Photo Credit: Blaine Schultz
Opening with a pair of Michael Brecker tunes, “Tumbleweed” and “Half Moon Lane,” the David Sanborn Jazz Quartet played a show for the jazz faithful Wednesday night at the Northern Lights Theater.
“I remember this place,” saxophonist David Sanborn said. “It’s a great room to play, and this is the home of Al Jarreau!” At which point Sanborn broke into an impression of the late Milwaukee jazz vocalist, telling a story about an early ’60s Cedar Rapids, Iowa, jazz club where the owner called the shots while playing drums.
Seated at a tall chair, the saxophonist led his band through songs that were just this side of intense, focusing on muscular grooves provided by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Billy Kilson. Early on, as a leader, Sanborn gave his musicians plenty of room to work with spacious arrangements that returned to the saxophonist’s elastic variations on theme.
Listeners of a certain age will recall Sanborn sitting in with the house band for David Letterman’s talk show or as host of the cult television program “Night Music” (which provided mashed-ups like Conway Twitty playing with The Residents). Other highlights of his lengthy resume include performing at Woodstock with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and recording the familiar solo on David Bowie’s “Young Americans.”
But this night was all jazz. The evening’s highlight, Marcus Miller’s “Maputo” opened with keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer replicating the sound of a kalimba that combined with Kilson’s polyrhythms before dropping into a jazz-fugue section with Keezer playing piano with his left hand and keyboard with his right. As the rhythm section moved back into a driving groove, Sanborn soared above them.
Thumbing his nose at the notion of time, Sanborn duetted with Keezer on a song he recalled from high school dances, Tommy Edwards’ 1958 hit “It’s All in the Game” as well as 2000’s “Spanish Joint” by D’Angelo and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. They also debuted a version of “The In Crowd,” sending it out to an ailing Ramsey Lewis who recorded the 1965 crossover hit.
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The fit and trim Sanborn led a band young enough to be his kids (or much younger brothers, at least). There is a history in jazz of mentoring younger players, and when he was not playing sax, Sanborn leaned back with eyes closed, enjoying the music.
