Press
Now seventy-four years old, Sanborn shows no signs of slowing down. That fact is best embodied as he launches a new and exciting program, the Sanborn Sessions, that offers a unique approach and entirely new viewing experience. Let's let him tell you all about it.
Thirty years ago, saxophonist and six-time Grammy Award winner David Sanborn hosted a late-night NBC program called Night Music that was one of the most diverse , and coolest, music shows ever seen on television. Although each episode was wildly eclectic—one featured Sonny Rollins, Leonard Cohen, Ken Nordine, and Was (Not Was), while another boasted Sun Ra, the Pixies, Al Green, and Arthur Baker—the show’s emphasis was on what bonded all of its participants: the process of music-making. Due to rights issues, the two seasons of Night Music have long been unavailable commercially. But now, inspired by that program’s legacy, Sanborn is picking up where he left off in 1990 with a new show in the same spirit: Sanborn Sessions, which will premiere December 3 at sanbornsessions.com, as well as on the Sanborn Sessions YouTube channel.
Unless you’ve never owned a radio, a phonograph, or a TV set, you’re already familiar with the iconic sound of alto saxophonist David Sanborn. His singular voice on the alto has been an essential thread in the fabric of American music for over five decades. He’s played the blues with Paul Butterfield, jazz with Gil Evans and Bob James, fusion with The Brecker Brothers, and countless pop sessions with everyone from David Bowie to Paul Simon to The Eagles. He’s also released over two dozen genre-defying solo albums. Yet with all due respect to his six Grammy Awards, eight gold albums and one platinum album, Sanborn’s unparalleled stature stems from a unique musical ethos that disregards the barriers that separate jazz, pop, rock, funk, and R&B.
On one episode, Leonard Cohen performed a haunting rendition of "Who by Fire" while backed by jazz legend Sonny Rollins. A week later, it was Lou Reed, Gladys Knight and a young Harry Connick Jr. all sharing a stage. And how about the time a network television program actually put the Pixies, Al Green and Sun Ra in the same airspace? This was Sunday Night, aka Night Music — the short-lived but increasingly legendary NBC show hosted and largely conceived by veteran saxophonist David Sanborn.
When David Sanborn talks to people during tours, they often bring up Night Music (aka Sunday Night), the late-night TV show the alto saxophonist hosted from 1988 to 1990. But it’s not just fans who remember the show fondly for its emphasis on live performances that frequently mixed musicians from different genres. Musicians bring it up, too.