LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Universal Records) - World class bass player/singer/songwriter/producer, Fernando Saunders is releasing his 3rd CD I Will Break Your Fall featuring duets with long time collaborators
Lou Reed and Marianne Faithfull.
Rolling Stone Magazine says it's 'an album of beautifully crafted pop songs and ballads that tug at the heart strings.
The duet with
Lou Reed ['Baton Rouge'] is achingly beautiful.'
The CD will be released in Canada on June 17, 2008 on Summit/Conveyor//Universal while Saunders will be in Toronto for the North By North East Festival as a touring panelist and possible showcase tbc.
Saunders came to international prominence as one of the core players with pop artist, Hamilton Bohannon, and then as a key member of the pioneering rock/jazz ensemble, The Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer Group. In the early '80s, Saunders started long-term collaborations as a player, producer and co-songwriter, with the esteemed urban rockers Reed and Faithfull
The new release will have an exclusive bonus track 'Delusion' and a new remix of 'I Will Break Your Fall.' Musicians will love the two instrumental jams 'Bass Talk' and 'Live in Spain' which take the listener on a musical journey from improvisational jazz to funk to Latin inspired rock while showcasing Saunders mastery on bass. Two alternate versions of 'Lover' and 'All For You' are included which were recorded in Iceland with pared-down arrangements. Canada's Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies) is featured on piano on the Marianne Faithfull duet 'Backstreet Girl.'
At 16 Saunders joined Bohannon contributing to r&b/funk/disco hits including 'Foot Stompin' Music' and 'Keep On Dancin'' which continue to be sampled in many of today's top club hits. Choosing education over instant success, Saunders left Bohannon to work with famed jazz organist Larry Young in New York. Young died shortly afterwards, however, the music they made is being sampled in the hip hop world including 'Turn Off The Lights' in Salt N Pepa's 'Say Ooh.'
Saunders became an in demand musician joining Jan Hammer, who soon after hooked up with Jeff Beck for the Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer Group. 'When I was teenager, my big dream was to play with Jan & Jeff, and 2 years later, I was on tour with the both of them at the same time,' recalls Saunders.
In the early 1980's, Saunders worked with Lou Reed on acclaimed albums such as The Blue Mask, Legendary Hearts, New Sensations and Mistrial. The relationship continues to this day as Saunders co-wrote and produced Reed's latest album Animal Serenade and is performing on the Berlin Tour with a featured vocal. Saunders spent considerable time working with Marianne Faithfull over the years and five songs he produced for her were selected for 1998's A Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology. You can also catch him in her 2005's Live In Hollywood DVD.
During his career Saunders traveled the world recording and performing with music legends Joan Baez, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Slash, Heart, Pat Benatar, Tori Amos, Kip Hanrahan, John McLaughlin and even Pavarotti. Saunders recalls 'at first the rock artists wanted me involved because of my r&b and jazz background, but then after years in rock the R&B and jazz artists wanted me for my rock experience.'
Saunders has recorded and produced three critically acclaimed solo albums, Cashmere Dreams (Grudge/BMG), The Spin (A&M) and the current I Will Break Your Fall (Summit/Conveyor//Universal).
Fernando Saunders - Touring Panel, Friday May 13th at Holiday Inn, NXNE Conference
'Fernando is a first rate singer and a musician's musician. His songwriting has an alternative slant with a fresh innocence that's very much a part of Fernando.' - Marianne Faithful
'I have always thought Fernando is a very advanced human... maybe I should study with Fernando because he's really on a very high level of existence through his music.' - Lou Reed
