The Grammy Award winner and St. Louis native is the first recipient of the Steward Center Lifetime Achievement Award in Excellence
ST. LOUIS – The Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis, honored jazz superstar David Sanborn with the Steward Center Lifetime Achievement Award in Excellence Thursday, Feb. 22, at the organization’s Swing for Tomorrow's Stars Gala at The Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis.
Sanborn is the first musician to receive the new recognition from the Steward Center, home of Jazz St. Louis, the foremost jazz presenter in St. Louis and throughout the region.
The award presentation was part of a rare two-night fundraiser to support Jazz St. Louis’s educational programs and community engagement. Headlined by fellow jazz legends Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis, Sanborn accepted the award on stage in front of a packed crowd.
Raised in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., Sanborn contracted polio at the age of three and was introduced to the saxophone as part of his treatment therapy. He has won six Grammys and released 25 albums, one of which went platinum and eight gold. In addition to his album success, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Miles Davis, James Brown, and the Rolling Stones.
Jazz St. Louis CEO Victor Goines said Sanborn was an obvious choice for the organization's first award.
“We chose David for this special honor not only because of his amazing record as a jazz musician, but because he is an example of how learning a musical instrument can change someone’s life,” Goines said. “At Jazz St. Louis, we teach how learning music builds character and leadership skills. Whether our students go on to be professional musicians or not, Sanborn is a role model our kids look up to because he exemplifies how practice and dedication to a craft can lead to incredible opportunities.”
Sanborn said he was delighted to travel back to St. Louis to receive the award and take part in the rare jazz event supporting jazz education in his hometown.
“I am honored to receive this lifetime achievement award from Jazz St. Louis, especially as the first to do so,” Sanborn said. “Growing up in St. Louis was critical to my success because it’s where I learned to play saxophone and it’s where I had some crucial experiences, such as playing with blues legends Albert King and Little Milton when I was 14. I’ve been all over the world but St. Louis will always be my hometown and I would like to thank Jazz St. Louis for giving me this incredible honor.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is named after the Steward Center, the home of Jazz St. Louis in Grand Center. The Steward Center will now give out the award annually.
The award features three concentric circles symbolic of the Steward Center’s unwavering commitment to excellence in jazz performance, transformative education and a connected community.
To learn more about Jazz St. Louis, visit jazzstl.org.
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Leigh Walters Communications
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About Jazz St. Louis
Jazz St. Louis is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to lead our community in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz through performance, education, and community engagement.
Each year, Jazz St. Louis presents over 270 performances in its internationally acclaimed concert series. The non-profit organization takes a three-pronged approach to its work: presenting jazz, encouraging and educating future audiences, and nurturing budding musicians.
Jazz St. Louis Education programs cultivate leadership and cultural appreciation in the next generation of musicians and listeners through training, educational resources, and transformative engagement with local and touring professional musicians. Jazz St. Louis has an extensive portfolio of education programs aimed at elementary through college students in the greater St. Louis area and beyond. The organization provides field trip experiences, hands-on training programs, in-school clinics and masterclasses, and curricular resources for teachers, all at no cost to participants.
For more information about Jazz St. Louis, visit jazzstl.org.
About David Sanborn
David Sanborn has released 25 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum. Having inspired countless other musicians, Dave has worked in many genres which typically blend instrumental pop, R&B and traditional jazz. He has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school when he was inspired by the great Chicago blues artists near his hometown of St. Louis. He backed legends like Albert King, Little Milton and Gil Evans, then joined the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1967, later playing with them at Woodstock. For decades he worked with music’s biggest names, from Miles Davis and James Brown to the Eagles and the Rolling Stones. Dave’s solo release of Taking Off in 1975—still considered a classic—further solidified his career. His 1979 release of Hideaway became a popular hit and further propelled Dave’s ascent with the single, “Seduction” being featured in the movie, American Gigolo. Later albums have included guest artists such as Luther Vandross, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Charlie Hayden, Wallace Roney, Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, and Eric Clapton. Sanborn continues to be one of the most highly active musicians of his genre.
