In 1977, Eric began studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. By the time he left Berklee, Eric had achieved the highest possible proficiency rating given by the school. In 1995, Eric was awarded the Berklee Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. He has since gone on to perform in over 80 different countries, recorded 14 solo CDs, and has played on hundreds of records, films, television shows, and commercial jingles.
Eric started his professional career in 1980 with famed New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt. After returning to Los Angeles, Eric became a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band. He recorded 6 CDs with Chick Corea's band and received two of his eight Grammy nominations.
Eric went on to perform with an astoundingly broad range of entertainers, including Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, David Benoit, The Rippingtons, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, The Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, Brian Culbertson, Patti Austin, Lou Rawls, David Lee Roth, The Yellowjackets, B.B. King, Ramsey Louis, Patti Labelle, Olivia Newton-John, and many others.
Eric has won two Grammy Awards and has been nominated eight times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band.
Eric's latest CD is a collaboration with legendary trumpeter Randy Brecker entitled Double Dealin, on Shanachie Records. Nine of Eric’s songs have made it to the top 10 of the national contemporary jazz radio charts, and three have made it to No.1. Eric was voted one of the the year's "Favorite Alto Sax Players" in Jazziz magazine's Readers Poll along with David Sanborn and Phil Woods.
Since 2015, Eric has maintained an online saxophone school with ArtistWorks.com. He has also written three instructional books: Comprehensive Jazz Studies & Exercises; The Ultimate Jazz Play Along; and The Music of Eric Marienthal. He has created three instructional videos: Play Sax From Day One; Modern Sax; and Tricks of the Trade, all published by Alfred Publishing/Belwin Jazz.
Every summer, for the past 20 years, Eric has organized an annual fundraising concert for High Hopes, a non-profit organization in Orange County, California, that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries. To date, these concerts have raised well over $2,000,000 for High Hopes.
For more information about Eric Marienthal, please visit: www.ericmarienthal.com/
I
