Mark Etheredge

Billboard-charting keyboardist and composer Mark Etheredge ushers in a fresh musical offering with “Love Planet,” a new album produced by two-time Grammy® winner Paul Brown. The collection presents ten instrumental contemporary jazz originals composed by Etheredge. In addition to features by Brown, Steve Oliver and Graig Vail, the album hosts renown session players Jay Gore and Shane Theriot on guitar, drummers Joel Taylor and Gorden Campbell, bassist Roberto Vally, percussionists Lenny Castro and Richie Garcia, with the powerhouse horn section of trumpeter/arranger Ron King and saxophonist Greg Vail. The project was recorded at Carmen Grillo’s Big Surprise Music and at The Funky Joint.

That pianist Mark Etheredge appears smiling on the cover of his new contemporary jazz album, “Love Planet,” offering roses – his songs – to the world is a triumphant story of resilience. Since the title track of his last album, 2016’s “Connected,” landed him at No. 6 on the Billboard singles chart, the keyboardist slipped into the abyss of alcoholism, going bankrupt and losing his West Hollywood home, which forced a move back to the Bay Area where he slept on a friend’s couch and watched his mother slowly slip away before she finally succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease last year.

As “Love Planet” readies for its August 12 release on Vipaka Records, the now clear-eyed Etheredge is back living in his own West Hollywood place, clean and sober for fourteen months, living one day at a time with hope restored. During the tumultuous years, Etheredge found strength and creative expression by retreating to his keyboard to compose music. Reteaming with “Connected” producer and two-time Grammy winner Paul Brown, Etheredge recorded and released two singles, “Resonance” (2019) and “You&Me&We” (2020), both of which appear on “Love Planet” alongside eight new songs.

Love Planet will be released worldwide on Friday, August 12, 2022. The title track and single will be serviced to radio by Gorov Music Marketing, going for adds starting July 18, with release on July 22.

“‘Love Planet’ is about love for each other, as well as self-love. I was taught growing up that everyone is born with a sense of goodness, and I still believe it’s true. And that goodness is totally inclusive. With all the craziness on this planet, it’s easy to lose sight of that. These days, I wake up asking, ‘What can I do to be more loving today?’” said Etheredge.

Etheredge grew up near San Francisco in Sunnyvale and although his mother was a music school teacher and choir director, he’s primarily a self-taught pianist. His groups have opened for David Benoit, Bobby McFerrin, Sergio Mendes, Tuck & Patti, Betty Carter and Sheila Jordan, among others. This year, Etheredge was the featured soloist on singles released by Vally (“On The Down Low”) and guitarist Mark Carter’s “Swingtown.”

Portions of this bio were written by Rick Scott.