Directly following his adventurous
Another Hand, some listeners were disappointed with the fact that
David Sanborn did not permanently switch from R&B/crossover to creative jazz. However,
Upfront is generally quite appealing and takes some chances within its genre. Although bassist
Marcus Miller is once again an important collaborator, the emphasis is on "real" instruments, most notably the organ of
Ricky Peterson. Other musicians in the backup groups include
John Purcell on various reeds, trumpeter
Randy Brecker, drummer
Steve Jordan and guest
Eric Clapton, who takes a guitar solo on "Full House." The most unusual selection is the final cut, a version of
Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin'" that finds
Sanborn,
Miller,
Peterson and
Jordan joined by the avant-garde trumpeter
Herb Robertson. Overall, this is an above-average effort from the highly influential altoist. ~ Scott Yanow