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David Sanborn at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley - review

 

 

Alto saxophonist David Sanborn has been around for years. I first saw him perform with James Taylor in the late 70s at a concert at Tanglewood in western Massachusetts. Thirty years and 23 solo albums later (as well as numerous collaborations and movie soundtracks), the crossover icon continues to have widespread appeal among hardcore jazz fans as well as those who prefer a pop sound. His six Grammys speak for themselves.

 

Sanborn is appearing at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in downtown Seattle this week. Jazz Alley is an intimate, dimly lit supper club where tables are arranged around the stage. You can have cocktails or dinner while enjoying the sounds of your favorite jazz artists up close. The informality of the setting contributes to a feeling of being engaged with the musicians in a way a concert hall cannot.

 

Sanborn’s band consists of Ricky Peterson on keyboards, Richard Patterson on bass, Nicky Moroch on guitar, and Gene Lake setting the pace on drums. After walking through the audience to take the stage, they played a roughly 90-minute set, taking off with the energetic “Full House,” then mellowing out with “Brother Ray” and the popular “Maputo” from Sanborn’s 1986 album with Bob James, “Double Vision.” “Maputo” has received a lot of radio airplay, and it was fun to hear a live version with Sanborn’s sax improvisation and a synthesizer solo by Ricky Peterson. A mellow and sexy “As We Speak” featured a romantic guitar interlude by Nicky Moroch, and the funky “I’ve Got News for You, featured solo vocals by Ricky Peterson. The band’s encore included “Soul Serenade,” featuring impressive bass and guitar work, but the highlight was Sanborn’s playing: that man can make a sax sing!

 

Sanborn willingly and wisely shares the spotlight with his talented band members, allowing each of them to show off their skills at various points throughout the set. Each has impressive abilities, but it’s the heart and soul they put into it that makes the music special. I usually don’t use the word “grooving,” but I can’t think of a better one to describe the mood of both the band and the audience. By the end of the evening I felt very “cool,” and when I got outside the temperature had dropped about 15 degrees. Perhaps it was from all that cool jazz going on inside.

 

David Sanborn is appearing nightly through June 7. For info and reservations go to http://www.jazzalley.com/artist.asp?artistid=708