David Sanborn

Here & Gone

(Decca)

As the progenitor of the smooth-jazz alto saxophone, 63-year-old David Sanborn has repeatedly denied being a “jazz saxophonist.” The man knows music history and seems too humble to rank himself with Charlie Parker or John Coltrane. After all, it was Stevie Wonder’s expressive harmonica that provided the basis for Sanborn’s unique approach to sound and nuance. At least, it used to be unique. In 1975 he burst onto the scene with the solo album Taking Off. During the three decades since then, Sanborn’s sound has been cloned ad nauseam by less creative types who resemble businessmen more than musicians.

For the past several years, however, Sanborn has been exploring a repertoire that’s unquestionably jazz and obviously close to his heart. His 2005 album, Closer, found the altoist tearing into Gil Fuller and Chano Pozo’s “Tin Tin Deo,” as well as Buddy Bernier and Nat Simon’s “Poinciana” and Horace Silver’s “Señor Blues” with typical, blues-drenched abandon. While not taking it up a notch, Here & Gone remains true to Sanborn’s latest vision by including seriously old-school jazz in two early-20th-century classic blues titles, “St. Louis Blues” and “Basin Street Blues” – the latter inspired by Miles Davis’ ultra-slow version on the trumpeter’s classic LP, Seven Steps to Heaven.

The remainder of Here & Gone pays tribute to Sanborn’s musical heroes who laid the foundation for his style by combining jazz with gospel and down-home blues back in the ’50s and ’60s. Predictably, the spirits of Ray Charles and his right-hand man, sax player Hank Crawford, are well-represented here. Classic titles “Stoney Lonesome,” “I’ve Got News for You” and “I Believe to My Soul” swing hard, thanks, in part, to the brassy backing of a little big band of New York City’s finest. Like-minded guest guitarists Derek Trucks and Eric Clapton (who sings too), as well as vocalists Joss Stone and Sam Moore add icing to the cake (or is it butter on the corn bread?), culminating in yet another CD of richly satisfying Sanborn.

- James Rozzi