American pianist and keyboardist
Musical artist
Merl Saunders
(February 14, 1934 ? October 24, 2008)
[1]
was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the
Hammond B-3
console organ.
Biography
[
edit
]
Born in
San Mateo, California
, United States,
[1]
Saunders attended
Polytechnic High School
in San Francisco. In his first band in high school was singer
Johnny Mathis
.
[2]
He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1957. He worked as musical director of the
Billy Williams
Revue and served in a similar capacity in
Oscar Brown Jr.
's off-Broadway show,
Big Time Buck White
.
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
.
[2]
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).
[
citation needed
]
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.
[3]
He also collaborated with Grateful Dead percussionist
Mickey Hart
in the band High Noon.
[
citation needed
]
Saunders took the lead in reintroducing Jerry Garcia to his guitar, after Garcia suffered a diabetic coma in the summer of 1986.
In 1990, he released the
world music
and
New Age
classic album
Blues From the Rainforest
, a collaboration with 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.
[3]
He had his own
record label
, Sumertone Records
[
citation needed
]
(named for his children Susan, Merl Jr., and Tony), and had also recorded on
Fantasy Records
,
Galaxy Records
and
Relix Records
as well as the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia labels. He worked with the
Grateful Dead
on the theme music for the 1985 TV show
The 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, after fighting infections as a result of complications related to the stroke.
[4]
He was survived by his two sons,
Tony Saunders (bassist)
and Merl Saunders Jr. (a former senior executive director of
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
), and his daughter Susan Mora.
In December 2008,
TMZ
reported the estate of Merl Saunders had filed a lawsuit against the estate of Jerry Garcia, disputing royalties for a 2004 live album. Saunders' estate claimed they were not aware of the album's release and that they had equal rights to the royalties.
[5]
The case was later settled amicably.
Tributes
[
edit
]
- On Saturday, February 14, 2009, a tribute to Merl Saunders' life and musical career was held at the
Great American Music Hall
.
[6]
It featured actor/director
Max Gail
and
Wavy Gravy
as M.C.s, and many past musical collaborators including Grateful Dead guitarist
Bob Weir
, Tony Saunders,
David Grisman
, Michael Hinton,
Melvin Seals
, Michael Warren, Larry Vann, Tonedog, Misa Malone, and
Bill Vitt
among others.
- A re-launch of the Rainforest Band as a tribute to Merl Saunders took place at the 29th
Starwood Festival
on July 25, 2009, the site of their last performance, featuring his son Tony Saunders,
Michael Hinton
, Misa Malone and other members of the Rainforest Band and other Saunders’ projects.
[7]
Also appearing were
Sikiru Adepoju
on
talking drum
and Douglas "Val" Serrant on
steel drum
and
djembe
.
Discography
[
edit
]
Main studio, live and compilation releases
[
edit
]
- 1968 -
Soul Grooving
- Merl Saunders Trio and Big Band
- 1972 -
Heavy Turbulence
- with
Jerry Garcia
and
Tom Fogerty
- 1973 -
Fire Up
- with Jerry Garcia and Tom Fogerty
- 1973 -
Live at Keystone
- with Jerry Garcia,
John Kahn
& Bill Vitt
- 1974 -
Merl Saunders
- 1976 -
You Can Leave Your Hat On
- with Aunt Monk
- 1979 -
Do I Move You
- 1982 -
San Francisco After Dark
- 1987 -
Meridien Dreams
- 1988 -
Keystone Encores
- with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt
- 1990 -
Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite
- Featuring
Muruga Booker
, Eddie Moore, Shakti, Joanie Lane aka: Jamie, Special Guest: Jerry Garcia
- 1991 -
Save The Planet So We'll Have Someplace To Boogie
- Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
- 1992 -
Fire Up Plus
- with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, Tom Fogerty and Ron Tutt
- 1993 -
It's In The Air
- Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
- 1995 -
Still Having Fun
- 1997 -
Keepers
- Merl Saunders and Friends
- 1998 -
Fiesta Amazonica
- Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
- 1998 -
The Twilight Zone (Vol. 1)
: Original Soundtrack from the TV series - Grateful Dead & Merl Saunders
- 1998 -
Merl Saunders Live With His Funky Friends
- 2000 -
Struggling Man
- Merl Saunders & His Funky Friends
- 2004 -
Still Groovin'
Merls final tracks recorded. Special Guest Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, David Grisman and Huey Lewis. Produced by Tony Saunders
- 2004 -
Pure Jerry: Keystone Berkeley, September 1, 1974
- with Jerry Garcia
- 2005 -
Legion of Mary: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1
-
Legion of Mary
with Jerry Garcia
- 2006 -
Live On Tour
- Merl Saunders & Melvin Seals
- 2006 -
Well-Matched: The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia
- 2012 -
Keystone Companions: The Complete 1973 Fantasy Recordings
- 2013 -
Garcia Live Volume Three
- Legion of Mary with Jerry Garcia
- 2016 -
Garcia Live Volume Six
- with Jerry Garcia
- 2017 -
Garcia Live Volume Nine
- with Jerry Garcia
- 2019 -
Garcia Live Volume 12
- with Jerry Garcia
- 2020 -
Garcia Live Volume 15
- with Jerry Garcia
- 2022 -
Garcia Live Volume 18
- with Jerry Garcia
Solo, group leader or co-leader - singles
[
edit
]
- 1964 - "Five More / How's That" (Fantasy 588)
- 1965 - "High Heel Sneakers / Breakin' " Through (Fantasy 600)
- 1966 - "I Pity The Fool / Tighten Up" (Galaxy 747)
- 1967 - "Soul Grooving / Up, Up and Away" (Galaxy 755)
- 1967 - "Soul Roach, Pt. 1 & 2" (Early Bird 49659)
- 1969 - "Julia / Five More" (Fantasy 620)
- 1969 - "Mighty Whitey / Right On" (Suemer-Tone 69)
- 1970 - "Little Bit of Righteousness / The Iron Horse" (Galaxy 776) - with Heavy Turbulence
- 1971 - "Save Mother Earth, Pt. 1 & 2" (Fantasy 668)
- 1972 - "My Problems Got Problems / Welcome To The Basement" (Fantasy 678)
- 1981 - "San Francisco After Dark / Come To Me" (Summertone 214)
Various artist compilations that include previously unreleased Merl Saunders music
[
edit
]
- 1970 -
Belafonte By Request
- Harry Belafonte
- 1972 -
Black Girl
(Soundtrack) - Various Artists
- 1972 -
Fritz The Cat
(Soundtrack) - Various Artists
- 1973 -
Heavy Traffic
(Soundtrack) - Various Artists
- 1997 -
Fire On The Mountain: Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead Volume 2
- Various Artists
- 1999 -
The Third Annual Gathering on the Mountain
- Various Artists
- 2000 -
Gathering On The Mountain: Live Part 2
- Various Artists
- 2000 -
Gathering On The Mountain: Live Part 3
- Various Artists
- 2000 -
Sharin' In The Groove
- Various Artists
- 2001 -
Into The Music: Jam Band Vol. 1
- Various Artists
Various artist compilations that include previously released Merl Saunders tracks
[
edit
]
- 1992 -
All Night Long They Play The Blues
(The Galaxy Masters) - Various Artists
- 1993 -
Bad, Bad Whiskey
(The Galaxy Masters) - Various Artists
- 1995 -
Jazz Collective
- Various Artists
- 1995 -
Sense Of Direction
- Various Artists
- 1996 -
Televisions Greatest Hits, Vol. 6: Remote Control
- Various Artists
- 1996 -
Fritz The Cat/Heavy Traffic
(Soundtrack) - Various Artists
- 2004 -
Get Your Lie Straight: A Galaxy of Funky Soul
- Various Artists
Playing contributions to other major albums with others
[
edit
]
Playing contributions to singles with others
[
edit
]
- 1972 - "Lady Of Fatima / Cast The First Stone" - Tom Fogerty (Fantasy 680)
- 1972 - "Faces Places People / Forty Years" - Tom Fogerty (Fantasy 691)
- 1972 - "Drive Again (Theme from Steelyard Blues) / Swing With It" - Nick Gravenites, Mike Bloomfield (Warner Bros.)
- 1989 - "Underground" (EP) - Mike Lawson (Psychotronic Records)
Playing contributions to compilations
[
edit
]
- 1975 -
Sampler For Deadheads (#1 of 3)
- Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
- 1975 -
Sampler For Deadheads (#2 of 3)
- Old And In The Way / Keith And Donna
- 1977 -
What A Long Strange Trip It's Been
- Grateful Dead
- 1978 -
Grateful Dead Sampler
- Various Artists
- 1978 -
Arista AOR Sampler
- Various Artists
- 1985 -
The Relix Sampler
- Various Artists
- 1998 -
Tom Fogerty/Excalibur
- Tom Fogerty
- 1999 -
The Very Best Of Tom Fogerty
- Tom Fogerty
- 2000 -
Furthur Most
- Various Artists
- 2000 -
The Best Of David Soul
- David Soul
- 2000 -
Anti Love: The Best Of Betty Davis
- Betty Davis
Non-performing references on albums
[
edit
]
- 1975 -
Keith and Donna Godchaux
- Keith and Donna Godchaux
- 1976 -
For Dead Heads
- Various Artists
- 1998 -
Blue Light Rain
-
Jazz Is Dead
Filmography
[
edit
]
Movies/DVDs
[
edit
]
- Fritz the Cat
(1972)
- Black Girl
(1972)
- Heavy Traffic
(1973)
- Steelyard Blues
(1973)
- Headcandy: Sidney's Psychedelic Adventure
(1997) Headcandy Productions
- A Tribute to Jerry Garcia: Deadheads Festival Japan 1997
(Japanese Laser Disc, Video Super Rock series VPLR-70650) (1997)
- Blues from the Rainforest: A Musical Suite
(1999) Mobile Fidelity
- The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95
(2000) Monterey Video
- Diggers
(2006)
Television
[
edit
]
- 34th Annual Grammy Awards
(TV Special) - Production Coordinator
- 35th Annual Grammy Awards
(TV Special) - Production Coordinator
- Grammy's Greatest Moments
(TV Special) - Production Coordinator
- Vietnam: A Television History
(TV Series) - Music Performer (11 episodes, 1997)
- The American Experience
- Music Performer (6 episodes, 1997?2005)
- The Twilight Zone
1985 (TV Series) - Music Performer and Musical Director (composer: new title theme) (72 episodes, 1985?1989)
- Nash Bridges
(TV series)
- Tales From The Crypt
(TV series)
- Baywatch
(TV series)
- Simon and Simon
(TV series)
Interview
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Other sources
[
edit
]
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Compilations
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