Tony Saunders is an AMERICAN BASS and synthesizer player in the genres of rock, JAZZ, gospel, R&B, Pop and WORLD MUSIC.
TONY SAUNDERS BIO 2025 – The Romance Continues
Some of Tony Saunders’ fondest memories are as a teenager, learning to master the bass by gigging with his dad, legendary keyboardist, Merl Saunders, as he led various organ trios around the Bay Area. After Tony’s proficiency on the instrument led to opportunities to play with jazz/R&B greats, Les McCann and Esther Phillips, Merl invited his son to join him as he embarked on his famed years-long partnership with Jerry Garcia, initially as the Saunders/Garcia Band. Tony, who switched to bass after years of classical piano training, said, “I’m a jazz guy. I don’t know if I can play with you and Jerry.” Merl replied, “You’re always going to be playing this music.”
Initially skeptical, Tony proved his dad prophetic by building a multi-faceted career that found him playing with everyone from Eric Clapton, David Crosby, and John Lee Hooker to Joe Sample, Mavis Staples, and Chaka Khan. The groundwork for his destiny as a multi-faceted musician, composer, and artist began with his godparents, Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Smith, taking his first lessons on piano from Herbie Hancock, being given an organ by Sly Stone at age 10, and receiving his first bass from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Tom Fogerty. Tony earned the first of his two Emmys at age 14 for collaborating with his dad on the PBS documentary, “Soul Is.”
After playing in the band with his dad and Garcia, Tony embarked on a diverse career that found him playing and recording with a virtual who’s who of popular music and jazz – including Pee Wee Ellis, who was a member of James Brown’s band in the 1960’s, Dave Liebman, Dr. John, Ringo Starr, Bo Diddley, Andrae Crouch, George Howard, and The Hawkins Family. In the smooth jazz realm, he has played with Jessy J, Nils, Paul Brown, Jeff Lorber, Jeff Ryan, Randy Crawford and Harvey Mason. Over the years, he has scored films, corporate videos, TV shows, and commercials, and produced many artists out of his own studio, Studio 1281. He’s also written the music and been musical director for stage musicals, including “Rock Justice,” which was co-written by Jefferson Starship’s Marty Balin.
True to the title of his 2011 debut album, Romancing the Bass, Tony once said, “I romance the bass like I romance life.” Over a decade later, he keeps the love for his instrument flowing with funky, cool sensuality and embarks on a great adventure with his sixth collection (and second on Baja/TSR Records), The Romance Continues. The first single, “Loving You Is Easy” (dedicated to his wife, Loretta), reached #6 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Singles Chart and spent a year on both the Smooth Jazz Network Chart and the Mediabase Chart. Keeping his bubbling bass melodies at the forefront while complementing them with keys, sax, and trumpet, he dove into the many musical loves of his life – jazz, gospel, R&B, rock, and Latin music – while passionately covering the late, great, Whitney Houston and paying homage to Merl.
The success of Tony’s 2020 album, Sexy Somethin, led him to meet and work with some of Southern California’s top musicians and artists – many of which he invited to play on his 2021 follow up, All About Love. These included the legendary likes of Jeff Lorber and Paul Jackson, Jr., as well as genre stars Nils, Blake Aaron, Adam Hawley, Jeff Ryan, Jazmin Ghent, and Paul Brown. While the bassist’s confidence and comfort level as an artist and producer led him to scale back the superstar power on Romancing the Bass, he invited Nils and keyboardist Gail Jhonson back on a few tracks, had a feature for trumpeter Rob Zinn, and collaborated with longtime friends, keyboardist and labelmate Michael Mani and longtime music director for “Dancing with the Stars”, Ray Chew.
MUSIC
“The Romance Continues is another step in the extraordinary journey I’ve been on as an artist since Romancing the Bass,” Tony says. “These 16 tracks are manifestations of the music I had in me at this time and draw inspiration from my great love for my family – my wife, kids and grandkids, as well as my instrument.” In addition to “Loving You Is Easy,” Baja/TSR has thus far released two other singles that are among Tony’s favorites.
The first of these, a collaboration with Michael Mani, is the cleverly titled “Swagalicious,” a tasty, hip and buoyant funk jam featuring an infectious bass melody, Bill Hampton’s edgy electric guitar (and blistering solo), and the punchy sax of Mike Parlett, which creates a powerful duo magic with Tony in certain passages. It’s a special song for Tony because it marks a reunion with Mani, with whom he began writing never released tracks some 40 years ago.
The third previously dropped single, the album’s opening track, “Gimme Some More”, is an all-out sensual light funk seduction featuring a hypnotic, whimsical duality between Tony and well-known flutist Marcia Miget and showcases for both Tony’s snappy solo bass artistry and Mani’s jazzy improvisational vibes. It’s also one of several tunes to feature storied guitarist Vernon Black (another longtime friend) and drummer Tony Moore, one of the genre’s top rhythm masters, who keeps the grooves jumping throughout the album. Another of the artist’s favorites is his tender, soulful, and passionate rendition of Whitney Houston’s classic ballad, “Saving All My Love for You,” which features a soaring sax intro by Rock Hendricks, who later pairs with Tony to create a sweet and inviting, yet urgent, sense of forbidden romance.
For those not listening consecutively, there are numerous other phenomenal entry points to the experience. Another collaboration with Mani, “I Will Be There”, is a robust example of Tony’s equal artistry as a balladeer. It boasts a beautiful soprano sax melody over a subtle bass groove – the perfect pairing of dark and light illuminating a poignant and intense declaration of love. Tony pays homage to his dad, Merl, with “My Dad is a Grinder,” a co-write with Ray Chew that riffs on the playful spirit of an organ grinder at a carnival while capturing Merl’s lifelong dedication to his music and work ethic, which he imparted to his son. The throbbing track features bluesy keyboards, a plucky melody, and an intoxicating bluesy jazz/funk aesthetic which includes a subtle sax melody that becomes snazzier and more danceable along the way.
Tony wraps the eclectic set with “God’s Wonder,” a track that taps into his deeply spiritual side via a tight bass melody, wild synth energy, and a crunchy groove. Full of light and an intricate yet classic bass solo, the tune reflects the bassist’s belief that God put all this music in him. Years ago, when he played with The Hawkins Family, one of the members told him that music was a vehicle to do what God blessed him with – and he’s been driving that transcendent reality ever since!
ON STAGE
In recent years, Saunders was in the house band at the Blue Note in Napa, where he had also played with his own group, featuring guitarist Vernon Black (Mariah Carey, Maze, Herbie Hancock, Booker T.) and a young drummer named Austin White. Saunders has also played jazz at Yoshi’s in Oakland, Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay in San Diego, and has opened for Jeffrey Osborne. For many years, he headed back East to perform at an all-star concert celebration of Jerry Garcia’s birthday at such venues as The Strand Theatre in Lakewood, NJ. Currently, he averages 50 dates a year leading Keystone Revisited, a band that pays tribute to the live performances of Garcia and Merl at the Keystone Club in Berkeley, CA from 1971-75, which resulted in several live albums. Tony’s success with The Romance Continues’ first single, “Loving You Is Easy”, led to an invitation to perform at WNOZ’s New Orleans Smooth Jazz Jam on a bill with Nathan Mitchell, Nils, and Lemek. He has also performed with Ray Chew at the Hartford Family Winery in Sonoma County, part of the Jackson Family Wines’ portfolio, which Tony proudly endorses.
NOTABLE LIVE PERFORMANCES
• Yoshi’s - Oakland, CA (two solo “sold out” CD Release Parties)
• Blue Note - Napa, CA (w/ Gail Jhonson and w/ Reza Khan)
• Strand Theater - Lakeland, NJ (tribute to Jerry Garcia)
• Humphrey’s By the Bay - San Diego, CA
• Baked Potato - Universal City, CA
• Starlight Serenade at The Harmony Theater - Hollywood, CA (w/ Paul Jackson Jr., Sinbad, Jessie J, Geoff Alpert, Gail Jhonson)
• Project Imagine for Yoko Ono and The Jerry Garcia Foundation at Viansa Winery - Sonoma, CA
• Bogies at Westlake Village - Los Angeles, CA
• Oakland Jazz festival - Oakland, CA (w/ Gail Jhonson and Destiny Muhammad)
• Stockton Jazz Festival - Stockton, CA (w/ Gail Jhonson and Destiny Muhammad)
• North Tahoe Jazz Festival - Lake Tahoe, CA (opened for Jeffrey Osborne)
• Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
• Fairmont Sonoma Mision Inn - Sonoma, CA (w/ TMJ Trio)
• Grinstead Amphitheater - Sonoma, CA (w/ Flat 5)
• KUNV Listener Party - Las Vegas, NV
• Tuscany Casino - Las Vegas, NV (w/ Keystone Revisited)
• Monkey Ranch - Petaluma, CA (w/ Flat 5)
• Rancho Nicasio - Nicasio, CA (w/ Keystone Revisited)
• WNOZ New Orleans Smooth Jazz Jam - Metairie, LA (w/ Nathan Mitchell, Nils, and Lemek)
• Berkeley Black Repertory Theater - Berkeley, CA
• Sonoma Jazz Society at Sonoma Botanical Garden - Glen Ellen, CA (w/ Flat 5)
• Alameda County Fair - Pleasanton, CA (w/ The Resource Band)
TMJ Trio is Tony Saunders Bass, Mark Harold Guitar and Vocals, John Wheeler Guitar
Flat 5 is Tony Saunders Bass, Paul Scott Van Wagner Sax, Todd Tribble Drums, John Wheeler Guitar, Dick Conte Piano
Keystone Revisited is a tribute band dedicated to the music of his dad, Merl Saunders and includes Scott Guberman Keys and Vocals, Stephanie Hartwell-Mandella Vocals, Tony Saunders Bass and Vocals, Jonny Mojo Guitar and Vocals, John Mitchell Drums
THE EARLY YEARS
Tony’s many decades as a versatile bassist often obscured the fact that he began his musical life as a classical pianist who attended the prestigious Conservatory of Music in San Francisco on a scholarship from age 8 to 10 and continued to play piano until his mid-teens. He credited Anthony Davis, who played with Tom Fogerty’s solo group, for his desire to switch to bass. As he developed on the instrument, he drew on the influences and encouragement of greats like James Jamison, Stanley Clarke, and Jack Casady. In 2010, after Tony produced and arranged several albums for the indie label, San Francisco Records, the label signed him as an artist. The title track of his 2013 album, Appaloosa, a cover of a classic Gino Vanelli tune, featured longtime Chicago vocalist Bill Champlin. Tony’s breakthrough album, Uptown Jazz, solidified his tight, funky and melodic, in-the-pocket urban jazz style. The first single “Uptown Jazz,” reached #5 on the Smoothjazz.com chart, while its follow-up, “Speak To My Heart”, featuring Gerald Albright, hit #1 for 12 weeks.
QUOTE
“While Tony Saunders had the amazing fortune of inheriting the DNA and musical opportunities of his legendary father, Merl, he has established a formidable legacy of his own, culminating over the past decade and a half as a force in contemporary urban jazz scoring major radio hits and working with the genre’s biggest stars. Extending the 50+ year love affair with his beloved bass on The Romance Continues, the multi-talented musician expresses his passion for many different genres while showcasing his expansive artistry as a bassist, composer, and producer and sharing love for his family while vibing with incredible musicians, including several lifelong friends. To quote one of the song titles, it’s an extraordinary, multi-faceted celebration of “God’s Wonder” in Tony’s life – and at 70, the high spirited, emotionally impactful music he’s making feels like he’s just getting warmed up! – Jonathan Widran
CONNECT HERE:
Website: http://www.tonysaunders.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonySaundersBassistProducer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaundersBass
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saundersbass/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5OLFOdnwdWsZry0VUo3b2Q?si=qpUGBqiyRla_k-Gxjb79vg
BOOKING:
SoVibe Entertainment LLC / Ellis White
(904) 524-5030 / sovibeentertainment@gmail.com
MANAGEMENT/MEDIA CONTACT:
Anthony Washington
510.919.6397 / anthonywashington24@yahoo.com