History of David Sanborn in Timeline

David William Sanborn is a renowned American alto saxophonist known for his unique blend of jazz, instrumental pop, and R&B in his solo works. His musical journey began long before his first solo album, "Taking Off," was released in 1975. He started playing saxophone in his early years and established himself as a sought-after session musician, contributing to numerous albums by diverse artists.

July 30, 1945: David Sanborn's Birth

David William Sanborn was born on this date.

1967: Joining The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

At 14, David Sanborn performed with blues musicians Albert King and Little Milton. He continued playing blues and in 1967, he joined The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

1967: Selmer Mark VI Preference

David Sanborn preferred Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones in the 140,000-150,000 serial number range, all produced in 1967.

August 18, 1969: Woodstock Performance

As a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, David Sanborn performed at the Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, NY.

1971: End of Recording with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

David Sanborn stopped recording with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

1972: Collaboration with Stevie Wonder

David Sanborn played on the track "Tuesday Heartbreak" on Stevie Wonder's album, 'Talking Book'.

1975: Taking Off

David Sanborn releases his first solo album, 'Taking Off'.

1975: Collaborations with David Bowie and James Taylor

David Sanborn's work with David Bowie on 'Young Americans' and on the James Taylor recording of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" on the album 'Gorilla' brought further prominence to his alto saxophone voice in popular music.

1980: Saturday Night Live Band Member

David Sanborn was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band.

1981: Grammy Award for Voyeur

David Sanborn won a Grammy Award for his album 'Voyeur'.

1981: Yamaha Endorsement

In the early 1980s, David Sanborn was endorsed by Yamaha and played their saxophones. He can be seen playing a Yamaha saxophone at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

1985: Concerts with Al Jarreau

David Sanborn and Al Jarreau played two sold-out concerts at Chastain Park in Atlanta.

1986: Grammy Award for Double Vision

David Sanborn received a Grammy Award for his album 'Double Vision'.

April 1988: DownBeat Interview

David Sanborn shared his preference for Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones in an interview with DownBeat magazine.

1988: Co-hosting Night Music

David Sanborn co-hosted 'Night Music', a late-night music show on television with Jools Holland.

1988: Grammy Award for Close Up

David Sanborn won a Grammy for his instrumental album 'Close Up'.

1989: End of Co-hosting Night Music

David Sanborn stopped co-hosting 'Night Music'.

1991: Another Hand

David Sanborn recorded 'Another Hand', an album produced by Hal Willner that featured musicians from outside the smooth jazz scene, such as Terry Adams, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, and Marc Ribot.

1993: Revisiting Free Jazz

David Sanborn appeared on Tim Berne's 'Diminutive Mysteries', dedicated to Julius Hemphill, revisiting the free jazz genre he studied in his youth.

1994: A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who

David Sanborn appeared in 'A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who', also known as 'Daltrey Sings Townshend'. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall produced by Roger Daltrey of The Who in celebration of his fiftieth birthday. A CD and a VHS video were issued.

1995: The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True

David Sanborn performed in 'The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True', a musical performance of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund.

1996: The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (Release)

The performance of 'The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True' was broadcast on TNT and issued on CD and video.

1998: A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who (DVD Release)

The DVD of the concert 'A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who' was released.

2004: Induction into St. Louis Walk of Fame

David Sanborn was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

2006: Collaboration with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

David Sanborn was featured in Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's album 'The Phat Pack' on the track "Play That Funky Music".

April 8, 2007: Performance with The Allman Brothers Band

David Sanborn sat in with the Allman Brothers Band during their annual run at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

2010: Touring with Joey DeFrancesco and Steve Gadd

David Sanborn toured primarily with a trio featuring jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco and Steve Gadd.

2011: Touring as DMS

David Sanborn toured with keyboardist George Duke and bassist Marcus Miller as the group DMS.

2013: The Dream Tour with Brian Culbertson

David Sanborn toured with keyboardist Brian Culbertson on "The Dream Tour" celebrating the 25th anniversary of the song "The Dream".

2018: Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

David Sanborn was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

2021: Virtual Performances and Masterclasses

As the coronavirus pandemic paused live music performances in public venues, David Sanborn hosted a series of master classes on Zoom and also virtual productions of "Sanborn Sessions" with artists such as Marcus Miller, Christian McBride, Sting, and Michael McDonald, which involved live performances and interviews from his home in Westchester, New York.