The Horns on Sting & Shaggy’s 44/876
Arranged and led by David TV Barnes
Grammy-winning saxophonist David TV Barnes is credited as horn section leader and horn arranger on Sting & Shaggy’s 44/876 — the album that won Best Reggae Album at the 61st Grammy Awards. (Source: the album’s personnel listing on Wikipedia.)/home
Recording Academy certificate recognizing David TV Barnes’ participation as a musician on the Grammy-winning recording 44/876.
The Sessions
The call came while I was waiting on a sandwich — Sting International rang me up, called me "Hornsy," and asked me to come play on the album. Tomorrow. I hung up calm and then panicked about pulling it all together in one day. I got my crew together, got out to Shaggy's studio in Long Island, listened to the songs, and wrote horn parts that fit the project. Hardest part was the clock — he called at 7pm, session was at 2 the next day. Sting International likes his projects done a certain way, but when he gives you creative freedom, he really lets you go. I learned a lot from the process. I worked with him again after that on his artist's song “African Warrior.”
Full circle: David's first gig was playing for Wynton Marsalis at Gracie Mansion. Years later, he arranged the horns and led the horn section on the Grammy-winning 44/876 — the same record Wynton's brother Branford played sax on.
Royal Albert Hall
David arranged and performed the horns when Sting & Shaggy played the Royal Albert Hall for the Queen’s 92nd birthday celebration — the night the Queen remarked on how much she liked the sound of the horns on the album.
The Recording Academy Certificate
David holds an official Recording Academy certificate recognizing his participation as a musician on the Grammy-winning recording 44/876. The certificate is displayed above.
What a Horn Arranger Actually Does
A horn arranger shapes everything the horn section plays — the voicings, the blend, the feel — turning a producer’s vision into parts players can deliver in the room. The horn section leader runs the section. David did both on 44/876, then carried that craft into live performance across jazz, R&B, soul, and reggae.
What’s Next
David is developing a UAE commercial launch — a luxury hospitality performance residency bringing curated live saxophone to the region’s leading hotels, private estates, and private clients. He plays sax, produces, sings, and raps — recording hip-hop as Taelon Vosges — and is also an international big & tall fashion model.