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Merl Saunders (sometimes spelled Merle Saunders), (February 14, 1934 – October 24, 2008) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 multi-genre
Genre

A genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other Art#Art forms or utterance....
 musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
 who played piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
 and keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
, favoring the Hammond B-3
Hammond organ

The Hammond organ is an electronic organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to Church as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, Rock and r...
 console organ.

in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California

San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame, California to the north, Foster City, California to the east, and Belmont, California to the south....
, Saunders gained notice in the 1970s when he began collaborating with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group....
, with the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of Rock music, Folk music, bluegrass music, blues, reggae, country music, jazz, Psychedelic rock, space rock and gospel music?and for live performances of long musical improvisati...
 and with Garcia's bands The Legion of Mary
Legion of Mary (band)

Legion of Mary was an American rock music band, formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and his friend and musical collaborator Merl Saunders....
 and Reconstruction
Reconstruction (band)

Reconstruction was a band formed by John Kahn to occupy him while Jerry Garcia, his long-time musical collaborator, was busy with the Grateful Dead....
.

He led his own bands, as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, as well as Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield

Michael Bernard Bloomfield , an United States musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation entirely on his instrumental prowess....
, David Grisman
David Grisman

David Grisman is a Bluegrass music/Progressive bluegrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music....
, Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty

Tom Fogerty was a musician best known as the lead guitar in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, the lead singer and guitar player in that band....
, Vassar Clements
Vassar Clements

Vassar Clements was an United States virtuoso Jazz music and Bluegrass music fiddler....
, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn
John Kahn

John Kahn was an American rock music bass guitar player. For a period of about twenty five years Kahn was Jerry Garcia's principal collaborator outside of the Grateful Dead....
 and Sheila E.
Sheila E.

Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an United States musician, perhaps best known for her work with Prince and Ringo Starr....


In 1990 he released the world music and New Age classic album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group....
 and Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker

Muruga Booker is an United States born drummer, recording artist, a Greek Orthodox Priest, and an artist of Serbs decent....
.






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Encyclopedia


Merl Saunders (sometimes spelled Merle Saunders), (February 14, 1934 – October 24, 2008) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 multi-genre
Genre

A genre is a loose set of criteria for a category of composition; the term is often used to categorize literature and speech, but is also used for any other Art#Art forms or utterance....
 musician
Musician

A musician is a person who plays or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument....
 who played piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
 and keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
, favoring the Hammond B-3
Hammond organ

The Hammond organ is an electronic organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to Church as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, Rock and r...
 console organ.

Biography

Born in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California

San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame, California to the north, Foster City, California to the east, and Belmont, California to the south....
, Saunders gained notice in the 1970s when he began collaborating with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group....
, with the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of Rock music, Folk music, bluegrass music, blues, reggae, country music, jazz, Psychedelic rock, space rock and gospel music?and for live performances of long musical improvisati...
 and with Garcia's bands The Legion of Mary
Legion of Mary (band)

Legion of Mary was an American rock music band, formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and his friend and musical collaborator Merl Saunders....
 and Reconstruction
Reconstruction (band)

Reconstruction was a band formed by John Kahn to occupy him while Jerry Garcia, his long-time musical collaborator, was busy with the Grateful Dead....
.

He led his own bands, as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, as well as Mike Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield

Michael Bernard Bloomfield , an United States musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation entirely on his instrumental prowess....
, David Grisman
David Grisman

David Grisman is a Bluegrass music/Progressive bluegrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he started the Acoustic Disc record label in an effort to preserve and spread acoustic or instrumental music....
, Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty

Tom Fogerty was a musician best known as the lead guitar in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, the lead singer and guitar player in that band....
, Vassar Clements
Vassar Clements

Vassar Clements was an United States virtuoso Jazz music and Bluegrass music fiddler....
, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn
John Kahn

John Kahn was an American rock music bass guitar player. For a period of about twenty five years Kahn was Jerry Garcia's principal collaborator outside of the Grateful Dead....
 and Sheila E.
Sheila E.

Sheila Escovedo , known by her stage name Sheila E., is an United States musician, perhaps best known for her work with Prince and Ringo Starr....


In 1990 he released the world music and New Age classic album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration with Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia

Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group....
 and Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker

Muruga Booker is an United States born drummer, recording artist, a Greek Orthodox Priest, and an artist of Serbs decent....
. This led to the release of a video which chronicled Saunders' journey to the Amazon, and the subsequent album Fiesta Amazonica.

He has worked with musicians Paul Pena
Paul Pena

Paul Pena was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent.His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, Folk music and rock and roll....
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter who was born in Burbank, Los Angeles County, California, California. Raitt is best known for her songs "Nick of Time ", "Something to Talk About", "Love Sneaking Up on You", and the ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me." Raitt is also an avid political activist and has received nine Gra...
, Phish
Phish

eruses4|the band|deceptive internet practices|Phishing}}Phish is an United States band noted for their musical improvisation, extended jam sessions, exploration of music between genres, and their "fiercely loyal fans." Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983, the band's four members performed together for over 20 years until their hia...
, Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic

Widespread Panic is an United States band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell , bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring....
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis III was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of almost every major development in jazz from World War II to the 1990s: he played on various early bebop records and recorded one of the first cool jaz...
, and B. B. King
B. B. King

B. B. King is an United States blues guitarist and singer-songwriter known for his expressive singing and inimitable guitar playing. As Komara has written, "King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that would influence virtually every electric blues guitarist that followed." Critic...
. Merl also recorded with The Dinosaurs
The Dinosaurs

The Dinosaurs, formed in 1982, was a San Francisco Bay Area supergroup to emerge from the psychedelic music era of San Francisco. The group consisted of Peter Albin of Big Brother and the Holding Company, John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Papa John Creach of Hot Tuna, Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane, Robert Hunter of th...
, a "supergroup
Supergroup (music)

In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups." Supergroups tend to be short-lived, often lasting only for an album or two....
" of first-generation Bay Area rock musicians.

He had his own record label
Record label

In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
, Summertone Records, and had also recorded on Fantasy Records
Fantasy Records

Fantasy Records is a United States based record label, which was founded by Max and Sol Weiss in 1949 in San Francisco, California. They had previously operated a record pressing plant called Circle Record Company before forming the Fantasy label....
, Galaxy Records
Galaxy Records

Galaxy Records was a subsidiary of Fantasy Records. It was established in 1951 in music and has been reactived several times. Its first incarnation was as a 1950s jazz record label....
 and Relix Records as well as the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia labels. He worked with the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of Rock music, Folk music, bluegrass music, blues, reggae, country music, jazz, Psychedelic rock, space rock and gospel music?and for live performances of long musical improvisati...
 on the theme music for the 1985 TV show The New Twilight Zone
The New Twilight Zone

The New Twilight Zone is the popular nickname for the 1985 revival of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone ; it was officially titled the same as the original....
, and with Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart

Mickey Hart is a percussion instrument and musicology. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock music band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995....
 on the score for the show. His son, Merl Saunders, Jr. is a senior executive director of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. is known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS. Established in 1957, it is a U.S....
.

In 2002, Merl suffered from a stroke that paralyzed one side of his body and curtailed his musical career. Merl Saunders died in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California

The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California and the List of United States cities by population in the United States, with a 2007 estimated population of 799,183....
 on the morning of October 24, 2008, after fighting infections as a result of complications related to the stroke which he suffered in 2002.

In December 2008, TMZ reported the estate of Merle Saunders had filed a lawsuit against the estate of Jerry Garcia, disputing royalties for a 2004 live album. Saunders’ estate claims they were not aware of the album’s release and claim they have equal rights to the royalties. They want compensation for over $100,000.

Discography


Main studio, live and compilation releases

  • 1968 - Soul Grooving - Merl Saunders Trio and Big Band
  • 1972 - Heavy Turbulence - with Tom Fogerty
    Tom Fogerty

    Tom Fogerty was a musician best known as the lead guitar in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, the lead singer and guitar player in that band....
  • 1973 - Fire Up - with Tom Fogerty
    Tom Fogerty

    Tom Fogerty was a musician best known as the lead guitar in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, the lead singer and guitar player in that band....
     and Jerry Garcia
    Jerry Garcia

    Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead. Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group....
  • 1973 - Live at the 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
  • 1988 - Meridien Dreams
  • 1988 - Keystone Encores Vol. 1 - with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt
  • 1988 - Keystone Encores Vol. 2 - with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt
  • 1988 - Live at the Keystone Vol. 1 - with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt
  • 1988 - Live at the Keystone Vol. 2 - with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt
  • Feelings
  • 1990 - Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite - Featuring Muruga, Eddie Moore, Special Guest: Jerry Garcia
  • 1991 - Save The Planet So We'll Have Someplace To Boogie
  • 1992 - Fire Up Plus - with Jerry Garcia, John Kahn, Tom Fogerty and Ron Tutt
  • 1993 - It's In The Air
  • 1995 - Still Having Fun
  • 1997 - Keepers - Merl Saunders and Friends
  • 1998 - Fiesta Amazonica
  • 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
  • 2004: Keystone Berkeley: September 1, 1974 with Jerry Garcia
  • 2006: Well-Matched: The Best of Merl Saunders & Jerry Garcia (Fantasy)


Solo, group leader or co-leader - singles

  • 1968 - I Pity The Fool / Tighten Up (Galaxy 747)
  • 1969 - Soul Grooving / Up Up and Away (Galaxy 755)
  • 1970 - Iron Horse / Little Bit of Righteousness - with Heavy Turbulence (Galaxy 776)
  • Julia/Five More (Fantasy 620)
  • Save Mother Earth 1 & 2 (Fantasy 668)
  • 1981 - San Francisco After Dark/Come To Me (Summertone 214)


Various artist compilations that include previously unreleased Merl Saunders music

  • 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

  • 1992 - All Night Long They Play The Blues - Various Artists
  • 1995 - 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


Playing contributions to other major albums with others

  • 1971 - Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) - Grateful Dead
  • 1971 - Danny Cox - Dany Cox
  • 1972 - Tom Fogerty - Tom Fogerty
  • 1972 - Steelyard Blues (Soundtrack) - Various Artists
  • 1972 - Give It Up - Bonnie Raitt
  • 1972 - Europe '72 - Grateful Dead
  • 1972 - Excalibur - Tom Fogerty
  • 1973 - Ooh So Good 'N' Blues - Taj Mahal
  • 1973 - Betty Davis - Betty Davis
  • 1973 - Moses - Jerry Hahn
  • 1973 - Brenda Patterson - Brenda Patterson
  • 1974 - Garcia (Compliments of Garcia)
  • 1974 - Mo' Roots - Taj Mahal
  • 1975 - Is Having A Wonderful Time - Geoff Muldaur
  • 1975 - Cesar 830 - Cesar Ascarrunz
  • 1976 - David Soul - David Soul
  • 1978 - Cats Under the Stars - Jerry Garcia Band
  • 1982 - Run For The Roses - Jerry Garcia Band
  • 1984 - Amagamalin Street - Robert Hunter
  • 1988 - Dinosaurs - Dinosaurs
  • 1988 - Nightfood - Brian Melvin
  • 1994 - Free Flight - Palomino Duck
  • 1996 - Life Is Like That - Jerry Miller
  • 1997 - DAVA - DAVA And The Peace Army
  • 1998 - Ticket To Fly - Mike Lawson
  • 2000 - King Of The Highway - Norton Buffalo and The Knockouts
  • 2000 - New Train - Paul Pena
  • 2000 - Hoy Yen Ass'n - Tommy Guerrero and Gadget
  • 2001 - The Golden Road (1965-1973) - Grateful Dead
  • 2001 - Gifts From The Dead - Various Artists
  • 2002 - Remedy - Jim Weider Band
  • 2002 - Rare - Five Point Plan


Playing contributions to singles with others

  • 1972 - Lady Of Fatima / Cast The First Stone - Tom Fogerty (Fantasy F680)
  • 1972 - Faces Places People / Forty Years - Tom Fogerty (Fantasy F691)
  • 1972 - Drive Again (Theme from Steelyard Blues) / My Bag (The Oysters) - Gravenites/Bloomfield and others
  • 1989 - Underground (EP) - Mike Lawson (Psychotronic Records)


Playing contributions to compilations

  • 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

  • 1975 - Keith and Donna Godchaux - Keith and Donna Godchaux
  • 1976 - For Dead Heads - Various Artists
  • 1998 - Blue Light Rain - Jazz Is Dead


DVD/Videos

  • 1999: Blues from the Rainforest: A Musical Suite (Mobile Fidelity)


External links