# Eric Marienthal a capable and creative improviser: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2017/12/13/eric-marienthal-a-capable-and-creative-improviser-video/
- Published: 2017-12-13T00:04:05+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**13.12. – Happy Birthday !!! Eric Marienthal shows listeners that he plays crossover
jazz as well being a capable and creative improviser. Marienthal attended the Berklee
College of Music for two years, and earned a Berklee Distinguished Alumnus Award
for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. **

Following his departure from Berklee, he went on tour for seven months and played
live in New Orleans for just under five years as a member of Al Hirt’s band. Marienthal
moved to Los Angeles in 1980 after his tenure with Hirt, and auditioned for the 
Disneyland Band. He got the gig, and worked full-time as both a staff member at 
Disney and a studio and live musician.

Voices of the Heart In 1986, he met Chick Corea, and soon thereafter earned a spot
in Corea’s Elektric Band. He recorded six albums and made several world tours as
a member of that group. He also landed his own recording contract with GRP during
this period. His first date as a leader was Voices of the Heart in 1988, which was
produced by Corea. Marienthal’s next two offerings, 1989’s Round Trip and 1990’s
Crossroads, were co-produced by himself and fellow Elektric Band member John Patitucci.
This was a busy period for Marienthal: he became a regular GRP studio musician in
addition to his Elektric Band membership, and toured with the GRP All-Star Big Band,
Lee Ritenour’s and David Benoit’s bands, and his own group. He enlisted the help
of Jeff Lorber and Russell Ferrante for 1991’s Oasis. The album was his most successful
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.
Lorber produced two more GRP dates for Marienthal, 1993’s One Touch, and 1994’s 
Street Dance.

Easy Street Marienthal left GRP for Ritenour’s new Verve-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 Cannonball Adderley. 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 Adderley’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 Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat
Band. He also served as the musical director of an annual fundraising concert for
High Hopes, the California non-profit organization those who have suffered traumatic
head injuries.

Sweet Talk In 2002, Marienthal signed with Rippington member Russ Freeman’s Peak
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 Robben Ford and Lorber.
In 2012, Marienthal’s It’s Love was released on eOne Entertainment, on the very 
same day as Lorber’s revamped Jeff Lorber Fusion’s Galaxy was released; the saxophonist
is a member of that band.

![Image result for Eric Marienthal](https://i0.wp.com/cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/
files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2017/11/09/b26b2bfa-c37d-11e7-9f00-d8b0ccf89a9f_1280x720_194112.
JPG?w=640&ssl=1)

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