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COURTESY PHOTO



On the road again

David Sanborn performs
for the fun of it, not just
the fortune

Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn is one of these high-profile, low-profile players. He's been around the block long enough to be one of the most notable among his peers, but his public persona isn't enough that he'd be stopped on the street by strangers.

David Sanborn

» In concert: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

» Where: Blaisdell  Concert Hall

» Tickets: $35 and $45

» Call: 591-2211 or go online at www.ticketmaster.com

Most casual listeners would recognize David Sanborn's playing on David Bowie's Philly disco soul tribute hit of 1975, "Young Americans." Or from his Grammy-recognized work, such as the 1981 album "Voyeur," 1986's "Double Vision" with Bob James and 2000's "Inside."

Throughout an extensive career that began in the late 1960s, Sanborn has shown a willingness to play all kinds of music. He started with the blues, with Albert King and Little Milton, then moved to the white Chicago blues-rock Paul Butterfield Band. He also enjoyed a brief stint with Gil Evans' great jazz big band, an association that began in his late teens.

Sanborn's distinctively bright tone on alto saxophone could also be heard with Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, during a '97-'98 European tour.

And maybe one of these days, fingers crossed, the work he did as host of the late, lamented, syndicated show "Night Music" will reach home video. Originally called "Sunday Night," by creator and "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels, the show began in 1988 with Sanborn co-hosting alongside British keyboard player Jools Holland of Squeeze fame. (Holland has since gone on to host his own excellent music show, "Later," back home on the BBC. It can be seen on the Ovation cable channel locally.)

Sanborn hosted "Night Music" on his own until '91, leading a house band, as well as holding his own with a dizzying array of guest musicians of all genres.

"There are some logistical and legal nightmares tied to that show," he said by telephone from his Santa Monica, Calif., hotel room last week. Securing performance rights from all of the artists might delay a home-video project indefinitely, but Sanborn said, "for me, the great thrill of doing that show was playing with people I've been a fan of."

SANBORN'S CAREER took a turn for the best when he signed with the august Verve jazz label a couple of years ago, resulting in two of his better albums, "timeagain" in 2003 and "Closer," earlier this year.

Both follow a formula that mixes originals and well-chosen covers played by Sanborn and a solid, reputable band of guest players, including fellow music vets Steve Gadd, Mike Mainieri, Russell Malone, Gil Goldstein and Christian McBride.

"I wanted to do albums with a more intimate sound," he said, "and be involved in a more acoustic setting, specifically using the acoustic bass. And, in my opinion, Christian is one of the best bass players around. So that was my primary motivation."

But these days Sanborn is more interested in taking his music on the road. "I just kinda like playing. I don't necessarily go on tour to promote my albums. I'm on the road all the time. The fact that I have a new record is out is a coincidence."

Nevertheless, Sanborn and his crack touring band -- made up of longtime friends Ricky Peterson on keyboards and Don Alias on percussion, as well as guitarist Nicky Moroch, bassist Richard Patterson and drummer Gene Lake -- have been playing several tunes from "Closer," in particular covers of Chick Corea's "Señor Blues," the Afro-Cuban classic "Tin Tin Deo" and the Charlie Chaplin-penned ballad "Smile."

Sanborn initially picked up the alto sax as physical therapy after a childhood bout with polio. He attributes his particular sound and style to "a combination of physiology and the kind of reed I use. I basically play the sound I hear in my head. You also figure in the ligature of whatever tune I'm playing; how the horn is set up, with the keys either really open or closed; the embouchure, the way that you blow. It's whatever works best on a physical and mechanical level.

"The sound I recreate is an amalgam of other alto sax players that have influenced me, guys like Phil Woods, Hank Crawford, David 'Fathead' Newman and Jackie McLean."



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