Saxophonist David Sanborn dies. The Grammy winner, whose expressive versatility in jazz and pop made him a sought-after studio performer on tracks such as David Bowie's Young Americans, has died aged 78, the Guardian reported.
A message on social media said he died after a “long battle with prostate cancer and subsequent complications. Mr. Sanborn had been battling prostate cancer since 2018, but had managed to maintain a normal concert schedule until recently. In fact, he already had concerts planned for 2025.“
Born in Florida in 1945 and raised in Missouri, Sanborn suffered from polio as a child and a doctor suggested he play the saxophone to help strengthen his chest. Sanborn studied music at university, fell under the influence of the blues, joined the Butterfield Blues Band and appeared at the Woodstock Festival with them.
Sanborn began working in studio and live with a string of stars from the 1970s. He played the lively but untamed Young Americans solo as David Bowie tried to move into funk and R&B, with Sanborn later recalling: “There was no lead guitar, so I played lead guitar. He also played live with Bowie and can be heard on David's classic 1974 album Live, including on flute.
He also played with Stevie Wonder, Elton John, BB King, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Todd Rundgren and others during the decade and played on the Bruce Springsteen song Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. In 1974, he appeared on two consecutive album recordings with James Brown and was a regular in jazz bandleader Gil Evans' ensemble during that decade, as well as recording four albums with Carly Simon and James Taylor.
In the 1980s, his solo career took off with a series of albums that mixed the smoother side of jazz with R&B, including guest vocalists such as Luther Vandross. His sixth solo album, 1981's Voyeur, was the first of five consecutive No. 1 hits on the US Jazz Albums Chart. 1981 also brought his first Grammy Award, with Sanborn eventually winning six of 16 nominations.
His work as a sideman continued with sessions for artists such as Aretha Franklin (Aretha, 1980) and the Rolling Stones (Undercover, 1983). He also composed scores for films, including the three Lethal Weapon sequels, and collaborated with Jools Holland on the eclectic American live music TV program Night Music, which featured artists from Sonic Youth to Sonny Rollins.
"Another Hand" since 1991 has showcased his true jazz music with a backing band comprised of Bill Frizzell, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette and Marc Ribot. His solo albums continued to attract star guests such as Sting, Eric Clapton and Joss Stone, and he maintained a steady release schedule through 2015.
Sanborn continued to tour after that: earlier this year he suffered stress fractures in his spine, which forced him to cancel a series of concerts.