Rainforest Band
Encyclopedia
The Rainforest Band is a jam band
that spans several genres, including jazz
, rock
, world music
, R&B, and funk
. Founded in 1990, it produced four albums and performed for ten years.
, percussionist Muruga Booker
, and Grateful Dead
guitarist Jerry Garcia
, with Shakti Booker (vocals), Eddie Moore (percussion), Melvin Seals
(sound effects) and Bill Thompson (drum & sampled sound midi-technician). This fusion of world music and jazz was an early hit in a genre which became a category for the Grammys that same year. The music itself was written by Saunders and Booker, and Garcia added tracks both with electric guitar and midi-guitar mimicking flute
, and sampled sounds from the Amazonian rainforest
were incorporated into the music throughout.
Although the album was billed as a Merl Saunders album, in the tour that followed the group was billed as The Rainforest Band, and the album is generally regarded as the first release of the band. For the next ten years they played with an ever-changing line-up of musicians, many from the Grateful Dead family of musicians. They were a favorite Earth Day
act; one of their albums was called Save the Planet So We’ll Have Someplace to Boogie, and a familiar chant at performances was “Every Day is Earth Day”.
Their albums were produced by Sumertone Records, Merl Saunders’ label, and a portion of the proceeds went to the Rainforest Action Network
. In 1999 a DVD of Blues From the Rainforest was released, containing the entire album from the original masters, concert footage of their September 24, 1990 performance at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco , a music video of the title track, and the documentary Rediscovering the Amazon, chronicling Saunders’ trip to the Amazonian rainforest and showcasing the issue of rainforest destruction.
After a nearly ten-year period in which Muruga and Shakti Booker had broken from the band, a reunion took place between Merl Saunders and Muruga and Shakti Booker at the Starwood Festival
in 2000. This appearance was to be the launching point of a new tour starting at Nelson’s Ledges Quarry Park in 2002; however, it was to be the last performance of the Rainforest Band with Merl Saunders. Merl’s health declined, and he suffered a stroke in 2002, and never performed in this or any of his other musical projects again. He died October 24, 2008.
Other artists who have performed as part of the Rainforest Band include Tony Saunders
, Mike Hinton
, Vince Littleton, Larry Vann, Michael Warren, Steve Kimmock, Karen Baker, Tammy Tambora, and John Popper
.
A re-launch of the Rainforest Band as a tribute to Merl Saunders took place at the 29th Starwood Festival
on July 25th, 2009, featuring Merl’s son bassist Tony Saunders
, guitarist Michael Hinton, drummer Bill Norwood, keyboardist Mike Emerson, and vocalist Misa Malone.. Also appearing were Sikiru Adepoju
on talking drum and Douglas "Val" Serrant on steel drum and djembe
. Muruga Booker has also formed his own version of the Rainforest Band and released a CD in 2010 featuring Badal Roy
, Perry Robinson
and the final recordings of James Gurley
.
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
that spans several genres, including jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, R&B, and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
. Founded in 1990, it produced four albums and performed for ten years.
History
The Rainforest Band began in 1990 with the Grammy-nominated album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration between jazz keyboardist Merl SaundersMerl Saunders
Merl Saunders, was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B-3 console organ.-Biography:...
, percussionist Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker is an American drummer, recording artist, and Orthodox priest.- Biography :Booker was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27, 1942 and is of Serbian decent. His father, Melvin Bookvich, was a shoemaker who played accordion. He has a wife, Shakti; a son, Aaron; and a...
, and Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
guitarist Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, with Shakti Booker (vocals), Eddie Moore (percussion), Melvin Seals
Melvin Seals
Melvin Seals is an American musician, best known as a long time member of the Jerry Garcia Band.-Early life and career:...
(sound effects) and Bill Thompson (drum & sampled sound midi-technician). This fusion of world music and jazz was an early hit in a genre which became a category for the Grammys that same year. The music itself was written by Saunders and Booker, and Garcia added tracks both with electric guitar and midi-guitar mimicking flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, and sampled sounds from the Amazonian rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
were incorporated into the music throughout.
Although the album was billed as a Merl Saunders album, in the tour that followed the group was billed as The Rainforest Band, and the album is generally regarded as the first release of the band. For the next ten years they played with an ever-changing line-up of musicians, many from the Grateful Dead family of musicians. They were a favorite Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
act; one of their albums was called Save the Planet So We’ll Have Someplace to Boogie, and a familiar chant at performances was “Every Day is Earth Day”.
Their albums were produced by Sumertone Records, Merl Saunders’ label, and a portion of the proceeds went to the Rainforest Action Network
Rainforest Action Network
Rainforest Action Network is an environmental organization based in San Francisco, California, USA. The organization was founded by Randy "Hurricane" Hayes and Mike Roselle in 1985, with the financial help of Fund for Wild Nature....
. In 1999 a DVD of Blues From the Rainforest was released, containing the entire album from the original masters, concert footage of their September 24, 1990 performance at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco , a music video of the title track, and the documentary Rediscovering the Amazon, chronicling Saunders’ trip to the Amazonian rainforest and showcasing the issue of rainforest destruction.
After a nearly ten-year period in which Muruga and Shakti Booker had broken from the band, a reunion took place between Merl Saunders and Muruga and Shakti Booker at the Starwood Festival
Starwood Festival
The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in mid- to late July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects...
in 2000. This appearance was to be the launching point of a new tour starting at Nelson’s Ledges Quarry Park in 2002; however, it was to be the last performance of the Rainforest Band with Merl Saunders. Merl’s health declined, and he suffered a stroke in 2002, and never performed in this or any of his other musical projects again. He died October 24, 2008.
Other artists who have performed as part of the Rainforest Band include Tony Saunders
Tony Saunders (bassist)
Tony Saunders is an American bass player and keyboards player in the genres of jazz, gospel and world music. He is a composer, arranger, and music producer, and head of his own studio, Y-Not Muzik.-Biography:...
, Mike Hinton
Mike Hinton
Michael "Mike" Hinton is an American guitarist, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his career, he has been a member of several bands such as Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band for nine years, and has appeared on several albums with the Rainforest Band and other Merl Saunders projects,...
, Vince Littleton, Larry Vann, Michael Warren, Steve Kimmock, Karen Baker, Tammy Tambora, and John Popper
John Popper
John Popper is an American musician and songwriter.He is most famous for his role as frontman of rock band Blues Traveler performing harmonica, guitar and vocals...
.
A re-launch of the Rainforest Band as a tribute to Merl Saunders took place at the 29th Starwood Festival
Starwood Festival
The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in mid- to late July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects...
on July 25th, 2009, featuring Merl’s son bassist Tony Saunders
Tony Saunders (bassist)
Tony Saunders is an American bass player and keyboards player in the genres of jazz, gospel and world music. He is a composer, arranger, and music producer, and head of his own studio, Y-Not Muzik.-Biography:...
, guitarist Michael Hinton, drummer Bill Norwood, keyboardist Mike Emerson, and vocalist Misa Malone.. Also appearing were Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju
Sikiru Adepoju is a percussionist and recording artist from Nigeria, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles.- Background :...
on talking drum and Douglas "Val" Serrant on steel drum and djembe
Djembe
A djembe also known as jembe, jenbe, djbobimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered drum meant played with bare hands....
. Muruga Booker has also formed his own version of the Rainforest Band and released a CD in 2010 featuring Badal Roy
Badal Roy
Badal Roy is a tabla player, percussionist, and recording artist known for his work in jazz, world music, and experimental music.-Biography:...
, Perry Robinson
Perry Robinson
Perry Morris Robinson is an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He is the son of the noted composer Earl Robinson. -Biography:...
and the final recordings of James Gurley
James Gurley
James Gurley was an American musician. He is best known as the guitar player of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a psychedelic/acid rock band from San Francisco which was fronted by singer Janis Joplin from 1966 to 1968.-Early life:James Gurley was born in Detroit, Michigan on December 22, 1939...
.
Discography
- 1990 - Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite - Featuring Muruga Booker, Eddie Moore, Shakti, Special Guest: Jerry Garcia
- 1991 - Save The Planet So We'll Have Someplace To Boogie - Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
- 1993 - It's In The Air - Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
- 1998 - Fiesta Amazonica - Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band
Filmography
- 1997: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia: Deadheads Festival Japan 1997 (Japanese Laser Disc, Video Super Rock series VPLR-70650)
- 1999: Blues from the Rainforest: A Musical Suite (Mobile Fidelity) DVD