Blues Alley
11/18/07

If it’s November, then it’s time for the David Sanborn Group to play Blues Alley in Washington, DC.  This has become a pre Thanksgiving ritual for me, and hundreds of others who come to see David and his band perform over the course of eight shows in four nights.

This band has been together for quite awhile, and it shows in their performance.  They can do this in their sleep, but they don’t.  Everyone gives it their all.  (I would imagine that Mr. Sanborn would expect nothing less.) 

This set was just a little bit shorter than usual.  Nonetheless, the music played was all good.  They began with “Comin’ Home Baby,” with the song opening to the distinctive bass lines of Richard Patterson the acoustic bass.  Sanborn was greeted enthusiastically by the crowd as he made his entrance and began playing.  He then performed “Full House,” which featured solos by Ricky Peterson on the Hammond B3, and Nick Moroch on the guitar.  “Maputo” has been a crowd favorite since it was released on Double Vision over 20 years ago.  David Sanborn plays this song with as much passion now, as he did when it was released.  This song is a classic and never fails to please the crowd.  The same can be said of “Benny,” one of my personal favorites.  He went back to Upfront and played “Full House” and “Soul Serenade” as well.  

David Sanborn is not shy about giving his band their time to shine.  We were treated with several guitar solos by Nick Moroch, a Latin tinged drum introduction to “Tin Tin Deo” by Gene Lake, keyboard and organ features from Ricky Peterson, and bass guitar and acoustic bass highlights from Richard Patterson.  

When you hear David Sanborn play these songs live, songs that he’s been playing for several decades now, you know why he’s held in such high esteem by the popular sax players in the genre today, and why he continues to have such a following the world over.  He ended the show with a very powerful version of “The Dream.”

- Mary Bentley