picture of Merl Saunders
Merl Saunders
Merl (* 1934) attended Polytechnic High School in San Francisco. He gained notice in the 1970s when he began collaborating with Jerry Garcia, with whom he had begun playing in 1971 at a small Fillmore Street nightclub called The Matrix. He sat in with the Grateful Dead, and co-founded the Saunders/Garcia Band which produced three albums, and which became the Legion of Mary with the addition of Martin Fierro (sax) in 1974. It disbanded the following year, but he and Garcia continued to collaborate in the band Reconstruction during 1979, collaborating with Ed Neumeister (trombone), Gaylord Birch (drums) and John Kahn (bass).
 
He led his own band as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, as well as Mike Bloomfield, David Grisman, Michael Hinton, Tom Fogerty, Vassar Clements, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn and Sheila E.. He also collaborated with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart in the band High Noon.
 
In 1990 he released the world music and New Age classic album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration with Jerry Garcia and Muruga Booker. This led to the release of a video which chronicled Saunders' journey to the Amazon, and the subsequent albums Fiesta Amazonica, It's in the Air, and Save the Planet so We'll Have Someplace to Boogie. One of the songs from Blues From the Rainforest was used as part of the soundtrack for the TV series Baywatch. Saunders continued to perform with the Rainforest Band for the next ten years.
 
Saunders worked with musicians Paul Pena, Bonnie Raitt, Phish, Widespread Panic, Miles Davis, and B. B. King. He also recorded with the Dinosaurs, a "supergroup" of first-generation Bay Area rock musicians.
 
Merl worked with the Grateful Dead on the theme music for the 1985 TV show The New Twilight Zone. As musical director he completed 2 1/2 season of the show . He also worked on the TV series Nash Bridges, and worked on several soundtracks for movies, including Fritz the Cat and Steelyard Blues. He was production co-ordinator for the Grammy Awards for two years, and for the Grammy's Greatest Moments TV special. He also supplied the music for the computer animation video Headcandy: Sidney's Psychedelic Adventure.
 
He worked with several charitable organizations such as the Seva Foundation, the Rex Foundation, the Rainforest Action Network, and the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic, and headlined the Haight Street Music Fair for 24 consecutive years. He has been granted a Doctorate of Music by Unity College, in Unity, Maine.
 
In 2002, Saunders suffered from a stroke that paralyzed one side of his body and curtailed his musical career, and he died in San Francisco, California, on the morning of October 24, 2008.
 
from Wikipedia
contact:
homepage:
myspace www.myspace.com/merlsaunders

 

Discography [22]
Soul Grooving
America 30 AM 6093
released 1968
Merl Saunders, organ
Ray Shanklin, alto sax
Eddie Moore, drums
Bill Elliot, drums
Jimmy Daniels, guitar
Johnny Bishop, guitar
Ray Shanklin Big Band
John White
Mainstream Records MRL 330
released 1971
John White, guitar
Sonny Red, alto sax
Hadley Caliman, tenor sax
Jock Williams, trombone
John Wilmath, trumpet
Merl Saunders, piano, organ
Dale Smith, bass
Terry Hensley*, bass
J. Burr, congas
Phil Wilson*, drums
Robert Williams, vocals
Heavy Turbulence
Fantasy F-8421
released 1972
recorded February 1972
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Martin Fierro, sax, flute
Arthur Adams, guitar
Billy Fender, guitar
Chris Hayes, guitar
Tony Saunders, bass
Paul Humphrey, drums
Larry Vann, drums
Sheila Escovedo, congas
Fire Up
Fantasy 9421
released 1973
recorded in Berkeley, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals
Tom Fogerty, guitar
Mike Howell, guitar
John Kahn, bass
Chuck Rainey, bass
Bill Vitt, drums
Christopher Parker, drums
Bill Kruetzman, drums
Gaylord Birch, drums
Bill Sommers, percussion
Ken Nash, percussion
Walter Hawkins, vocals
Last Bolero In Berkeley
Fantasy 9446
released 1973
recorded February 1973 in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; September 1973 in Berkeley, CA and Hollywood, CA/USA
Cal Tjader, vibes, percussion
Herman Riley, tenor sax
Seldon Powell, tenor sax
Jerome Richardson, tenor sax, flute
Frank Wess, baritone sax, flute
Don Cooke, trombone
Billy Brooks, trumpet
Jon Faddis, trumpet
Melvin Moore, trumpet
Victor Paz, trumpet
Joe Beck, guitar
Larry Carlton, guitar
Randy Oda, guitar
Mike Wolff, piano
Merl Saunders, organ, piano
Ed Bogas, keyboards
Chuck Rainey, bass
George Duvivier, bass
John Heard, bass
Dick Berk, drums
Jimmy Johnson, drums
Paul Humphrey, drums
Bobbye Hall Porter, percussion
Mayuto Correa, shaker
King Errison, congas
Michael Smithe, congas
Ralph MacDonald, congas
Merl Saunders
Fantasy 9460
released 1974
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, clavinet, vocals
Martin Fierro, sax
Martin Fierro, flute
Joel Cohen, guitar
Billy Fender, guitar
Bill Upchurch, bass
John Kahn, bass
Tony Saunders, vocals, bass
King Errisson, congas
Gaylord Birch, drums
Eccleston W. Wainwright, drums
Jimmy Nelson, drums
Kenneth Nash, percussion
Michael Howell, vocals
Mo' Roots
Columbia KC 33051
released 1974
recorded in San Francisco, CA/USA
Taj Mahal, guitar, banjo, harmonica, piano, vocals
Rudy Costa, soprano sax, flute
Hoshal Wright, guitar
Merl Saunders, organ
Aston "Familyman" Barrett, piano
Bill Rich, bass
Kester "Smitty" Smith, drums, percussion
Kwasi "Rocki" Dzidzornu, percussion, congas, tambourine
They Say I'm Different
Just Sunshine Records JSS-3500
released 1974
recorded in Sausalito, CA/USA
Betty Davis, vocals
Hershall Kennedy, trumpet, clavinet, organ, piano, vocals
Cordell Dudley, guitar, vocals
Jimmy Godwin, guitar
Buddy Miles, guitar
Carlos Morales, guitar, vocals
Fred Mills, keyboards, vocals
Merl Saunders, piano, organ
James Allen Smith, keyboards
Tony Vaughn, clavinet, piano, vocals
Larry Johnson, bass
Mike Clark, drums
Nicky Neal, drums, vocals
Ted Sparks, drums
Willy Sparks, drums, vocals
Errol Crusher Bennett, percussion
Pete Escovedo, timbales
Victor Pantoja, congas, percussion
Debbie Burrell, vocals
Elaine Clark, vocals
Mary Jones, vocals
Trudy Perkins, vocals
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Fantasy F-9503
released 1976
recorded September - October 1976 in Berkeley, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Jerry Garcia, guitar
Tom Fogerty, guitar
John Kahn, bass
Bill Vitt, drums
The Hawkins Singers
Do I Move You
Crystal Clear Records CCS 5006
released 1979
recorded February 1979 in Berkeley, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer, vocals
Martin Fierro, sax, flute
Tony Saunders, bass
Pee Wee Ellis, tenor sax
Martin Fierro, alto sax, flute
Mark Isham, trumpet
Carl Lockett, guitar
Kenneth Nash, percussion
Ed Neumeister, trombone
Larry Vann, drums
Nightfood
Global Pacific Records ZK 40733br> released 1988
recorded 1986 in San Francisco, CA; Mill Valley, CA; Berkeley, CA/USA and København/Denmark
Brian Melvin, drums, percussion, vocals
Rick Smith, soprano sax, tenor sax
Thomas Hass, sax
Norbert Stachel, sax
Tim Hyland, trumpet
Vernon "Ice" Black, guitar
Paul Mousavi, guitar
Jon Davis, piano, synthesizer
Peter Horvath, synthesizer
Butch Lacy, synthesizer
Merl Saunders, organ
Keith Jones, bass
Jens Melgaard, bass
Curtis Ohlson, bass, drums, vocals
Jaco Pastorius, bass
Thomas Blackman, drums
Andy Narell, steel drum
Bill Keaney, bongos, congas
Jan Fanucci, vocals
Rosie Gaines, vocals
Lori Elaine Taylor, vocals
Bob Weir, guitar, vocals
Garcia (Compliments)
Grateful Dead Records GDLP 4.00644
released 1989
recorded in Los Angeles, CA/USA
Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals
Gene "Mighty Flea" Conners, trombone
Amos Garrett, trombone
Melvin Moore, trumpet
Willie Green, clarinet
Gary Ray, clarinet
John Rotella, clarinet
Joel Tepp, clarinet
Arthur Adams, guitar
Ben Benay, guitar
Larry Carlton, guitar
Michael Omartian, Fender Rhodes, piano
Merl Saunders, organ
string section
Arni Egilsson, bass
John Kahn, bass
Ray Siegal, bass
Ron Tutt, drums
Bobbye Hall, percussion
Merry Clayton, vocals
Clydie King, vocals
Jackie Kelso, vocals
Maria Muldaur, vocals
Blues from the Rainforest
Sumertone S2CD-01
released 1990
Merl Saunders, synthesizer, organ
Jerry Garcia, guitar
Eddie Moore, percussion
Muruga Booker, percussion
Shakti, vocals
Karen Baker, vocals
Fire Up Plus
Fantasy FCD-7711-2
released 1992
compilation, recorded 1971-1973
Merl Saunders, synthesizer, clavinet, organ, piano, vocals
Tom Fogerty, guitar
Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals
Michael Howell, guitar
Chuck Rainey, guitar
John Kahn, piano, bass
Bill Kreutzmann, drums
Eddie Moore, drums
Chris Parker, drums
Bill Vitt, drums
Gaylord Birch, congas
Kenneth Nash, percussion
The Hawkins Singers, vocals
It's In The Air
Sumertone 72913721632
released 1993
recorded in San Francisco, CA; Berkeley, CA and Sebastopol, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, Hammond organ, piano, synthesizer, vocals
Michael Hinton, guitar
Dr. John, piano, vocals
Norton Buffalo, harmonica
John Popper, harmonica
Michael Warren, bass
Vince Littleton, drums, percussion
Raul Ramirez, congas
Keepers
Fantasy FCD-7712-2
recorded in Berkeley, CA and Sausalito, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, clavinet, synthesizer, vocals
Martin Fierro, sax, flute
Ron Stalling, sax
John Wilmeth, trumpet
Michael Bloomfield, guitar
Joel Cohen, guitar
Billy Fender, guitar
Tom Fogerty, guitar
Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals
Chris Hayes, guitar
Michael Howell, guitar
David Grisman, mandolin
Vassar Clements, violin
John Kahn, bass
Chuck Rainey, bass
Tony Saunders, bass
Gaylord Birch, drums
Vince Littleton, drums, percussion
Larry Vann, drums
Bill Vitt, drums
Eccleston W. Wainwright jr., drums
Sheila Escovedo, congas
Kenneth Nash, percussion, bongos, congas
Walter Hawkins & The Hawkins Family, vocals
Lynette Hawkins-Stephens, vocals
Geoff Muldaur, vocals
Fiesta Amazonica
Sumertone S2CD-2183
recorded in San Francisco, CA/USA
Merl Saunders, keyboards, organ, piano, vocals
Vernon "Ice" Black, guitar
Jerry Garcia, guitar
Steve Kimock, guitar
Chuk Fowler, guitar
Jim Hankins, guitar
Sir Earl Gri, guitar
Piers Lawrence, guitar
Bob Weir, guitar
John Handy, alto sax
Norbert Stachel, flute, soprano sax
Vince Welnick, synthesizer, vocals
Tony Saunders, bass
Chuck Rainey, bass
Michael Warren, bass
Rob Wasserman, bass
Jimmy Fisher & Contagious Praise, drum programming
Roscoe Gallo, drum programming, MIDI bass
Narada Michael Walden, drums
Muruga, congas, drums, percussion
Bill Kreutzmann, hand drums
Vince Littleton, congas, drums, percussion
Greg Gordon, tamboura
Raul Ramirez, bongos, percussion
Armando Peraza, bongos
Mariana, vocals
Yanka Rupkina, vocals
Mary Stallings, vocals
Trio Bulgarka
King Of The Highway
Blind Pig Records BPCD 5066
recorded in Richmond CA and Glen Ellen CA/USA
Norton Buffalo, trombone, organ, harmonica, vocals
Jim Rothermel, tenor sax
Darius Russo, tenor sax
Peter Welker, trumpet
Elvin Bishop, guitar
Steve Miller, guitar
Johnny Vernazza, guitar
John Allair, piano
David Matthews, Hammond B-3 organ, piano
Merl Saunders, Hammond B-3 organ
David Brown, bass
Tyler Eng, drums
Mike Carabello, congas
The Essential Taj Mahal
Columbia C2K 94967
compilation
CD2-02: Slave Driver from Mo' Roots
Taj Mahal, guitar, banjo, harmonica, piano, vocals
Rudy Costa, soprano sax, flute
Hoshal Wright, guitar
Merl Saunders, organ
Aston "Familyman" Barrett, piano
Bill Rich, bass
Kester "Smitty" Smith, drums, percussion
Kwasi "Rocki" Dzidzornu, percussion, congas, tambourine
Keystone Companions
Fantasy 7233796
recorded July 1973 at the Keystone in Berkeley, CA/USA
Jerry Garcia, guitar, vocals
Merl Saunders, organ, piano, synthesizer
John Kahn, bass
Bill Vitt, drums
David Grisman, mandolin
Orleans Records Story
Orleans Records 2311
compilation
various artists
Rick Allen, organ
Sammy Berfect, Hammond organ, piano
Doug Duffey, organ
Merl Saunders, Hammond organ

 
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