A spokesperson for Curtis Management has confirmed the death of Mad Season bassist John Baker Saunders. Few details were available, but it was thought that the musician may have died of a drug overdose. Baker hailed from Minneapolis.

Mad Season was a Seattle supergroup originally formed by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, and Baker Saunders.

The band released one album, "Above", on Sony in the spring of 1995, which spawned the radio hit "River of Deceit." Before he could lay down vocals for a second project, which the musicians had already recorded, Staley dropped out of sight. He was scheduled to be replaced by Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan, who had also contributed to "Above." Last year the band announced that they'd be recording under the name Disinformation, but the project apparently petered out before any new sessions could take place.

Saunders also played with the Seattle band

The Walkabouts, a former Sub Pop group. He joined them as a replacement player in 1996. The Walkabouts most recently issued a record called "Nighttown" in 1997 on the Virgin label.