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![David Sanborn - Backstreet [New CD] - Picture 1 of 1](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/pGgAAOSwU8hY6Cf~/s-l500.jpg)
It transpires that David Sanborn isn't too chuffed about being described as smooth jazz, he sees himself as himself basically. Fair enough. On the strength of his earlier work with the Brecker Brothers and his first half dozen albums I might have demurred on the second point (He definitely owes more than a debt of gratitude to Mike Brecker for helping him to, er, become himself) but I would totally agree that the man is not in any way 'smooth jazz'. He was almost a role model for jazz/funk. How times change, this album, which I bought unheard on a whim in aid of charity, is as smooth as they come. Drum machines, sequencers, almost as many programmers as musicians (OK, slight exaggeration there, most if not all of the programmers actually are musicians, who should be ashamed of themselves I might add). So it all comes down to a number of things as to whether you're going to like this album. If you like Sanborn's playing and aren't offended by the above mentioned smooth trimmings you can't really go wrong, unless you're also not a fan of bebop, since on one track in particular here he reverts right back to his bop days over the smooth backing plodding along behind him. Like many other players before him, Sanborn's bebop playing reveals what a genius Charlie Parker was, but he nevertheless more than holds his own. Unfortunately, bebop fans, the backing neither bes nor bops. And if you're one of those odd beings who, like me, abhors the sound of machines dictating the pace to human beings, you're going to hate this no matter how great the playing. I've just been reminded (By my mother, because that's what mothers are for) of a comment I made on first listening to this album in the car. "This could almost be a Marcus Miller album with a 'Feat. David Sanborn' sticker on the cover". I throw that in free, gratis, just in case it might be useful. Just be aware that on this record co-producer Marcus Miller plays Fender bass, fretless bass, Moog bass, Rhodes piano, acoustic piano, (Deep breath) OBX-A, Yamaha GS2, Prophet 5, and Jupiter 8 synthesisers, solo and rhythm acoustic and electric guitars, steel drums, tympani, percussion, Vocoder, and (Shome mishtake shurely?) chair. He is also part of the background vocals choir, for whom he also arranged the music. Sanborn plays saxophone, albeit more than one, but not at the same time, except for overdubs (OK, we get it! Move on. - The Man With The Big Hat). To be really fair I listened to the album again for this review, and one thing I did notice second time around was just how bored Sanborn sounds in places. He seems to be just going through the motions. 'These are the changes. Extemporise'... yawn... tootle.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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