With the release of his searingly soulful, rootsy, and groovy Decca debut, Here & Gone,
David Sanborn became the second legendary saxman -- after
Maceo Parker and Roots and Grooves -- to pay homage to the ever-popular genius of
Ray Charles in 2008.
Sanborn approaches
the Genius in a novel and not completely obvious way, however, tapping into the fruitful symbiotic relationship between
Ray Charles and one of
Sanborn's chief sax influences,
Hank Crawford -- who was
Charles' saxman and arranger in the '50s and early '60s. Three of the nine tracks pay searing homage (complete with attractive old school all-star vocals) to the
Crawford-
Charles vibe as originally captured on
Charles' seminal 1960 release Genius + Soul = Jazz: the simmering, blues- and brass-inflected "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," featuring a coolly pensive vocal by
Eric Clapton; the similarly vibing "I've Got News for You," with a delightfully playful
Sam Moore; and the haunting, slow-scorching instrumental ballad "Basin Street Blues."
Sanborn dug into
Charles' next album, The Genius Sings the Blues, for the swinging seduction of "I Believe It to My Soul," a powerful showcase for the otherworldly soul transcendence of
Joss Stone. Another way
Sanborn invokes
the Genius is by acoustically covering "Brother Ray," a
Marcus Miller-penned tribute gem the saxman first recorded on 1999's Inside. It fits the theme here perfectly and has
Derek Trucks' smiling and crying guitar work fronting
Ricky Peterson's shimmering Hammond B-3 and those prominent snazzy horns.
Sanborn then pays more direct tribute to
Crawford with a bustling, jazzy twist on
Crawford's own "Stoney Lonesome." Not pure jazz, pure blues, or pure R&B/pop, Here & Gone nonetheless is a solid and entertaining primer on the swirl of influences -- also including
David "Fathead" Newman,
King Curtis, and a sea of Chicago blues legends who frequented St. Louis -- that gelled to eventually make
Sanborn one of the most imitated saxmen of his generation. As far as musical autobiographies go, these nine tracks tell tales every
Sanborn, blues, and soul fan will be regaled by for hours. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
