Eric Marienthal

Eric Marienthal is a Grammy-winning contemporary jazz saxophonist, composer, vocalist, and producer. Establishing his jazz bona fides as a sideman with <a href="spotify:artist:0TGsWvnbtExsbGUSWtXENE">Al Hirt</a> and key memberships in the <a href="spotify:artist:2ReTnNzaUAM6RgKCtlvMPf">Chick Corea Elektric Band</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5cpKvYFZXiVsN7FRLoNlm1">Jeff Lorber Fusion</a>, he embarked on a successful solo career as a bandleader and recording artist with Voices of the Heart in 1988. The saxophonist's crystal-clear, emotive yet icy tone registered with smooth jazz radio programmers, who admired his seamless approach to integrating jazz-funk, soul, pop, and quiet adult contemporary R&B. His commercial breakthrough occurred with 1991's Oasis, which peaked at number five on the contemporary jazz charts. Along with his own recordings, he's played with everyone from <a href="spotify:artist:3PhoLpVuITZKcymswpck5b">Elton John</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:7jmTilWYlKOuavFfmQAcu6">Barbra Streisand</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0KyCXNSa7ZMb5LydfKbLG3">David Lee Roth</a>. With the release of 1995's Street Dance, his albums also began charting on the standard jazz list as well. Among his many best-selling outings are 1998's Walk Tall and 2015's Bridges with <a href="spotify:artist:02L5Rmh1RtTbHOBdzPzfoQ">Chuck Loeb</a>.

Marienthal was raised in Sacramento and attended the Berklee College of Music for two years. Following his departure, he went on tour as a hired gun and relocated to New Orleans after being hired by trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:0TGsWvnbtExsbGUSWtXENE">Al Hirt</a>. While a member of <a href="spotify:artist:0TGsWvnbtExsbGUSWtXENE">Hirt</a>'s group, he auditioned for the Disneyland Band. He got the gig and left <a href="spotify:artist:0TGsWvnbtExsbGUSWtXENE">Hirt</a>. Marienthal worked full-time as a staff member and as a studio and live musician.

In 1986, he met <a href="spotify:artist:5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq">Chick Corea</a> and soon thereafter earned a spot in his <a href="spotify:artist:2ReTnNzaUAM6RgKCtlvMPf">Elektric Band</a>. He recorded six albums and made several world tours as a member of that group. He landed his own recording contract with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a> as a solo artist during this period. His first date as a leader was Voices of the Heart in 1988, which was produced by and featured <a href="spotify:artist:5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq">Corea</a>. Marienthal's next two offerings, 1989's Round Trip and 1990's Crossroads, were co-produced by himself and fellow <a href="spotify:artist:2ReTnNzaUAM6RgKCtlvMPf">Elektric Band</a> member <a href="spotify:artist:4KmKbbEq6PMnW2TdkrbBIH">John Patitucci.</a> This was a busy period for Marienthal: he became a regular <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a> studio musician, remained in <a href="spotify:artist:5olDKSsFhhmwh8UCWwKtpq">Corea</a>'s <a href="spotify:artist:2ReTnNzaUAM6RgKCtlvMPf">Elektric Band</a>, and toured with the <a href="spotify:artist:7t3gNSnonoN8QM3poUpoRW">GRP All-Star Big Band</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1nDqTUspmq8IXhcEZT93iq">Lee Ritenour</a>'s and <a href="spotify:artist:1OLWM7nUNcTjZ9ct4DEPZu">David Benoit</a>'s bands, and his own group. He enlisted the help of <a href="spotify:artist:1SaH16LT1AWVsBU8AKY4HN">Jeff Lorber</a> and Russell Ferrante for 1991's Oasis. The album was his most successful up to that point; it placed in the Top Five of the contemporary jazz charts, and two of its tracks placed in the Top Ten of the national contemporary jazz radio charts. <a href="spotify:artist:1SaH16LT1AWVsBU8AKY4HN">Lorber</a> produced two more <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a> dates for Marienthal, 1993's One Touch and 1994's Street Dance. In 1995, Marienthal was awarded the Berklee Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music.

Marienthal left <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22GRP%22">GRP</a> for <a href="spotify:artist:1nDqTUspmq8IXhcEZT93iq">Ritenour</a>'s new <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Verve%22">Verve</a>-distributed imprint ie: Music. The guitarist produced Easy Street for release in 1997; its title track was a hit at contemporary jazz radio. His next offering as a leader for the label was 1998's Walk Tall, a heartfelt tribute to <a href="spotify:artist:5v74mT11KGJqadf9sLw4dA">Cannonball Adderley</a>. Produced by Harvey Mason, the single "Here in My Heart" stayed at number one on the national Contemporary Jazz charts for three weeks, and a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:5v74mT11KGJqadf9sLw4dA">Adderley</a>'s classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" reached number five.

Marienthal spent the next five years as a studio and touring musician with various acts, including being the lead alto player in composer <a href="spotify:artist:5CyMmYYHMIfK9YYcKLXzO1">Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band</a>. He also served as the musical director of an annual fundraising concert for High Hopes, the California non-profit organization benefitting those who have suffered traumatic head injuries.

In 2002, Marienthal signed with <a href="spotify:artist:6hjqP9annof75B2TNBE0rO">Rippington</a> member <a href="spotify:artist:6NVwMiEWAjCHnKWPx9h8WO">Russ Freeman</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Peak%22">Peak</a> label. There he recorded four albums: 2003's Sweet Talk, 2005's Got You Covered (leading an all-star band through a collection of cover tunes), 2007's Just Around the Corner, and 2011's Turn Up the Heat; the latter featured <a href="spotify:artist:7C1CFA2GWGFc51SrvX5Bvy">Robben Ford</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1SaH16LT1AWVsBU8AKY4HN">Lorber</a>. In 2012, Marienthal's It's Love was released on eOne Entertainment the very same day as <a href="spotify:artist:1SaH16LT1AWVsBU8AKY4HN">Lorber</a>'s revamped <a href="spotify:artist:5cpKvYFZXiVsN7FRLoNlm1">Jeff Lorber Fusion</a>'s Galaxy was released; the saxophonist became a member of that band and continued to work with <a href="spotify:artist:1SaH16LT1AWVsBU8AKY4HN">Lorber</a>. In 2015, Marienthal teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:1zHPRenzLeI2vhT7nlR6Mq">the Yellowjackets</a>' <a href="spotify:artist:02L5Rmh1RtTbHOBdzPzfoQ">Chuck Loeb</a> for the album Bridges and a tour. The album peaked at 15 on the jazz albums chart and at number six on the contemporary jazz list. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi