Tony Saunders (bassist)
Tony Saunders is an American bass player and keyboards player in the genres of jazz, gospel and world music. He is a composer, arranger, and music producer, and head of his own studio, Y-Not Muzik.
Biography
Saunders comes from a musical family. His world famous keyboardist father, Merl Saunders, got him started at an early age. He began singing at the age of five, and played piano from age eight. Herbie Hancock and Sly Stone were among Saunders’ early teachers, and Sly gave Saunders an organ at the age of ten. At age fourteen he began playing the bass.
In the 1969 he, his brother Merl Saunders Jr., and his sister Susan Saunders recorded a jingle for the San Francisco Giants under the name The Man Child Singers.[1] They also appeared in the Joseph Dolan Tuotti musical Big Time Buck White (which featured Muhammad Ali and Donald Sutherland among others), with music and lyrics by Oscar Brown Jr. and musical direction by Merl Saunders.[2] The Man Child Singers performed and recorded the songs Right On and Mighty Whitey from that play on a 45 produced by his father's label Summertone Records. This single was included in the compilation CD Home Schooled: The ABCs Of Kid Soul in 2007.[3]
Tony received his first piano lesson from Herbie Hancock, and was awarded a fellowship at the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music for piano.[4] His first bass guitar was a gift from Tom Fogerty, brother of John Fogerty and rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco. He received an Emmy with his father for the children's special Soul Is, a PBS documentary featuring Black poetry accompanied by Saunders on the bass.
At age eighteen he began playing with his father and Jerry Garcia, and was a featured musician in Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band, and other projects of his father's. Legendary bassists Chuck Rainey, Jack Casady and John Kahn all took interest in Saunders’s ability. John Kahn turned Saunders on to James Jamerson, and Saunders modeled his playing around all of his teachers. Other influences include Stanley Clarke, Alphonso Johnson, Rufus Reid, Ralphe Armstrong, and current favorite Marcus Miller. This has led to a very flexible and diverse style.
Saunders has scored movies, corporate videos, TV shows and commercials, and produced many CDs, primarily out of his own studio, Magic Castle. He wrote the music to the stage play Zetta, performed in San Francisco by the American Conservatory Theatre, and also assumed the role of musical director for the show. He was the musical director of Rock Justice, written by Bob Heyman and Marty Balin of Jefferson Starship.[5] Artists collaborating with him on recent projects have included Mavis Staples, John Lee Hooker and Austin "Auggie" Brown, the nephew of Michael Jackson. (Auggie's project was sold to Midas Records.)
Saunders has been influenced by Gospel music since he was a young child. He studied under choir director Leon Patillo. Saunders met the Hawkins family when he was 14, and credits them with not only inspiring him to play bass but with giving spiritual guidance to his life. He played with Walter Hawkins, Edwin Hawkins and Tramaine Hawkins and the Love Center Choir in the 80's, and released He Lifted Me Up, his first gospel project, in 2005. Among the other Gospel artists Saunders has played with are Andrae Crouch, the Clark Sisters, the late Reverend James Moore, Daryl Coley, James Cleveland and the Williams Brothers. His most recent Gospel project features Derrick Hughes, Alfreda Lyons-Campbell, and Saunders' longtime friend, gospel bassist/drummer Joel Smith (Walter and Ed's nephew).
Saunders has worked with and performed on behalf of several charitable and social issues oriented organizations including the Seva Foundation, the Rex Foundation, Rock for Hope, the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic, and the Rainforest Action Network.
Bands featuring Tony Saunders include Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band, Band of Gypsies with Buddy Miles, Zero,[6] Robert Winters & Fall, Tony Saunders & Paradize, andM.R.L.S. 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 Tony Saunders, guitarist Michael Hinton, 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.
Saunders' studio has produced Ashling's CD "Sweet Feelings" for San Francisco Records, Margo Le Duc's CD "Let Love In", Nina Causey's CD "Holding On Forever" and Gwendolyn Davis' CD "Amazing". Saunders' new CD, released in 2011, is titled "Romancing The Bass", and features the single "Tender Loving". This CD also has a song on it with his father Merl Saunders.
Awards and honors
Saunders has received two Emmy awards. He also won the New York Film Festival's Grand and Silver Award for educational compositions.[8]
Discography
- Right On / Mighty Whitey - The Man Child Singers (1969) Summertone (45 RPM)
- Merl Saunders - Merl Saunders (1974) Fantasy
- You Can Keep Your Hat On - Merl Saunders (1976) Bass
- Light'n up Please! - David Liebman (1976) Bass
- Come to Me - Juice Newton (1977) Bass
- Rock Justice - Marty Balin (1979) EMI (Cast Recording - Music Director)
- Imagine Heaven - Edwin Hawkins Singers (1982) Clavinet
- Death or Glory - Combat 84 (1984) (Liner notes only)
- Do the Right Thing [Soundtrack] (1988) (Mixing / engineer)
- Chain - Family Stand (1990) (Mixing only)
- Funk Drumming - Jim Payne (1993)
- Brothers & Sisters I Will Be Praying for You - Rev. James Moore (1994) Bass
- Beyond The Thunder - Neal Schon (1995)
- Best Kept Secret - Lady Bianca (1995) Bass
- Red Blooded Blues - Various Artists (1995) Percussion
- Blues of the Month Club - Joe Louis Walker (1995) Bass
- Blue Gold - Various Artists (1996) Bass
- Keepers - Merl Saunders (1997) Bass
- Takoma Eclectic Sampler - Various Artists (1997) Bass
- Every Woman's Blues: The Best of New Generation - Various Artists (1998) Bass
- Fiesta Amazonica - Merl Saunders and the Rainforest Band (1998) Bass
- Summertime in the Big City - Larry Vann (1998) Bass, Arranger, Producer, Engineer, Keyboard Programming
- Illegally Insane - Fifty One Fifty (1999)
- Blues Routes: Heroes & Tricksters - Various Artists (1999) Bass
- Yes I'm Ready - Ricardo Scales (1999) Bass
- Blues for a Rotten Afternoon - Various Artists (2000) Bass
- Rollin' - Lady Bianca (2001) Bass
- Whispering Waters - Tony Saunders/Paradize (2002) Bass, Arranger, Producer, Bass (Upright), 6-String Bass, 5-string Bass
- Final Recordings 1 - John Lee Hooker (2003) Organ & Bass
- Reason Why - Loni Williams (2003) Engineer, Mixing
- Rhythm & Roots of Larry Vann - Larry Vann (2003) Arranger, Guitar (Bass), Keyboards, Drum Programming, Keyboard Programming
- Sweet Jimmie Sings the Blues - Sweet Jimmie (2003) Bass
- Face to Face - John Lee Hooker (2004) Organ, Bass
- I Am Sorry - Rene (2004) Bass, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Drum Programming, Mixing
- The Unsung Soldier - Tony Saunders (2004)
- Still Groovin' - Merl Saunders (2004) Bass|Keyboards|Fender Rhodes, Arranger|Producer|Mixing|Musician
- Jazz Ala Soul - M.R.L.S. (2004) Arranger|Engineer|Mixing, Bass
- Live! From San Francisco - R&B All-Stars (2004) Bass, Arranger, Producer, Engineer, Synthesizer Programming, Repair
- Songs for My Three Mothers - Juel Nero (2004) Vocals (bckgr), Producer
- Songs for the Being Human - Steven B.'s Heart Language (2005) Bass, Arranger, Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Producer
- Back From the Dead - Automatic Pilot (2005) Guitar (Bass), Guest Appearance (Brown and McQueen Music)
- Sunlight of My People - Ayana (2005) Bass (Electric), Engineer, Mixing
- Sweet Love - Patricia Wilder (2005) Synthesizer, Bass, Arranger, Keyboards, Producer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Mixing
- He Lifted Me Up - Tony Saunders (2005)
- In a Mendocino Town [Bonus Tracks] - II Big (2006) Guitar (Bass), Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Guest Appearance
- Face in the Glass - II Big (2007) Bass, Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Guest Appearance
- Knee Deep - James Levi (2007) Bass, Keyboards, Producer, Engineer
- Home Schooled: The ABCs Of Kid Soul - Various (compilation) (2007) Numero Group
- Just Kita - Nikita Germaine (2008)
- Sweet Feelings - Ashling Cole (2008)
- Cyril Magnin Street Fair - Various Artists (2008) Group Member
- Live at John's Grill - We 3 (2008) Bass, Producer, Executive Producer, Bass (Upright), 6-String Bass, 5-string Bass, Group Member
- Magic Touch - Ron Thompson and the Resistors (2008) Bass, Engineer, Mastering
- Paradise in the Valley - Hartfield Family (2008) Synthesizer, Bass, Piano, Arranger, Producer, Engineer, Vocal Arrangement, Editing, Drum Programming, Mixing, Instrumentation
- St. Mark Baptist Church: 60th Anniversary - Pastor Rodney G. McNab SR./The Spiritual (2008) Guitar (Bass), Producer, Engineer, Executive Producer, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements
Filmography
- Rock Justice - Marty Balin (1979) EMI (Music Director) (DVD released 2007)
- Peggy Sue Got Married - (1986) [9] Actor (in "The Four-Mations"), musical performer, wrote one song
- CBS Schoolbreak Special: God, the Universe & Hot Fudge Sundaes (1986) actor: Balliff
- Farmer & Chase - (1995) Soundtrack [10]
- Faith & Fear: The Children of Krishna (2001) Composer & Musician (TV)
- Beginning Bass - Tony Saunders DVD (2005)
- Writer's Day (2005) Composer & Foley Artist
- Learning Bass Guitar - Tony Saunders & Rudy Sarzo - DVD (2007)
Bibliography
- Learning Bass Guitar - Tony Saunders & Rudy Sarzo - Book & DVD (2007)
- Beginning Bass - Tony Saunders - Book & DVD (2005)
- Funk Drumming - Jim Payne (played on enclosed CD) Mel Bay Publications (April 1993) ISBN 0-87166-511-5, ISBN 978-0-87166-511-9
References
- The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll by Rolling Stone Editors Holly George-Warren, Patricia Romanowski, Patricia Romanowski Bashe, and Jon Pareles (2001) Pg. 429
- Screen World 1998 by John Willis, Barry Monush (1999) Pg. 155
- Crosby, Stills & Nash: The Biography by Dave Zimmer, Henry Diltz, David Crosby (2008) Page 246
- Release Print: The Newsletter of the Film Arts Foundation (San Francisco, Calif.) (1993) Page 21
Notes
External links
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