Just as long as you like to move, there’s no reason not to like David Sanborn’s take on the Ornette Coleman classic “Ramblin’.”

David Sanborn’s anthemic ballad “A Tear For Crystal” goes slow, but it also goes hard.

Not much crossover jazz from the 80s holds up well today soundwise but David Sanborn’s “It’s You” from ‘Voyeur’ is timeless.

Often situated in a cloud of opaque neo-funk, the late David Sanborn’s talents could be understandably obscured. Yet, there’s no mistaking, or escaping, that tone.

Some might quibble over whether this is contemporary, smooth or crossover jazz. It’s actually a hybrid from Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber and Paul Jackson Jr.

Here are Steely Dan’s five best bass performances, selected in tandem by our panel of Steely Dan authorities.

<<< Part Three, Whack Jazz In the final piece of these exhaustive, four-part salutes to the top releases of 2012, the fusion jazz records are surveyed. You May Also Like: Alphonse Mouzon (1948-2016): Tribute to an Endlessly Versatile Fusion Legend Jimmy Haslip, jazz bassist: The Albums That Shaped My Career

“I love making albums!” declared super session guitar player Lee Ritenour, and he continues: “For me, creating a new project from beginning to end, is one of the most musically and spiritually rewarding things that I do in my life.” You May Also Like: Remembering David Sanborn: “Ramblin’” from ‘Upfront’Read More

This tale of a melancholy late-night radio show host from Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen belies what’s going on with the music behind it.

Bassist Marcus Miller’s newest release, Renaissance, directly references his time as a member of the Miles Davis band in the 1980s You May Also Like: Remembering David Sanborn: “A Tear For Crystal” from ‘Backstreet’ (1983) Remembering David Sanborn: “It’s You” from ‘Voyeur’ (1981) Remembering David Sanborn: “Ramblin’” from ‘Upfront’ (1992)