Merl Saunders

Biography Born in San Mateo, California, United States, 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. He also collaborated with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart in the band High Noon.

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 rainforest 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. 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 that 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. The case was later settled amicably.

Tributes On Saturday, February 14, 2009, a tribute to Merl Saunders' life and musical career was held at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. It featured actor/director Max Gail and Wavy Gravy as MCs, with 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. The tribute featured his son Tony Saunders, Michael Hinton, Misa Malone, and other members of the Rainforest Band and of Saunders’ projects. Also appearing were Sikiru Adepoju on talking drum and Douglas "Val" Serrant on steel drum and djembe.

Discography Main studio, live, and compilation releases 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, and 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, and Bill Vitt 1990: Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite – featuring Muruga Booker, Shakti Booker, Eddie Moore, Joanie Lane (a.k.a. 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 and Merl Saunders 1998: Merl Saunders Live With His Funky Friends 2000: Struggling Man – Merl Saunders & His Funky Friends 2004: Still Groovin''' – special guests 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 and 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 2026: Garcia Live Volume 22 – with Jerry Garcia

Solo or group, leader or co-leader – singles 1964: "Five More / How's That" (Fantasy 588) 1965: "High Heel Sneakers / Breakin' Thru" (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" (Sumertone 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" (Sumertone 214)

Various artist compilations that include previously unreleased Merl Saunders music 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 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: Television's 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 1971: Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) – Grateful Dead 1971: Danny Cox – Danny 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: Oooh So Good 'n Blues – Taj Mahal 1973: Betty Davis – Betty Davis 1973: Moses – Jerry Hahn 1973: Brenda Patterson – Brenda Patterson 1974: Garcia – Jerry 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 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 (Recorded in '94, released on Sumertone Records; Lawson was the only other artist on Merl's label) 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 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 1975: Sampler For Deadheads (#1 of 3) – Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter 1975: Sampler For Deadheads (#2 of 3) – Old & In The Way / Keith and Donna Godchaux 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 & Donna – Keith and Donna Godchaux 1976: For Dead Heads – various artists 1998: Blue Light Rain – Jazz Is Dead

Filmography Movies / DVDs Fritz the Cat (1972) Black Girl (1972) Heavy Traffic (1973) Steelyard Blues (1973) Headcandy: Sidney's Psychedelic Adventure (Headcandy Productions, 1997) 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 (Mobile Fidelity, 1999) The Grateful Dead: The End of the Road - The Final Tour '95 (Monterey Video, 2000) Diggers (2006)

Television 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, musical director, and composer for the new title theme (72 episodes, 1985–1989) Nash Bridges (TV series) Tales From The Crypt (TV series) Baywatch (TV series) Simon & Simon'' (TV series)

Interview Digital Interviews: Merl Saunders