ARION GABRIEL SALAZAR

ABOUT ARION

ARION GABRIEL SALAZAR
(PRONOUNCED UH-RYAN)
D.O.B. ~ AUGUST 9,1970

ARION SALAZAR IS THE GIFTED BASSIST FOR THIRD EYE BLIND. HE SING'S VOCALS, PLAYS VARIOUS INSTRUMENT'S, AND ARRANGES ON BOTH ALBUMS. ON THEIR SECOND RELEASE, BLUE, ARION CO-PRODUCES THE ALBUM WITH FRONTMAN STEPHAN JENKINS. ARION IS KNOWN TO PLAY BASS GUITAR, ELECTRIC GUITAR, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, PIANO, HARMONICA, THEREMIN, PROPHET T8, OPTIGAN, ELECTRIC SITAR, MELLETRON, AND UNIVOX JUST TO NAME A FEW.

ARION'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG WAS WITH A BAND CALLED RISK. FROM THERE WENT ON TO PLAY IN A BAND CALLED FUNGO MUNGO (1988-1992), THEY RELEASED AN ALBUM ON ISLAND RECORDS IN 1992 CALLED HUMUNGOUS. WHILE ARION WAS IN FUNGO MUNGO HE ALSO PLAYED WITH A BAND CALLED CURVEBALL AND ACME PIMP'S INC. HE JOINED THIRD EYE BLIND IN 1993

ARION ALSO PLAYED IN A SESSION'S BAND CALLED BULLMARK. WHILE IN BULLMARK ARION COMPOSED THE SOUNDTRACK FOR ACTIVISION'S 'INTERSTATE 76' IN WHICH VINTAGE RECORDING EQUIPTMENT AND INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO CAPTURE THE ORIGINAL 70'S FUNK SOUND. MEMBER'S OF BULLMARK INCLUDE BRIAN (OF PRIMUS), TOM COASTER (FROM SANTANA), JON BENDICH, LOUIS FASMAN, LES HARRIS, AND DAVE SHUL (LES AND DAVE BOTH PLAY IN CURVEBALL). ARION HAS ALSO PLAYED ON SONGS BY BLACK LAB, THE BRAIDS, BETTER THAN EZRA, AND KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD.

ARION WENT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL IN OAKLAND (WHERE HE WAS BORN AND RAISED). AFTER ATTENDING SKYLINE HE WENT TO BLUE BEAR SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN SAN FRANCISCO AT FT.MASON (1988). HE ATTENDED BLUE BEAR FOR A YEAR ON A MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP.

ARION USES ZON BASS GUITARS. THE SILVER GLITTER ONE IS A SONUS 4-STRING WITH E STRING DETUNER CUSTOM FINISH AND HEADSTOCK DECAL. AND THE NEW ONE USED DURING THE TOUR IS CALLED THE "ELTORO", A CUSTOM-DESIGNED 4-STRING BASS WITH FINGERBOARD LED'S, BLUEBURST FINISH, AND HEADSTOCK DECAL.

ARION LIST PAUL McCARTNEY AS HIS BIGGEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE. HE HAS BEEN LISTENING TO THE BEATLES SINCE HE WAS A KID. HE ALSO SITES RUSH'S "EXIT STAGE LEFT" AS A MAJOR INSPIRATION WHEN BECOMING A BASSIST

ONE OF THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I GET ABOUT ARION IS "WHAT IS HE?" (ETHNICITY WISE) LET'S DO SOME MATH, HIS MOTHER IS WHITE AND HIS FATHER IS HALF MEXICAN AND HALF PORTUGUESE. ADD IT UP AND YOU GET 100% ARION.

TO READ HIS OFFICIAL BIO FROM 3EB.COM, CLICK HERE.

THINGS AN ARION FAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ARION

ARION'S NAME

ARION (NOT SALAZAR) IS THE GREEK POET AND MUSICIAN (ALSO A MINOR GREEK GOD OF MUSIC) WHO REPUTEDLY FORMALIZES THE DITHYRAMB, A SONG SACRED TO THE GREEK GOD DIONYSUS, WHICH HITHERTO HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPROVISED. THIS IS THOUGHT TO BE AN IMPORTANT STEP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAGIC CHORUS.

HERE IS THE STORY OF ARION. HE WAS THE SON OF POSEIDON AND A NAIAD, AND FAVORED BY APOLLO, WHO TAUGHT HIM TO PLAY THE LYRE MOST BEAUTIFULLY. ARION LIVED IN CORINTH. HE WAS A BRAVE ADVENTUROUS YOUNG MAN, AND WANTED VERY MUCH TO TRAVEL. BUT AN ORACLE HAD SAID, "NO SHIP WILL BRING YOU BACK FROM ANY VOYAGE YOU MAKE."

SO HE WAS FORCED TO STAY AT HOME. FOR HIS TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY APOLLO GAVE HIM A GOLDEN LYRE, AND HE WAS WILD TO TRY IT OUT AT MUSIC FESTIVALS HELD IN SICILY AND ITALY.

"ORACLES ARE GLOOMY BY NATURE," HE SAID TO HIMSELF. "IT IS RARE YOU HEAR OF A HAPPY PROPHECY. BESIDES, I MUST SEE THE WORLD NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS."

THEREUPON HE TOOK HIS LYRE AND SET SAIL FOR ITALY. HE COMPETED IN THE FESTIVAL A T TARENTUM AND WON ALL THE PRIZES. HE PLAYED AND SANG SO BEAUTIFULLY THAT THE AUDIENCE WAS MADE WITH DELIGHT AND HEAPED GIFTS UPON HIM: A JEWELED SWORD, A SUIT OF SILVER ARMOR, AN IVORY BOW AND A QUIVER OF BRONZE-TIPPED ARROWS. HE WAS SO HAPPY AND TRIUMPHANT THAT HE FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE PROPHECY, AND TOOK THE FIRST SHIP BACK TO CORINTH, ALTHOUGH THE CAPTAIN WAS A HUGE, UGLY, DANGEROUS-LOOKING FELLOW, WITH AN EVEN UGLIER CREW.

ON THE FIRST AFTERNOON OUT, ARION WAS SITTING IN THE BOW GAZING AT THE PURPLE SEA AND ABSENTLY FINGERING HIS LYRE, WHEN THE CAPTAIN STOOD UP AND SAID, "PITY YOU'RE YOUNG TO DIE."

"AM I TO DIE YOUNG?" SAID ARION.

"YES."

"BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU."

"THAT DOES SEEM A PITY," SAID ARION. "WHEN IS THIS SAD EVENT TO TAKE PLACE?"

"SOON-IN FACT, IMMEDIATELY."

"BUT WHY? WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

"SOMETHING FOOLISH. PERMITTED YOURSELF TO BECOME THE OWNER OF A TREASURE, WHICH I MUST HAVE. THAT JEWELED SWORD, THAT SILVER ARMOR-YOU SHOULD NEVER SHOW THINGS LIKE THAT TO THIEVES."

"WHY DON'T YOU TAKE WHAT YOU WANT WITHOUT KILLING ME?"

"NO. WE THOUGHT IT OVER AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE BETTER TO KILL YOU. IT USUALLY IS IN THESE CASES. THEN THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN ROBBED CAN'T COMPLAIN, YOU SEE. MAKES IT SAFER FOR US."

"WELL, I SEE YOU'VE THOUGHT THAT MATTER OVER CAREFULLY," SAID ARION. "SO I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY. ONE FAVOR, THOUGH: LET ME SING A LAST SONG BEFORE I DIE."

AT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL ARION HAD INVENTED A SONG OF PRAISE, CALLED THE DITHYRAMB. HE SANG ONE NOW-PRAISING FIRST APOLLO, WHO HAD TAUGHT HIM MUSIC, AND THEN HIS FATHER, POSEIDON, MASTER OF THE SEA. THEN HE SANG A SONG OF PRAISE TO THE SEA ITSELF AND ALL WHO DWELL THERE-THE NAIADS AND NEREIDS AND GLIDING FISHES. HE SANG TO THE MAGICAL CHANGEFULNESS OF THESE WATERS, WHICH PUT ON DIFFERENT COLORS AS THE SUN CLIMBS AND SINKS, SILVER AND AMETHYST IN THE EARLY LIGHT, HOT BLUE AT NOON, SMOKY PURPLE AT DUSK. HE SANG TO THE SEA, SMILING, TREACHEROUSLY KIND, OFFERING THE GIFT OF COOL DEATH FOR ANY HOT GRIEF.

SO SINGING, HE LEAPED FROM THE BOW OF THE VESSEL, LYRE IN HAND, AND PLUNGED INTO THE SEA.

HE HAD SUN SO BEAUTIFULLY THAT THE CREATURES OF THE DEEP HAD RISEN TO HEAR HIM. HIS MOST EAGER LISTENERS WERE A SCHOOL OF DOLPHINS, WHICH LOVE MUSIC. THE LARGEST DOLPHIN DIVED UNDER HIM AND ROSE TO THE SURFACE LIFTING ARION HIS BACK.

"THANK YOU, FRIEND," SAID ARION.

"A POOR FAVOR TO RETURN FOR SUCH HEAVENLY MUSIC," SAID THE DOLPHIN.

THE DOLPHIN SWAM AWAY WITH ARION ON HIS BACK, THE OTHER DOLPHINS FRISKING ABOUT, DANCING ON THE WATER, AS ARION PLAYED. THEY SWAM VERY SWIFTLY, AND ARION ARRIVED AT TAENARUS AND MADE HIS WAY TO CORINTH A DAY BEFORE THE SHIP WAS DUE. HE WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE PALACE, TO HIS FRIEND, PERIANDER, KING OF CORINTH, AND TOLD HIM HIS STORY. THEN HE TOOK THE KING DOWN TO THE WATERFRONT TO INTRODUCE HIM TO THE DOLPHIN. THE KING ORDERED HIS SMITH TO MAKE A GOLD SADDLE FOR THE DOLPHIN, AND INVITED IT TO STAY IN THE CASTLE MOAT WHENEVER IT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE NEXT DAY THE SHIP ARRIVED IN PORT. CAPTAIN AND CREW WERE SEIZED BY THE KING'S GUARD AND TAKEN TO THE CASTLE. ARION STAYED HIDDEN.

"WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN US CAPTIVE, O KING?" SAID THE CAPTAIN. "WE ARE PEACEABLE LAW-ABIDING SAILORS."

"MY FRIEND ARION TOOK PASSAGE ON YOUR SHIP!" ROARED THE KING. "WHERE IS HE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?"

"POOR LAD," SAID THE CAPTAIN. "HE WAS QUITE MAD. HE WAS ON DECK SINGING TO HIMSELF ONE DAY, AND THEN SUDDENLY JUMPED OVERBOARD. WE PUT OUT A SMALL BOAT, CIRCLED THE SPOT FOR HOURS. WE COULDN'T FIND A TRACE. SHARKS, PROBABLY. THE SEA'S FULL OF THEM THERE."

"AND WHAT DO YOU SAILORS DO TO A MAN-EATING SHARK WHEN YOU CATCH HIM?" ASKED THE KING.

"KILL HIM, OF COURSE," SAID THE CAPTAIN. "CAN'T LET THEM SWIM FREE AND ENDANGER OTHER SAILORS."

"A NOBLE SENTIMENT," SAID ARION, STEPPING OUT OF HIS HIDING PLACE. "AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DO TO TWO-LEGGED SHARKS IN CORINTH."

SO CAPTAIN AND CREW WERE TAKEN OUT AND HANGED. THE SHIP WAS SEARCHED, AND ARION'S PROPERTY RESTORED TO HIM. HE INSISTED ON DIVIDING THE RICH GIFTS WITH THE KING. WHEN PERIANDER PROTESTED, ARION LAUGHED AND SAID, "TREASURES ARE TROUBLE. YOU'RE A KING AND CAN HANDLE THEM. BUT I AM A MINSTREL. I MUST TRAVEL LIGHT."

AND ALL HIS LIFE HE SANG SONGS OF PRAISE. HIS MUSIC GREW IN POWER AND BEAUTY UNTIL PEOPLE SAID HE WAS A SECOND ORPHEUS. WHEN HE DIED, APOLLO SET HIM IN THE SKY, HIM AND HIS LYRE AND THE DOLPHIN TOO. AND THEY SHINE IN THE NIGHT SKY STILL, THE STARS OF THE CONSTELLATION ARION. THEY SHINE ON PIRATES AND MINSTRELS, ON WISE MEN TRYING TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS, AND ON SIMPLE MEAN WHO HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN IT.

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