In 1977, Eric began studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. 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 CD’s 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 CD’s with Chick Corea’s band and received 2 of his 5 Grammy nominations. He’s won one Grammy award as part of the GRP Super Live CD. Eric went on to perform with artists such as Elton John, Barbara 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 2 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 7 times as a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band.
Among Eric’s 14 solo CD’s, his latest is entitled “Bridges”, on Shanachie Records. Nine of the songs that Eric has recorded have made it to the top 10 of the National Contemporary Jazz Radio Charts and 3 have made it to #1. Eric was voted the year’s “Favorite Alto Sax Players” in the Jazziz Magazine Reader’s Poll along with David Sanborn and Phil Woods.
Eric is the head of the online saxophone school at ArtistWorks.com. He has also written 3instructional books, “Comprehensive Jazz Studies & Exercises”, The Ultimate Jazz Play Along” and “The Music Of Eric Marienthal” as well as 3 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. High Hopes is a non-profit organization in Orange County, California that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries. These concerts to date have raised well over $2,000,000 for this charity. Please visit Eric’s web site at www.ericmarienthal.com or contact Eric at ericmarienthal1@gmail.com.