Sanborn fans take note
John Cooper | Woodland Hills, CA United States | 06/08/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I thought I had every Sanborn album, only to find this cd sitting in the record store? To hardcore Sanborn fans, this CD is worth the money, as it has 3 tasty cuts that fit right in with the 70's/80's part of his career that made him so popular. "The Rev" a Hiram Bullock ballad, and "Benjamin" an early James Taylor remake would fit right in to any of Dave's best albums from the 70's and 80's. These cuts in particular would fit perfectly on to his Hideaway CD, melodic but pushed forward by his powerful and expressive style. Unfortunately, this cd which is titled "David Sanborn Band" has too many vocals and Spyro Gyra sounding non vocal efforts. Stranger's Arms is the best of the vocal tracks, a bluesy/funky effort reminiscent of "Love and Happiness" from the Straight to the Heart CD, though not in it's class. The standout track is "Morning Salsa" which alone makes this cd worth the money! This cut is vintage Sanborn and who knew it even existed until now? Thank God for reissues! Hardcore Sanborn fans will see this as a hidden gem, but newer fans would be better served to go to his "Straight to the Heart", "Hideaway" or "A Change of Heart" CD's. If those don't make you a fan, nothing will."
Long Lost "Promise" Fufilled
Hotquad | San Jose, CA United States | 09/03/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The other reviewer must be a newer Sanborn fan. This was his second album and I've been waiting forever for it to be released on CD (Released 4/03 from above, so just a few months ago).
In my opinion, by far the finest cut, and alone worth the price of the CD, is the first song "Promise Me the Moon." It is magical. It is that oh so rare state of controlled chaos, with beautiful intertwined harmonies, both vocal and instrumental. The vocals and instruments compliment each other, as the vocals are used to the same effect as instruments. Its probably my favorite Sanborn song. This CD is a MUST HAVE if you enjoy early Sanborn.
During these early years ('75-78) I was lucky enough to see Sanborn and his very talented band (Hiram Bullock along w/ Pat Methany's future bass player Mark Egan) perform 2-3x in a small nightclub in Woodstock, NY, The Joyous Lake, where they and many famous and talented musicians who lived locally and down in NY City performed while they came to the Catskills for the weekend, or to record an album. It was truly a wonderous experience to sit 10 feet away from Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Eric Gale,Richard Tee, Steve Gadd (aka "Stuff") and so many others and watch them play."
Great early Sanborn
stengel99 | Bakersfield, CA USA | 03/27/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is an interesting look into the early years of Sanborn's career. However, I agree with the other reviewers that it's not the best representation of Sanborn's work, but probably gave him some early commercial visibility. True Sanborn fans will love it though. For a better intro to his music, try Straight to the Heart. If you like "Promise", try Heart to Heart."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1