David Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American saxophonist, most commonly associated with smooth jazz and pop-jazz fusion, along with a slight rock 'n' roll/R and B style. He was born in Tampa, Florida and grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri. Sanborn, who suffered from polio in his youth, has been a highly regarded session player since the mid 1970s. One of his first professional gigs was as a member of Paul Butterfield's band. One of Sanborn's earliest guest recordings was on David Bowie's Young Americans.