Tony Saunders

Tony Saunders (born November 10, 1955) is an American bass and synthesizer player known for producing jazz, gospel, R&B, and pop music. He is also a composer, arranger, record producer, and founder of the Studio 1281 recording studio.

Early life and education Saunders was born in San Francisco, California, in 1955. Encouraged by his father, keyboardist Merl Saunders, he began singing at age five and later took piano lessons from musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Sly Stone. Saunders started playing bass at age fourteen, receiving his first bass from Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Growing up, Saunders was influenced by musicians such as Eddie Moore, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sonny Rollins, Dewey Redman, George Duke, Al Jarreau, Bola Sete, and John Handy.

Saunders is a graduate of San Francisco Conservatory of Music, an institute of Music, and was awarded a fellowship in piano.

Saunders has two Emmy Awards; he earned his first Emmy at age fourteen, while collaborating with his father on the PBS documentary Soul Is. By the age of eighteen, he was performing with his father and Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band the Grateful Dead, at various shows. Saunders earned his second Emmy for an episode of Digital Journey titled "China: The Digital Economy".

Career Saunders’s career began by playing with his father and Jerry Garcia, becoming a featured musician in Merl Saunders & Aunt Monk when he was eighteen years old. Later, Saunders played in the original Rainforest Band and recorded all of his father's projects. Bassists Chuck Rainey, Jack Casady, and John Kahn were contemporaries of Saunders during this period. Kahn introduced Saunders to the music of James Jamerson. His other influences include Stanley Clarke, Alphonso Johnson, Rufus Reid, Ralphe Armstrong, and Marcus Miller. Anthony Davis and Lee Miles encouraged Saunders to play bass guitar full-time.

Saunders has made appearances in films, corporate videos, TV shows, and commercials. He also produced numerous CDs–primarily at his studio, Studio 1281. He composed the music for the stage play Zetta, which was performed in San Francisco by the American Conservatory Theater. He acted as the musical director for Zetta and Rock Justice, the latter written by Bob Heyman and Marty Balin of Jefferson Starship.

Artists collaborating with him on projects have included Nils, Jeff Lorber, Paul Brown, Gail Johnson, Jeff Ryan, Marion Meadows, Mavis Staples, John Lee Hooker, and Austin "Auggie" Brown, the nephew of Michael Jackson. (Auggie's project was later sold to Midas Records). Saunders was hired as a staff producer for San Francisco Records. He had previously worked for the label's president, Ron Umile, when he was at Associated Booking in New York. Umile hired Saunders to work with Martha Reeves and Randy Crawford, among others. Saunders's first solo album, Bigger than Outside, was released in October 2011.

Saunders's second album, Appaloosa, was released on January 22, 2014, featuring Grammy Award winners Howard Hewett, Bill Champlin, and Tony Lindsay on vocals. Tom Politzer (from Tower of Power) and Rock Hendricks (from Paul Hardcastle's Jazzmasters series) performed saxophone on the CD. Fred Ross and Sakai, who were longtime friends of Saunders and background singers with the rock band Train, sang on the duet "The Question Is."

Saunders's third album for San Francisco Records, Uptown Jazz, featured Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, Rock Hendricks, Sakai, Paul Hardcastle Jr., and Gerald Albright. Saunders's single "Rock Steady" was a cover of The Whispers' 1980s hit and was produced in Atlanta by Magic Mendez. Harmony Blackwell, The Whispers' programmer/background vocalist, and Mendez sang the vocals. Mendez is also credited with layering the audio tracks.

His fourth album, Sexy Somethin, was released on February 21, 2020, on San Francisco Records, featuring Jeff Lorber, Marion Meadows, Paul Brown, Nils, Gail Johnson, Jeff Ryan, Ray Chew, and Paul Jackson Jr.

In 2021, Saunders signed to the label Baja/TSR Records and produced a new CD called All About Love.

His most recent release, The Romance Continues, was released in 2024 with 15 songs.

Awards and honors Saunders, who co-authored the video "Black Lives Matter" with Nona Brown, won a Telly Award in 2022. He has also received two Emmy Awards, and won the New York Film Festival's Grand and Silver Awards for educational compositions. – producer, composer, bass 2011: Romancing The Bass – Tony Saunders solo; CD 2014: Appaloosa – Tony Saunders solo; CD 2016: Uptown Jazz – Tony Saunders solo; CD 2019: Peace to the Planet – Rainforest Band – composer, bass 2020: Sexy Somethin' – Tony Saunders solo; CD 2021: All About Love – Tony Saunders solo; CD 2023: Good Medicine – Rainforest Band – composer, bass 2024: The Romance Continues – Tony Saunders solo; CD

As major contributor 2005: Peace to the Planet – Rain Forest Band – composer, bass 2005: He Lifted Me Up – Tony Saunders & the Anointed Voices 2021: Sweet Breeze – The Noteworthy Band – producer, composer, bass

Other contributions + Year Artist Album Details 1969 The Man Child Singers Right On / Mighty Whitey Lead singer 1974 Merl Saunders Merl Saunders Bass 1976 Merl Saunders You Can Keep Your Hat On Bass 1976 David Liebman Light'n Up, Please! Bass 1977 Juice Newton & Silver Spur Come to Me Bass 1979 Marty Balin Rock Justice Cast recording, music director 1982 Edwin Hawkins Singers Imagine Heaven Clavinet, bass 1984 Combat 84 Death or Glory Liner notes only 1988 Various artists Do the Right Thing [Soundtrack] Mixing, engineering 1990 The Family Stand Chain Mix assistant 1993 Jim Payne Funk Drumming 1994 Rev. James Moore Brothers & Sisters I Will Be Praying for You Bass 1995 Neal Schon Beyond The Thunder Bass (tracks 1, 3, 6) 1995 Lady Bianca Best Kept Secret Bass 1995 Various artists Red Blooded Blues Percussion 1995 Joe Louis Walker Blues of the Month Club Bass 1996 Various artists Blue Gold Bass 1997 Merl Saunders Keepers Bass 1997 Various artists Takoma Eclectic Sampler Bass 1998 Various artists Every Woman's Blues: The Best of New Generation Bass 1998 Merl Saunders & Rainforest Band Fiesta Amazonica Bass 1998 Larry Vann Summertime in the Big City Bass, arrangement, production, engineering, keyboard programming 1999 Fifty One Fifty Illegally Insane 1999 Various artists Blues Routes: Heroes & Tricksters Bass 1999 Ricardo Scales Yes I'm Ready Bass 2000 Various artists Blues for a Rotten Afternoon Bass 2001 Lady Bianca Rollin''' Bass 2003 John Lee Hooker Final Recordings 1|Organ, bass 2003 Loni Williams Reason Why|Engineering, mixing 2003 Larry Vann Rhythm & Roots of Larry Vann|Arrangement, bass guitar, keyboards, drum programming, keyboard programming 2003 Sweet Jimmie Sweet Jimmie Sings the Blues|Bass 2004 John Lee Hooker Face to Face|Organ, bass 2004 Rene I Am Sorry|Bass, producer, vocal arrangement, drum programming, mixing 2004 Tony Saunders The Unsung Soldier| 2004 Merl Saunders Still Groovin Bass, keyboards, arrangement, production, mixing 2004 M.R.L.S. Jazz Ala Soul|Arrangement, engineering, mixing, bass 2004 R&B All-Stars Live! From San Francisco|Bass, arrangement, production, engineering, synthesizer programming, repair 2004 Juel Nero Songs for My Three Mothers|Backing vocals, production 2005 Steven B.'s Heart Language Songs for the Being Human|Bass, arrangement, vocals, backing vocals, production 2005 Automatic Pilot Back From the Dead|Bass guitar, guest appearance 2005 Ayana Sunlight of My People|Bass, engineering, mixing 2005 Patricia Wilder Sweet Love|Synthesizer, bass, arrangement, keyboards, production, engineering, executive production, mixing 2006 II Big In a Mendocino Town [Bonus Tracks] Bass guitar, production, engineering, mixing, guest appearance 2007 II Big Face in the Glass|Bass, producer, engineer, mixing, guest appearance 2007 James Levi Knee Deep|Bass, keyboards, production, engineering 2008 Nikita Germaine Just Kita| 2008 Ashling Cole Sweet Feelings| 2008 Various artists Cyril Magnin Street Fair|Group member 2008 We 3 Live at John's Grill|Bass (electric, upright, 6-String, 5-String), production, executive production, group member 2008 Ron Thompson and the Resistors Magic Touch|Bass, engineering, mastering 2008 Hartfield Family Paradise in the Valley|Synthesizer, bass, piano, arrangement, production, engineering, vocal arrangement, editing, drum programming, mixing, instrumentation 2008 Pastor Rodney G. McNab SR. / The Spiritual St. Mark Baptist Church: 60th Anniversary|Bass guitar, production, engineering, executive production, horn arrangements, string arrangements 2011 Tony Saunders Romancing The Bass|Production, engineering, bass, composition 2014 Tony Saunders Appaloosa|Production, engineering, bass, composition

Filmography Rock Justice by Marty Balin (1979) – EMI (music director) (DVD released 2007) Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) – actor (in "The Four-Mations"), musical performer, songwriter CBS Schoolbreak Special: God, the Universe & Hot Fudge Sundaes – actor (role of Bailiff) (1986) Farmer & Chase – soundtrack (1995) Faith & Fear: The Children of Krishna – composer and musician (TV, 2001) Beginning Bass – Tony Saunders (Book and DVD, 2005) Writer's Day – Composer and foley artist (2005) Learning Bass Guitar – Tony Saunders and Rudy Sarzo (Book and DVD, 2007)