In 1985 a good friend of mine who unbeknownst to me liked jazz fusion, asked me on the phone to take a listen to something. He played "A Tear for Crystal" from "Backstreet." Never in my life had I heard such soul, such depth of thought, such subtlety in combination with complexity of passion. I became an instant Sanborn fan (and that song to this day remains my favorite). I was further amazed to learn that he had played alone (without the presence of other musicians in the same room) for that album.

The first time I heard him live was in 1990 at Chastain Park in Atlanta. He was on the "Another Hand" tour. Herbie Hancock was on piano. Sanborn was in a festive mood that afternoon. He observed from the stage that the 'caviar crowd' had come out to see his performance. He shook his head no looking down and away with a grin and a laugh. It was as if he were saying to himself, "Sometimes you simply have to bow to the absurd." Then he decided to try his hand at a little stand-up comedy. He announced to the crowd something like, "Oh, table 36, table 36, your caviar is on the way." I was insulted through the concert at the crowds sitting there, eating and chatting away, with literally tables of food they had brought with them, seemingly oblivious to this man up there blowing out his heart for them. My anger at the crowd diminished perhaps my experience, but it was a good concert as far as the music is concerned. He played mostly stuff from "Another Hand"

As a result of that first listen in 1985, my entire musical future was set. 75%+ of my quite varied music collection of @350 albums can amazingly be traced back ultimately to Sanborn and the circle of musicians with whom he's played.

Dave, don't know if you'll get to see this, but if you do...know this: music historians may call Charlie Parker the best, but YOU are the GREATEST. No one else can touch your sound. You have an incredible understanding of music theory, and have influenced, inspired, taught, and given to other musicians (myself included) in countless ways as Michael Kamen testifies in his Laserdisc video of his album with you. Your albums consistently offer remarkable combinations of upbeat tunes and soulful themes--all in very valid music. Your music has been singularly responsible for more rewarding romantic encounters than I or my friends who have your albums can count on fingers and toes. You continue to be a great source of joy in my life. Happy Birthday!