At age eighteen he began playing with his father and Jerry Garcia, and was a featured musician in Merl Saunders & the Rain forest Band, and other projects of his father's. Legendary bassist Chuck Rainey, Jack Cassidy 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 Cd's, 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. 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.
Video for promo use.
