Saunders, Graves to Play Benefit for Procession of the Speciesby Tina Floyd Special to the Green Pages "For many years, but especially since Jerry's death, it seems that young people are looking to me for guidance, for some kind of answer," says virtuoso Merl Saunders, referring to the growing contingent of youthful Deadheads that constitute a large part of his fan base. "All I can tell them is to stay focused and get high, but on music, not on drugs." Indeed, for more than three decades, Merl's fans have been getting high on his music. With San Francisco as his home base, his repertoire runs the gamut from funk to blues to rock to jazz, but as his 1990 New Age collaborations with Jerry Garcia attests, his audience is not concerned with musical genres. "It's the vibe that counts," he says. "As long as it makes them feel good land dance, what's the difference what category it falls into?" With his signature leather cap, boots and requisite tie-dye, and with his ever-loyal "Jessica" (his 1962 Hammond B3 organ) sharing the spotlight, Merl regularly mesmerizes his audiences like a psychedelic Pied Piper. It's hard to believe that this is the same guy who once played in a band with crooner Johnny Mathis. But then again, Merl's list of former collaborators is diverse. He has shared the stage and studio with the likes of Harry Belafonte, Lionel Hampton, B. B. King, Miles Davis, the Statler Brothers, Paul Butterfield, and of course his beloved buddy, Jerry Garcia. Even bands like Phish and Blues Traveler, with whom Merl frequently jams or sits in, have fallen under spell. Ever the musical chameleon, Merl can jam with best of them, score for movies and TV (including TV's Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, and theme for the movie version of Fritz the Cat) or "get serious" and play straight jazz (a result of his grueling early work with the masters, including jazz great Jimmy Smith, with whom he once apprenticed). A gentle soul and an ardent environmentalist, in 1992 Merl was invited to the Peruvian rainforest by Moondragon Pictures, which was developing a series called "Rediscovering the Amazon." He was asked to compose the music for one of its episodes. During this trek down the Amazon, Saunders witnessed firsthand the destruction of the rainforests and its effect on the people of the region, inspiring him to become an active supporter of the Rainforest Action Network. In appreciation of his efforts to preserve the vanishing resources of the Amazon, Unity College (an environmental school in Unity, Maine) presented Merl with an honorary doctorate. In June, 1995, he was awarded the World Rainforest Award by the Rainforest Action Network. With his forthcoming album, Fiesta Amazonica, Merl's fans will have yet another chance to be thrown for a loop. "I guess you can say it picks up where Blues From The Rainforest left off," he says. But there are a couple of distinctions. "Well, for one, this time I've actually been to a rainforest!" he laughs. "But I also think it has more of a funky, World Beat feel." The nine-song collection, due this fall, will contain some surprise guest appearances and requiems for two lost comrades. Musical fans from all over Puget Sound are warmly invited to experience Merl's prowess at 7:00 pm on Saturday, August 30 at the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia. This special appearance, a benefit for the Procession of the Species, is produced by Fish Brewing Company. Tickets for the all-ages show are $12.50 in advance and are available at Rainy Day Records and the Fishbowl. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Information: 943-3650. Tina Floyd is the co-director of Earthbound Productions and the Procession of the Species.
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