Marlon Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marlon Derrick Saunders[1] |
| Origin | Chestertown, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Labels | Black Honey, Beave Music, Bluemoon |
| Formerly of | Jazzhole |
| Website | marlonsaunders |
Marlon Derrick Saunders is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and a "Professor of Voice" at Berklee College of Music. He is perhaps best known for his voice work on the Sega-published video games Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), as well as Burning Rangers (1998), Phantasy Star Online (2000) and NiGHTS Into Dreams (1996).
Saunders provided backing vocals on "That's How You Know" by singer Amy Adams, from the 2007 film soundtrack Enchanted. As a vocal coach and choir director, Saunders has also served as a faculty member for Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University, as well as the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music program at The New School.[2][3]
Career
In 1994, Saunders formed the acid-jazz group Jazzhole, which were signed to Rhino Entertainment and released seven albums; originally formed as a duo, it later grew into a band ensemble. In the late 1990s, he was enlisted by video game company Sega to provide musical work on their video games. He remains best known for his vocal performances on both versions of the theme song for Knuckles, "Unknown From M.E." in Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Saunders also performs on the soundtrack to the Burning Rangers (1998) game, co-performing one of the ending songs, "We are Burning Rangers". He also performed a Christmas a cappella version of "Dreams Dreams", the theme from Nights into Dreams, along with a small vocal ensemble which can be heard during the ending credits of "Christmas Nights," as well as on its soundtrack.
Saunders has released two solo albums on his independent label Black Honey Records: the improvisational A Groove So Deep: The Live Sessions (2005) and Enter My Mind (2003). A song from the latter album, "The Beginning of Never" has appeared on the Soul Lounge compilation album alongside Conya Doss and Eric Roberson. He co-produced and co-wrote Love 360 (2007), the debut album by jazz-funk singer April Hill. His soul-inspired single, "Birth of Revelation" was released later that year. Saunders appeared in the 2007 film Enchanted as a calypso singer who co-performs "That's How You Know" with Amy Adams.
From 2015-2017, Saunders toured with Stevie Wonder on The Songs In The Key of Life Tour as choir director. He has since served as vocal contractor for Sam Smith, Bastille, Logic, Mondo Cozmo and Andrea Bocelli. He also extended his work to include music education and vocal coaching, receiving the title "Professor of Voice" at Berklee College of Music.
Saunders has worked with various artists, including Cynthia Erivo, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Javier Colon, Billy Joel, Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Shawn Colvin, Nine Inch Nails, Jane Siberry, Shania Twain, Martha Wash, and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
In 2019, he formed the Afrobeats-soul band, Iqram & The Immigrant Groove.[4]
Discography
Solo albums
- Enter My Mind (2003)
- A Groove So Deep (2005)
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 Sun (November 1, 2002, Beave Music)
- Poet's Walk (July 13, 2006, Beave Music)