Marlon Saunders
Encyclopedia
Marlon Saunders is an American
singer, songwriter
and record producer
. A professor of voice at Berklee College of Music
, Marlon has two solo recordings on his independent label, Black Honey Records: the improvisational A Groove So Deep: The Live Sessions and 2003's critically acclaimed Enter My Mind. Marlon continues to write, sing and produce with the acclaimed acid-jazz
band, Jazzhole
. He co-produced and co-wrote Love 360, the debut jazzy soul project from April Hill released in fall of 2007. His own highly anticipated new soul recording, Birth of Revelation, will be released later this year.
As a session and touring singer, Marlon has toured with Bobby McFerrin
as a member of his world-renowned vocal group, Voicestra. He has shared the stage with the incredible jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves
, recorded/toured with Joe Henderson
, Ron Carter
, Shawn Colvin
, Nine Inch Nails
, Billy Joel
, Jane Siberry, Shania Twain
, Vanessa Williams
, Julee Cruise
, Sting, Martha Wash
, Michael Jackson
, Lauryn Hill
, Freddie Jackson
, Jeffrey Osbourne, Tramaine Hawkins, Peabo Bryson
, Dance Theatre of Harlem
, and Ronald K. Brown.
His song "The Beginning of Never" has appeared on the Soul Lounge compilation, which featured artists such as Antionque, Nuwamba, Eric Roberson
, Conya Doss
, and others.
He has contributed to the video game scene as well, particularly games made by Sega
. He is best known for doing vocals on both versions of Knuckles
' theme, "Unknown From M.E." in Sonic Adventure
and Sonic Adventure 2
. Marlon also performs on the soundtrack to the Burning Rangers
game, singing one of the ending songs, "We are Burning Rangers". He also performed a Christmas acapella version of "Dreams Dreams", the theme from Nights into Dreams, with a small vocal ensemble that can be heard during the ending credits of Christmas Nights as well as on its soundtrack.
Marlon recently had a brief appearance in the film Enchanted as a calypso
singer who sings "That's How You Know
" with Amy Adams
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. A professor of voice at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, Marlon has two solo recordings on his independent label, Black Honey Records: the improvisational A Groove So Deep: The Live Sessions and 2003's critically acclaimed Enter My Mind. Marlon continues to write, sing and produce with the acclaimed acid-jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
band, Jazzhole
Jazzhole
Jazzhole is a New York-based band, widely regarded as one of the key members of the acid jazz movement.Their debut album, The Jazzhole, was released in 1994, followed by five others. Their latest, Poet’s Walk, was released in 2006....
. He co-produced and co-wrote Love 360, the debut jazzy soul project from April Hill released in fall of 2007. His own highly anticipated new soul recording, Birth of Revelation, will be released later this year.
As a session and touring singer, Marlon has toured with Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin
Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
as a member of his world-renowned vocal group, Voicestra. He has shared the stage with the incredible jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
, recorded/toured with Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than forty years Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent labels, including Blue Note.-Early life:From a very large family with five sisters and nine...
, Ron Carter
Ron Carter
Ron Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
, Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Jane Siberry, Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...
, Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, Julee Cruise
Julee Cruise
Julee Cruise is an American singer, and actress.With a distinctive, airy voice, Cruise has recorded three albums, but is probably best known for the lead vocal on "Falling," the theme song for the cult U.S. television series Twin Peaks...
, Sting, Martha Wash
Martha Wash
Martha Wash is an American R&B, Pop, Soul, House singer/songwriter known for her distinctive and powerful voice.-Early career:...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, Freddie Jackson
Freddie Jackson
Frederick Anthony "Freddie" Jackson is an American soul singer. He was an important figure in R&B during the 1980s and early 1990s...
, Jeffrey Osbourne, Tramaine Hawkins, Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson
Peabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
, Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a ballet company and school of the allied arts founded in Harlem, New York City, USA in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook...
, and Ronald K. Brown.
His song "The Beginning of Never" has appeared on the Soul Lounge compilation, which featured artists such as Antionque, Nuwamba, Eric Roberson
Eric Roberson
Eric Roberson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter from Rahway, New Jersey, United States. He is sometimes referred to simply as Erro....
, Conya Doss
Conya Doss
Conya Doss is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and record producer. In 2001, Conya Doss started her own recording label Conya Doss Songs and began recording her first album. In 2002, Doss released her first singles "Good Good" and "Coffee" which were followed by the release of her album,...
, and others.
He has contributed to the video game scene as well, particularly games made by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. He is best known for doing vocals on both versions of Knuckles
Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
' theme, "Unknown From M.E." in Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
and Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast video game console. It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It is the sequel...
. Marlon also performs on the soundtrack to the Burning Rangers
Burning Rangers
Burning Rangers is a video game developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn. The player takes on the role of a new recruit to the futuristic firefighting organization of the title, and must explore locations where various emergencies have taken place, extinguishing fires and rescuing survivors.The...
game, singing one of the ending songs, "We are Burning Rangers". He also performed a Christmas acapella version of "Dreams Dreams", the theme from Nights into Dreams, with a small vocal ensemble that can be heard during the ending credits of Christmas Nights as well as on its soundtrack.
Marlon recently had a brief appearance in the film Enchanted as a calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
singer who sings "That's How You Know
That's How You Know
The song was covered by Demi Lovato on DisneyMania 6. Lovato's version deviates heavily from the original, having a very different chord progression in the background, eliminating all traces of the calypso influence, and relying heavily on electric guitars and drums. It was her first and final...
" with Amy Adams
Amy Adams (actress)
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
.
Jazzhole albums
- The Jazzhole (February 22, 1994, Mesa/BlueMoon Recordings)
- …And the Feeling Goes Round (August 29, 1995, Mesa/BlueMoon Recordings)
- The Beat Is the Bomb! (Remixes) (June 18, 1996, Mesa/BlueMoon Recordings)
- Blackburst (February 29, 2000, Beave Music)
- Circle of the SunCircle of the SunCircle of the Sun is a 1960 short documentary film on Kainai Nation, or Blood Tribe, of Southern Alberta, which captured their Sun Dance ritual on film for the first time. Tribal leaders, who worried the traditional ceremony might be dying out, had permitted filming as a visual record.The film was...
(November 1, 2002, Beave Music) - Poet's Walk (July 13, 2006, Beave Music)