Out of the shadows he emerges, sax in hand, dark sunglasses shading his face. Not loud or intrusive, David Sanborn’s cool demeanor sets the tone for the smooth notes he’s about to play.
The six-time Grammy winner seems at home on a dimly lit stage, or in his 20th-century brownstone in Lincoln Square. Much like the music flowing from his saxophone, Sanborn’s home speaks for itself: modern yet classic, grand yet unassuming.
Located at 135 W 69th St, New York, NY 10023 on one of the Upper West Side’s handsomest row of townhouses, the place is now on the market for a cool $12 million. Measuring 19 feet wide, it looks modest from the street, but with 13 rooms, it’s anything but small.
The townhouse has been renovated with a well-appointed chef’s kitchen and spa-like baths. Its early 1900s character also remains with original millwork, coffered ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces and period-centric chandeliers in nearly every room.
But perhaps the most fitting room for the musician, who earned a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance with his single “All I Need Is You,” is the top-floor music studio. “We went to great lengths to build the soundproof studio,” Sandborn said in a NY Daily News report. “We blew off firecrackers to test it. No one heard a thing.”
According to reports, Sanborn has lived in the area since he moved to New York City in the early ’70s. In that time, he has played jazz shows at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in Time Warner Center and been seen shopping and eating at local establishments.
Sanborn recently released a new album, “Quartette Humaine,” which he recorded with pianist Bob James. The listing is held by Tom Postilio, Mickey Conlon and Shaun Osher of CORE.