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David Sanborn has always been a utility man. He can play just about anything: jazz, blues, rock, soul, whatever. Put him in a band and he is going to shine on saxophone. He made his early impression in the Butterfield Blues Band in the late ‘60s, when Butterfield traded in Michael Bloomfield’s incendiary guitar for a horn section. Forty years later, Sanborn is as strong as he’s ever been, and Here And Gone sounds like an album very close to his heart. His tone comes from down deep, cured in the rhythm & blues he first fell in love with listening to Hank Crawford play alto sax in the Ray Charles Orchestra. It’s a spirit that gets inside musicians, leading them to learn an instrument and later giving inspiration to follow a certain path. Sanborn has stayed true to those lessons, even during the years of his highest profile as a mistakenly-labeled smooth jazz star. Now it’s payback time, as he circles in on the songs that speak most directly to him: “St. Louis Blues,” “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town,” “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and a half-dozen other gems. Band arrangements are sparse but sensual, and guests like Joss Stone, Sam Moore, Eric Clapton and Derek Trucks add to the fire without ever stealing the spotlight. This is David Sanborn’s dream ride all the way. He’s letting us know exactly what got him going all those years ago, and also adding new sparks to make sure the music speaks seductively to us now. Nostalgia is a musical trap when it barges in the front door, but there’s nothing wrong with it sneaking in the window to light up the room. John Lennon once compared the blues to a chair where we all sit. That makes these songs a love seat, with enough room for everyone to get comfortable. Stay awhile.
