David Sanborn: Sitting Down with a Jazz Legend

Renowned and revered the world over as one of the greatest saxophone players of all-time, David Sanborn is an artist whose music has inspired countless other musicians while creating a body of work that spans the genres of rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, pop and jazz. A naturally gifted performer, David has helped defined the saxophone’s modern sound while influencing a generation.

SHAKEFIRE: Do you find it difficult to carve out a place for yourself in the conventional music industry?

DAVID SANBORN: I’ve never felt that I fit comfortably in any category. The music that I play is kind of a mix of jazz, rhythm and blues and funk, so it makes it a little difficult to promote me any one of those categories. Most of my audience understands that whatever music I play is just a reflection of who I am rather than a specific genre.

SF: You have performed alongside numerous legends throughout your career. Are there any stories that stand out about anyone in particular?

DS: None that I can talk about without being sued.

SF: You have also penned numerous songs that a lot of people know (Saturday Night Live, Lethal Weapon, etc). Have you thought about taking on more movie and television scores?

DS: Just as a point of information, I did not write the theme to Saturday Night Live. The work that I did on Lethal Weapon was a collaboration with Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen, with Michael being the main composer of those scores. While I wouldn’t rule out working on music for films, it’s not necessarily something that I seek out.

SF: This is your 23rd album. Where, after all these years, do you find inspiration for creating your music?

DS: The great thing about music is that you never get to the end of it. There is always something new to learn and some new and different way to express yourself, so up to this point it hasn’t been a problem.

SF: How did you get into the saxophone?

DS: I took up the saxophone as part of physical therapy to improve my breathing because I had polio as a kid. The reason I picked the saxophone is that I was inspired by the saxophone players who played with Ray Charles, Hank Crawford and David “Fathead” Newman.

SF: You work with a lot of pop music but you have a jazz upbringing. Which do you prefer to listen to personally?

DS: I listen to all music regardless of category. It has never been important to me whether the music is in one particular genre or another. If it’s good, it’s good.

SF: Do you find it more difficult or stressful penning your own music or covering beloved artists?

DS: Writing music doesn’t come particularly easy to me, so consequently I don’t write that many songs. Covering songs that are associated with other artists is challenging because you don’t want to just imitate the way that artist has done a particular song, you want to find a way to inhabit the material in your own way.