One of the most instantly-recognisable saxophonists in the history of jazz, David Sanborn returns to the Barbican with the live version of his acclaimed recording from last year, Here and Gone.

Conceived as a tribute to the soul–drenched feel that defined the music of Ray Charles in the 60s – and especially his two saxophonists Hank Crawford and David ‘Fathead’ Newman, both of whom died recently, this concert will evoke the spirit of a clutch of Sanborn’s key inspirations. Joining Sanborn on stage will be a true soul legend, vocalist Sam Moore (of ‘Sam and Dave’).

David William Sanborn was born in1945 in Tampa, Florida. Having contracted polio when he was only three years old, Sanborn was introduced to the saxophone as part of his cure; later, growing up in St. Louis, he became inspired by the rich legacy of great Chicago blues artists who would play there on tour.

In 1965 the Butterfield Blues Band invited him to Los Angeles to sit-in on recording sessions with the band. ‘I sat in and I did okay’ , Sanborn has recalled, ‘and I was with Butterfield for almost five years.’ After leaving he became a key sideman to many touring artists, and eventually reached a world-wide audience through a famous alto sax solo on Bowie’s 1975 recording Young Americans . It was also in 1975 that Sanborn released his first solo album, Taking Off . 1981’s Voyeur won a Grammy, as did 1986’s Double Vision.

Sanborn has continued to release hard-hitting albums of his own patented brew of jazz, funk and blues; his own sound is a beacon for soulful jazz at its most seductive, and this concert marks a long overdue return to the London concert stage, with a typically high-powered and downright funky band in tow. Mobo Jazz Award winner, saxophonist YolanDa Brown plays the opening set.

Watch David live on Jools Holland