Sadly, another Woodstock performed away yesterday. But this is one you probably didn’t realize was even there.
I’ll give you a hint: he played sax. But he didn’t just play the sax; he invented a way of playing and a style that millions have tried to imitate and emulate. He played with Bowie, Elton, Stevie and James Brown. He played with Eric, Paul Simonk, Billy Joel and Steely Dan. He played with B.B. King, the Eagles, Todd, and Bruce. He played with the Stones. He played with the Dead. And at Yasgur’s Farm, he played with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
If you guessed David Sanborn you were correct. I got to meet David as we were both exiting the gym on a music cruise. Sweet, humble, smart and cool. The whole package. And to think that a severe bout with polio as a child led this musical prodigy into our lives and into our ears.
David is probably jamming with Clarence Clemons as you are reading this. So, time to turn up some Young Americans, Tenth Avenue Freeze-out, and live Moonage Daydream in remembrance.