"I hate to put styles on music," saxophonist David Sanborn says, taking a break from his Sanborn Sessions, a series of video-recorded almost mini documentaries that air on his website www.sanbornsessions.com.
We're talking on the telephone about lots of stuff . . . music, of course, and his upcoming appearance as headliner at the South Beach Jazz Fest.
"I think a lot of what is called smooth jazz is basically instrumental R&B. I grew up with R&B," says the saxophonist who will headline the SoBe Jazz Festival at the Colony Theatre on Friday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Colon Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road, as the kick off to the three day jazz festival.
"Smooth jazz has watered down some of the things that make jazz great like its sense of adventure," says Sanborn.
Whatever category adult contemporary music has pigeon-holed Sanborn, he isn't having any of it.
Jazz has become a bit exclusionary. I think the fact that the genre called smooth jazz has sectioned itself off from the rest of the jazz community . . . that I think is exclusionary."
He says what has always been interesting to him was to combine aspects of what he says is "the tradition of jazz with elements of rhythm and blues. Do it in an interesting way and not have it be formulaic." There's not much formulaic about Sanborn.
The alto saxophonist is a Floridian, sort of Born in Tampa, he was raised outside of St. Louis, Missouri. One of the missions of the SoBe Jazz Festival through its founder David New is to highlight people with disabilities. New created the jazz festival to help his foundation, Power Access, raise awareness about the abilities of people with disabilities. Each of the artists performing is connected in some way to a person with a disability.
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Sanborn fits the bill a bit. He contracted polio at the age of three and struggled with the disease for eight years. He began to play sax on the advice of a doctor, who thought it would aid him in strengthening his chest muscles. He made his professional debut when he was just 14 years old, playing with Little Milton and Albert King. His host of accomplishments is lengthy including playing on some of the most well known classic rock albums including David Bowie's "Young Americans" (yes, that searing sax solo is his), and work with Steve Wonder, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, and the list goes on.
Playing at a jazz festival gives six-time Grammy winner Sanborn room to breathe. He's bringing piano, acoustic, bass, drums and a trombone player to accompany him."It's the more acoustic format rather than an electric. One of the tunes we'll do is a Roy Hargrove, 'D'Angelo, "Spanish Joint" cover." Another is "It's All in the Game," which he plays with just piano for a sax-piano duet.
And we'll do a couple of Michael Brecker tunes. It will be a nice cross section of stuff."
He'll take a break from his latest pet project, "The Sanborn Sessions." I have a house band and it is a lot of the same people that are going to be at the show playing with me in Miami. I have a home studio and the 'Sessions' are like a fly on the wall."
He has one coming up with Michael McDonald and another with Jonatha Brooke.
"We have six or seven in the can."
They may end up as part of a record release, but he says he hasn't yet looked that far ahead.
He's psyched about coming to Miami Beach in the middle of winter, getting out of New York, and playing the fourth annual fest.
"These multi-day festivals are great because listeners get to hear such a cross section of interesting music."
David Sanborn, South Beach Jazz Festival, Saturday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Colony Theatre. Tickets at www.sobejazzfestival.com. Most shows are free, but admission to the ticketed events is $40-$75.
