the lawyers etc step in.

Simon

Bobby G · Nov 8, 2006

I've been checking out Sanborn on Youtube just to see what it is that people rave about; one piece in particular being him and trumpeter Steve(?) Botti doing Miles 'Flamenco Sketches'.

I can't fault Dave's playing at all, but something about it leaves ne a bit cold. Am I the only one who doesn;t like that sound, especially in the upoer register?

Cheers, Bob

tengu01 · Nov 8, 2006

chris botti: sting's trumpet player in-residence.

Like samborn or loathe him, you've got to respect the milestones in popular saxophone playing he's laid.

One of a relatively small number of saxophone players instantly recognisable from his sound, both to sax and non sax players.

Bobby G · Nov 8, 2006

Chris Botti, that's the one :blush:

FWIW, I agree totally about the respect the guy commands, and indeed should command, he's done a lot in different musical areas. No doubt he's inspired a lot of people to take up the saxophone, even though he is one of those exceptionally annoying people who make it look easy 😉

Like I say, though, his playing, or what I listened to from what must be a large canon of work, just left me, well, a bit cold. Apppreciative of his abilities, but mainly unmoved. Ho hum.

Maybe I just like the older sounds....

Cheers, Bob

greg_strange · Nov 9, 2006

Dave Sanborn used a Brilhart Levelaire in the 1960s and 1970s and then switched to a Bobby Dukoff D8 in the early 1980s.
Good tracks to check out from the 60s and early 70s are The Butterfield Blues Band albums "In My Own Dream" - Sanborn playing soprano? on the title track, " Keep On Moving" - great alto solo on track Buddy's Advice and albums, "The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" and "Sometimes I Feel Like Smiling". And something are bit different again those Gil Evans albums including "Svengali" and "Priestess" from the early to mid 70s.

Simon · Nov 9, 2006

Hi Greg,

I'd recommend checking out 'Another Hand' - this album was quite different from the heavily engineered sound of those 80s albums he did (AH being acoustic)...

Simon

Greg Strange wrote:
Dave Sanborn used a Brilhart Levelaire in the 1960s and 1970s and then switched to a Bobby Dukoff D8 in the early 1980s.
Good tracks to check out from the 60s and early 70s are The Butterfield Blues Band albums "In My Own Dream" - Sanborn playing soprano? on the title track, " Keep On Moving" - great alto solo on track Buddy's Advice and albums, "The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" and "Sometimes I Feel Like Smiling". And something are bit different again those Gil Evans albums including "Svengali" and "Priestess" from the early to mid 70s.

greg_strange · Nov 9, 2006

Your right Simon.
"Another Hand" is a great album and very different from Sanborn's other stuff. Actually one of my all time favourite Sanborn's solos would have to be the track "Come To Me Nina".
Tim Price did a review in an old issue of Saxophone Journal magazine and said ' even Coltrane would be impressed with Sanborn's tonal concept' or something to that effect.
Actually I bought my copy of 'Another Hand' on cassette tape from Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus in London when the album was originally released and picked up a copy on CD second hand from Real Groovy Records in Auckland several years back.