Louis, Sanborn played with many Chicago blues greats (including Albert King) and became a skilled alto saxophonist despite battling polio in his youth. After stints with Paul Butterfield, Gil Evans, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and the Brecker Brothers, Sanborn began recording as a leader in the mid-’70s and racked up a string of pop successes. Over the years, he has worked with many pop players but has made his biggest impact leading his own bands. Sanborn occasionally throws the music world a curve, such as in his eccentric but rewarding ‘Another Hand’, a guest stint with avant-gardist Tim Berne on a 1993 album featuring the compositions of Julius Hemphill and ballads on which he was accompanied by a string orchestra arranged by Johnny Mandel. For a couple of years in the early ’90s, Sanborn was the host of the syndicated television series Night Music, which had a very eclectic lineup of musicians, most of whom were given the unique opportunity to play together.