When six-time Grammy-award-winning saxophonist and Kirkwood native David Sanborn lost his six-year battle to prostate cancer at age 78 back in May, tributes came pouring in from across the music community. 

Six months later, a tribute in Sanborn’s hometown hopes to honor his musical legacy. For one night only, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, “A Salute to David Sanborn and the Saxophone,” an exclusive and intimate benefit concert, will be held at the Levi Strauss Black Box Theatre at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Avenue. 

Headlining the event are St. Louis area saxophonists Paul DeMarinis, Jason Swagler, Bennett Wood, Jim Stevens and Kendrick Smith. Local vocalists Charles Glenn, Kim Fuller Barnes, Joe Mancuso and Joanna Serenko are also lending their talents. 

Jason Church, general manager of jazz radio station WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound, will emcee the evening.

All proceeds from the concert (tickets are $35) will benefit the arts in Kirkwood through tax-deductible donations to the Kirkwood Arts Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the programming of the Kirkwood Arts Commission.

The concert will feature a curated mix of 15 songs ranging from Sanborn’s own personal instrumental compositions as well as his featured work on songs from superstar artists including Miles Davis, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and The Rolling Stones.

Liz Crabtree, general manager of the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, said that in researching Sanborn’s career, she was surprised by just how many credits Sanborn had as a musician on popular vocal songs such as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” 

“We didn’t even realize it until we started preparing,” she said. 

Crabtree said the performers were then given a long list of songs to choose from.

“It started so big (the list) — it was so broad even for all of us,” she said. “Then we just said let them pick the best song they can play.”

Saxophonists chose two songs to perform and the vocalists one song, according to Mancuso, one of the evening’s headlining vocalists and technical coordinator for the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center.

For his own performance, Mancuso is performing Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” which was covered by James Taylor in 1975 and featured Sanborn on saxophone.

“It’s a collaborative effort (‘A Salute to David Sandborn’) because the saxophone players idolized him,” Mancuso said. “One of them in particular, Jim Stevens, sounds a lot like him.”

Mancuso also notes that while Sanborn was mainly an alto  saxophonist, the tribute will also  feature tenor saxophonists. 

“It’s just all about the saxophone and David (Sandborn),” he added. 

In preparing for the tribute, Mancuso said the decision to include both saxophone and vocal performances was to appeal to a wider audience. 

“If it’s just straight instrumental all night, some people could be nodding off,” he said.

For the closing number, Mancuso said all the saxophone players will come together on stage. The song choice however, isn’t being divulged ahead of time.

Art McDonnell, former Kirkwood mayor and president of the Kirkwood Arts Foundation, was tight lipped about the finale. 

“I can’t tell,” he quipped.

“Honor One Of Our Own”

While Crabtree didn’t have a chance to meet the acclaimed saxophonist, she said conversations about recognizing Sanborn at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center began even before his passing. 

“I started here about two years ago. It was difficult to launch the performing arts center during that time because of COVID,” she said. “We originally reached out to David to perform here. We thought, ‘If we’re going to reveal this performing arts center to the world, we want somebody who is from Kirkwood to be on our stage.’”

Crabtree said unfortunately for the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, Sanborn was already scheduled to perform at Jazz St. Louis, which ended up being his last concert. 

“When he passed, Art (McDonnell) and I were talking about what we could do for this annual benefit concert — we try to pay homage to different people that were important the community,” she said. “That’s when we started thinking about David Sanborn, and that we could turn it into a celebration of his life.”

A 1963 graduate of Kirkwood High School, Sanborn was a longtime champion of Jazz St. Louis and received the first ever Steward Center Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence in February 2024 at Jazz St. Louis’ Swing For Tomorrow’s Stars gala.

Born in Tampa, Florida, and raised in Kirkwood, Sanborn contracted polio at the age of 3 and was introduced to the saxophone as part of his treatment therapy. That launched his journey to becoming one of the most iconic voices in the history of the instrument. 

Kirkwood resident Glenda Hares, an impressionist artist and former member of the Kirkwood Arts Commission, said while she did not have a personal connection to Sanborn, she enjoyed his music and had the privilege of being in the audience for his last concert in January 2024.

Hares said she feels strongly about the significance of the upcoming tribute to Sandborn at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. No matter who Sanborn played with or where he traveled, he always held a fondness for his hometown.

“The concert certainly is important to raise funds to continue projects, but it is great to honor one of our own — someone who never lost his Kirkwood connection as his career carried him everywhere,” Hares said. “I wouldn’t miss the concert and think jazz lovers should go not only to support the arts, but because it will be a night of great music.”

Tickets

Tickets for “A Salute to David Sanborn and the Saxophone” are available from $35 and can be purchased at MetroTix.com or by calling the KPAC box office at 314-759-1455. 

Carrson McDaniel, a recent graduate of Webster University, is an intern for the Webster-Kirkwood Times.