‘Remembering David Sanborn’ is a series of brief essays, each highlighting a song that brings to light some facet of the genius and wonderment of the late saxophone titan, David Sanborn.
For the funk-jazz albums released during the LP days, David Sanborn albums tend to start Side 2 with a ballad. I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but the pattern is hard to miss. This might not be the best strategy for song sequencing for most artists, but for Sanborn it works. It works because, even when the tempo is slow, he makes the song soar.
I could have picked a number of choice candidates for this topic; “Lisa” might even be the best overall track from Hideaway. Co-written with Marcus Miller for the 1983 Backstreet album, “A Tear For Crystal” is an anthemic type number goes a little bit harder than the other ballads, stretching out over seven minutes. This gives the alto reedman plenty of blowing time for uncorking nearly the full range of his signature style.
That includes making the horn resemble a vocalist playing some imaginary lyrics, alternating with cutting loose on impassioned wails and that funky way he bends the notes. It’s a style imitated by legions of smooth jazz saxophonists, but hearing this from the Real McCoy confirms that no one really had it down as sincerely as David did.
Never too sappy or hackneyed (if he used any clichés, they were his own inventions, anyway), David Sanborn consistently played the slow numbers like his life depended on them. “A Tear For Crystal” goes slow, but it also goes hard.
*** David Sanborn CD’s on Amazon ***
- Emily Remler – ‘Cookin’ At The Queens, Live In Las Vegas 1984 & 1988′ (2024) - December 9, 2024
- Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin – ‘SPIN’ (2024) - December 8, 2024
- Dan Blacksberg – ‘The Psychic/Body Sound System’ (2024) - December 1, 2024
