I went to see David Sanborn thinking that it was my first time seeing him in concert.  As soon as I saw his fingers touch the keys on the saxophone, I knew that it wasn’t.  I’ve seen those hands before, I thought, probably playing his hits “Chicago Song” or “The Dream.”  But this concert was different.  This was the David Sanborn Trio, perfect for this venue, The Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, or in a nightclub setting. I could imagine David onstage at the Cotton Club in Harlem, much like Richard Gere’s character Dixie Dryer did in the movie of the same name. It felt intimate, with Ricky Peterson on keyboards, Joey DeFrancesco on the Hammond B-3 Organ and a very talented drummer who was most likely sitting in as regular Steve Gadd was drumming with Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton in New York.

When David walked out, it was like seeing the Master take his rightful place.  I am an admitted admirer of sax players like Euge Groove, Paul Taylor, Eric Darius, Gerald, Kirk, Mindi, Jessy, and on and on!  I know many have mentioned David as their inspiration.  This performance explained why.  David’s new CD Only Everything was released just three weeks prior to this concert, so we got a real taste of this new material,  with a more traditional jazz and bluesy feel. 

The night started out with “Comin’ Home Baby” from David’s Time Again album, which mesmerized the audience.  David let “Joey D” break away on most of the songs…giving him ample time for soloing. Since Joey now makes Arizona his home, we were thrilled to be able to listen to his talents on the B-3. 

Sanborn then played “Brother Ray,” a tribute to Ray Charles, off of his Here and Gone album.  This song was the perfect melodic culmination of Blues and Jazz, as one could visualize Ray playing on this song.  “The Peeper,” his next song off  of the new CD, had a “stroll” and jitterbug dance groove to it,  a juke joint, up-tempo feel that kept the foot tapping.

I think that most music lovers are familiar with the song, “Let the Good Times Roll.”  On the Only Everything CD, Joss Stone is the Bluesy singer of choice.  Since Joss was not there with us, he made due with Joey D and Ricky P as the singers, and it was a rousing success!  Who can sit still on that song?!  We were clapping and softly singing our hearts out!  A great song for a break in the action.  We then had a short intermission (to cool down from the last song, I’ll bet!) 

“Basin Street Blues” started the next half of the show, a song named after the street in New Orleans, and previously recorded by trumpet greats Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.  David put a saxophone twist on the song that made it feel as though it was meant to be played on Alto Sax all along!

David seems to me to be the quiet, shy type, but that was thrown out the window once he introduced the next song as a tribute to Ricky P’s “sad ass love life!”  The place roared with laughter!!  He said that he would let Ricky sing about it in “I Got News for You,” a Blues song off of Here and Gone.  It had the feel of being in Koko Taylor’s Club in Chicago; real down home blues, with the mistreatment and upset that go along with having the blues!

David told the audience that he had just become a Grandfather for the first time, a baby girl named Genevieve.  As we all clapped and let out our “awww’s,” he intimated that the title track from the CD, Only Everything, was written for his new granddaughter.  He said it finally knew what it was all about when he looked into her eyes.  A beautiful, emotional song for what I am sure is a beautiful girl.  “Soul Serenade” followed, off of his album Upfront, a song originally recorded by King Curtis in 1963, which Sanborn made his own by putting his own upbeat groove to it.

David told us that we had reached the part where he leaves the stage and hopes for an encore, but that he was too neurotic and insecure to go through that.  We all clapped and whistled as if it were an encore, and he did not disappoint.   “The Dream” is one of my favorite Sanborn songs, which he explained was written by Michael Sembello (Flashdance, among others) after waking up in the middle of the night. Sanborn must play this so often, that to keep it interesting, he opens the song differently. These are not the opening notes that we are used to, but it is pure magic nonetheless.  The melody is unmistakable, and as I was mesmerized, I realized that this song was aptly named.  It is a masterpiece. I felt I was in a dream!  With that song ended a fabulous evening with the David Sanborn Trio.