Taking Off

I could probably fill several reviews with a list of David Sanborn's session work in the 70's alone. He's one of those musicians who probably didn't need a solo career to be financially successful in music. But by and large a musician as their own creative vision as well. So along with the huge success Sanborn was getting based on his appearances,not to mention his appearances backing up the Saturday Night Live band at the time as well, he was really getting noticed. Besides the big boost of playing with famous clients such as Eric Clapton,Bruce Springsteen,Elton John,James Taylor,The Eagles and of course David Bowie gave him an enormous leg up for his solo career. Of course he surrounded himself with fellow session people such as the Brecker's,Steve Khan,Joe Beck and of course Howard Johnson on baritone sax for this-his first solo album. And musically what an event it was. While Sanborn could've easily based his music on a rock inclination especially with his associates the roots of this album are in heavy funk. The opener "Buttefat" along with "Duck Ankles" are first rate,stomping jazz-funk squarely out of Ricky Vincent's "united funk" era-lots of wah wah and stop-start tempos. "Way Cross Georgia" and "The Whisperer",with it's double tracked soloing showcase Sanborn's interest in slower/midtempo type numbers where he really let go with the melodic end of his playing. "It Took A Long Time" has an inventively chorded major keyed blues to it and jumps mid way from a midtempo ballad into an uptempo jazzy mid 70's soul-pop type piece,then back again. The last three songs bleed together but in a wonderful way "Black Light",with it's uptempo cinematic funk groove has a strong blacksploitation ifnluence and leads into the softer "Blue Night" and the closer "Flight",all of which are filled with as many cinematic funk style orchestrations and percussions possible. This is a very musically rich album,very strong underneath even if the tempo is on the relaxed side. And another wonderful thing about it all is how many sides of Sanborn's musical personality this projects. It has his funky soulfulness,his jazzy sense of improvisation and he ability to flat out play the blues. On the other hand it sounds extremely even as well. Being able to be musically diverse and have a flow at the same time is very tricky. It does seem it was something relatively easy to achieve in the past. Writer/critic Stanley Crouch,ironically known for his negative views on all sorts of electric jazz/funk,has stated that one of the challanges of a democracy is the tendency to elevate and legitimize the mediocre. He himself might find this album an example of that very statement. I don't feel that it is. But where jazz-funk evolved into seemed to be. The flatness of production in the future made the music more uniform but far less diverse in rhythm and sound. And that I think is the quality this and other music of this era has that no one recently can quite capture.

It doesn't sound at all like his later albums - the production sounds cheap and his tone sounds a little weak. It pains me to say that, because I've been a fan of his for decades.

Being a David Sanborn fan for years, I wanted to have another reminder of his beginnings. This was and still is one of his best efforts. Considering this was orginally released in 1975, it still has a feel of being just released. And the guest artists Steve Khan, Will Lee, and the Brecker brothers just made it better. And who would think that Dave Matthews would arrange some songs for this effort. Wonderful!!!!

This was the introduction album to David Sanborn. To this day his music continues to move me and has landed him as my favorite jazz musician.

Great album.

Sanborn pre-dated Kenny G and serves as a model for that type of jazz genre. Amazing how contemporary this set of songs still is.

Jazz saxophonist David Sanborn has one of the most instantly recognizable sounds among his fellow players.Everybody in the musical world has heard of David Sanborn, and rightfully so, because he is one of the mostversatile jazz performers in the field. He is also very, very good. But, everybody may not be familiar with hismagnificent 1975 jazz/funk debut recording "Taking Off" released on Warner Bros. Records. It was my first lpby him back in the day when I was just getting into jazz and, for my ears, I still think it's his best. I still loveto listen to it (now on cd). The first six cuts are great examples of the jazz/funk & fusion output that occurredin the 1970's era. Sanborn gets masterful assistance on his alto sax from such names as the Brecker Brothers(Michael on tenor sax & Randy on trumpet), Steve Khan on electric, acoustic, and electric 12 string guitar, WillLee on bass, Joe Beck on electric guitar, Don Grolnick on keyboards, Steve Gadd on drums, & Ralph McDonaldon congas, bongos, and percussion, among others. These guys were all masters of the genre and it shows on"Taking Off". The legendary David Matthews arranged such tracks as "Butterfat", "Funky Banana", and "Duck Ankles" while Howard Johnson, who also performs on baritone sax/tuba, arranged "Way Cross Georgia". DonGrolnick wrote and did the arranging on "The Whisperer" while Randy Brecker wrote and arranged "It Took ALong Time". These first six tracks are all cool, butt-kicking funky, & tight. But it's the last three tracks on thealbum, "Black Light", "Blue Night", and "Flight", which form a suite for Sanborn's alto sax and string orchestra(including Steve Gadd on drums and Ralph McDonald on congas), that seals the deal. Composed and arrangedby David Matthews, it's one of the best combinations & performance of this form of ensemble I've ever heard.Matthews scored the suite so the strings swirl and surround Sanborn's improvisations and funky vamps alongwith prominent double bass by John Beal & Bob Daugherty. On the original vinyl lp, the suite took up most ofside two. Gadd and McDonald fire on all cylinders with Sanborn and the string orchestra with marvelous drumand conga work. The suite is what keeps me coming back to "Taking Off" time & time again. It blew me awaythe first time I heard it and still does today. Sanborn and Matthews were in PERFECT unison on this work. Thethird part of the suite, "Flight", became one of Sanborn's most requested pieces when he does concerts/tours.The well-known studio musicians in the string orchestra are exemplary, as well. "Taking Off" was produced byJohn Court & beautifully recorded by Don Haun at A&R Studios in New York. Kudos to ALL involved with DavidSanborn's debut "Taking Off" which he certainly did and hasn't quit yet. A terrific jazz/funk classic from a longgone era.

This album really is a timeless classic of the Jazz/Funk era. What an amazing debut. Of course Sanborn had been a successful session musician before he recorded "Taking Off" so his sound, technique and vocabulary were fully developed by this time. Likewise his studio savvy gave him the confidence to blow and wail with that Gospel tinge that has become indispensable to the array of saxophonists following in his footsteps. I especially love the tracks with strings which feature stellar performances from Steve Gadd and Ralph MacDonald to give it the required level of Funk. Genre defining stuff before the tragic descent into Smooth Jazz blandness that has plagued many of his imitators since.

Taking Off by David Sanbornsmooth, cool jazz. this guy is one of best sax players in the world to bad he sold out to the record companies and plays dribble. i saw him about 20 years ago when he had soul. This album is one of the good ones before the sell out. lively, hard and strong. not like kenny g, this has substance. Check out his older stuff first, he has a new album coming out in 2010, i'll reserve comment for now.

Sanborn, je l'ai toujours surnommé "no-limit" ("sans borne", pour aider). Et pour moi c'est cela. Le sax dont a révé et que l'on sait pertinemment qu'on ne jouera jamais. Mais alors, quel rêve. On a tous regardé jouer Borg en son temps, Joko maintenant tout en sachant que l'on ne jouera jamais comme ça.Mais bon c'est aussi cela la sagesse, accepter et goûter.

Very good

デビットらしさは出ていて、まづまづかな！自分の好みの曲を探そう。