egroj world: Merl Saunders • Merl Saunders

Friday, November 8, 2024

Merl Saunders • Merl Saunders

Biography by Joslyn Layne

Hammond B-3 player Merl Saunders recorded with numerous renowned artists beginning in the early '70s, and led many of his own dates in a variety of genres from jazz to blues to new age to rock. Born on Valentine's Day, 1934 in San Mateo, California, Saunders began learning to play the piano at the age of ten. (He was a classmate and bandmate of Johnny Mathis through junior high school.) He decided on music as a profession after seeing how much fun was had by audiences and performers alike at concerts by such musicians as Cab Calloway. He apprenticed early on with Jimmy Smith for a time, and attended various music schools. Starting in the early '70s, Saunders collaborated on and off with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. He also began working as a jazz keyboardist, and performed and recorded with Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and Paul Butterfield.

One of his several albums with Jerry Garcia, Blues from the Rainforest, hit the Top Five of the U.S. Billboard new age chart in the early '90s. Out of that collaboration grew the eco-minded Rainforest Band which Saunders would lead for the next decade, releasing three more albums. He also ran his own label, Sumertone, which included much of his catalog, as did the Fantasy label. In 1998, Saunders released his 20th album as a leader, With His Funky Friends: Live! (Sumertone), which included guests Garcia, John Popper (of Blues Traveler), and Trey Anastasio (of Phish). In addition to his busy touring schedule, the San Franciscan also wrote scores for TV and movies, including Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone, Heavy Traffic, and Fritz the Cat. He also served as the production co-ordinator for the Grammy Awards for two years and worked with a number of charitable organizations, including the Rainforest Action Network and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/merl-saunders-mn0000346102/biography

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Biografía de Joslyn Layne

El músico de Hammond B-3 Merl Saunders grabó con numerosos artistas de renombre a principios de los años 70, y lideró muchas de sus propias citas en una variedad de géneros, desde el jazz al blues, pasando por el new age y el rock. Nacido el día de San Valentín de 1934 en San Mateo, California, Saunders comenzó a aprender a tocar el piano a la edad de diez años. (Fue compañero de clase y de banda de Johnny Mathis hasta la secundaria.) Se decidió por la música como profesión después de ver lo mucho que se divertían el público y los artistas por igual en los conciertos de músicos como Cab Calloway. Fue aprendiz de Jimmy Smith durante un tiempo y asistió a varias escuelas de música. A principios de los años 70, Saunders colaboró de vez en cuando con Jerry Garcia y Grateful Dead. También comenzó a trabajar como teclista de jazz, y tocó y grabó con Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt y Paul Butterfield.

Uno de sus varios álbumes con Jerry García, Blues from the Rainforest, llegó al Top Five de la lista de la nueva era de U.S. Billboard a principios de los'90. De esa colaboración surgió la banda ecológica Rainforest Band que Saunders dirigirá durante la próxima década, editando tres álbumes más. También dirigió su propio sello, Sumertone, que incluía gran parte de su catálogo, al igual que el sello Fantasy. En 1998, Saunders lanzó su 20º álbum como líder, With His Funky Friends: Vive! (Sumertone), que incluyó a los invitados García, John Popper (de Blues Traveler) y Trey Anastasio (de Phish). Además de su apretada agenda de giras, el franciscano también escribió partituras para televisión y cine, incluyendo Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone, Heavy Traffic, y Fritz the Cat. También se desempeñó como coordinador de producción de los Premios Grammy durante dos años y trabajó con varias organizaciones benéficas, entre ellas Rainforest Action Network y Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/merl-saunders-mn0000346102/biography

www.tonysaunders.com/merl-saunders

Tracklist:
A1 - Aunt Monk - 3:25
A2 - It's Cheaper To Keep Her - 5:29
A3 - Wondering Why - 3:34
A4 - Easy Evil - 3:45
B1 - Bolinas Brown - 5:54
B2 - An't No Woman Like The One I've Got - 2:34
B3 - When I Die - 3:16
B4 - Righteousness - 5:23

Credits:
    Arranged By – Merl Saunders, Tony Saunders
    Artwork [Back Cover Collage], Design [Back Cover] – Merl Saunders
    Engineer – Brian Gardner, Jim Stern
    Mastered By – David Turner (2)
    Photography By [Front Cover] – Jermone Knill
    Producer – David Axelrod, Merl Saunders
    Remix – Brian Gardner (tracks: A3), David Axelrod (tracks: A3), Jim Stern (tracks: A3)