It's been a long time since Sanborn's heyday in the late 1970s and early-80s, when that signature alto wail seemed to be ubiquitous: Gil Evans charts, countless classy pop hits, well-crafted solo albums. His own-name output since then has been patchy, veering between over- and under-ambition; so it's a pleasant surprise to report that Time And The River marks a return to former glories. This may be due to Sanborn re-recruiting his old mucker Marcus Miller to produce. The bassist reminds us how good he is at that job – a great electracoustic sound-pallete, superb dynamics, sophistication and grit in nice balance – and of course, all funky as hell. Check the very cool version of what is already a very cool tune, D'Angelo's ‘Spanish Joint’, on which Sanborn's lines slither and slide in much longer forays than customary without losing their essential incendiary quality; or the swirling, churning emotion of ‘Oublie Moi’. A couple of misjudgements aside -Randy Crawford singing ‘Windmills Of Your Mind’? – the quality is high throughout. If you ever had a soft spot for David Sanborn, prepare to rediscover it now.