Home » Member Page
Theo Saunders
Theo (Ted) Saunders, a native New Yorker, has lived in California since 1985, but his musical career remains international in scope. Saunders' musical odyssey has taken him to four continents and more than twenty countries.
About Me
He has performed in many of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals,
concert halls and night clubs, with distinguished jazz artists including:
Freddie Hubbard, Carla Bley, Charles Lloyd, Bob Brookmeyer, Harold
Land, Buddy Collette, Eddie Harris,Ted Curson, James Moody, Bobby
Hutcherson, Teddy Edwards, Jack Dejohnette, Joe Lovano, Jimmy
Garrison, Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Fortune, Slam Stewart, Al Cohn,
Zoot Sims ,Reggie Workman, Curtis Fuller, Rashied Ali, Mike Stern,
Benny Powell, Chris Conners, Morgana King, Roseanna Vitro, David
Fathead Newman, J.R. Montrose, Brew Moore,Sonny Greenwich,
John Klemmer, Mark Egan, Wilbur Ware, Jane Ira Bloom, Steve Khan,
Henry Franklin, Azar Lawrence, Carl Burnett, Jack Wilkins, Steve
Slagle, Dennis Irwin, Roy McCurdy, Eddie Gomez, Cecil McBee, Rick
Laird, John Heard, Gene Perla, Al Grey, Barbara Morrison, Lanny
Morgan, Horacee Arnold, Jerry Bergonzi, Harvey Wainapel, Herbie
Lewis, Sal Marquez, Hadley Caliman, Putter Smith, Gary Foster, Beaver
Harris, Alphonse Mouzon, Benn Clatworthy, Dick Berk, Richie Cole,
Garnett Brown, Justo Almario, Mike Richmond, Bob Sheppard, Bennie
Maupin, Dave Binney, Bobby Bradford, Frank Morgan, Harvie Swartz,
Tierney Sutton, Judi Silvano, Roberta Gambarini, Chip White, Phil
Grenadier, Tom Harrell, Rich Perry, Clifford Jarvis, Carl Allen, Phil
Ranelin, Pat Britt, Tony Dumas, Steve Swallow, Victor Lewis, John
Abercrombie, Joe Diorio, J.R. Mitchell, Calvin Hill, Charles Owens,
Richard Reid, , Adam Rodgers, John B. Williams, Ed Neumeister, Terrell
Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Larry Koonse, Darek Oles, Dave Stryker,
Steve Marcus, Don Menza, Bill Watrous, Mon David
His diverse musical activities have included musical director for opera
and dance productions, for cabaret singers, and international musical
theatre. He has played with many well known Latin, R&B, and rock
artists, including Claudio Roditi, Victor Brasil, Ray Mantilla, Willie Bobo,
Bobby Matos, Raul De Souza, Ray Armando,Claudio Caribe, Guillerme
Franco, Bobby Rodriguez, Gladys Knight, Four Tops, Elephants
Memory, and is a former member (Piano) of the Jazz Tap Ensemble. He
also has performed in collaboration with poet David Meltzer and
assemblage artist George Herms.
As a composer, Theo has numerous jazz & rock compositions to his
credit as well as original scores for dance, theatre, radio and multimedia
production. His compositions have recently been recorded by Henry
Franklin, Ray Armando, Benn Clatworthy, Bobby Matos, and Bruce
Paulson. His biographical sketch appears, in People in Jazz-Jazz
keyboard improvisors of the 19th and 20th centuries by Bill Lee.