He is a guitarist and songwriter born Albert Anderson in New York who began his professional career with the Allman Brothers Band where he worked for Duane Allman as his guitar technician. While he was with them he began to learn the slide technique, which he would later utilise many times. During those years of the early ’70s he also performed with the group Detroit Emeralds and did a lot of work in studios in the United States and London.
In 1973 Steve Winwood and the producer Chris Blackwood introduced him to the singer-songwriter Bob Marley who had been a member of the recently disbanded The Wailers. He moved to Jamaica and became part of his backing group, The Wailers Band who accompanied him on extensive international tours and many recordings.
He left the group for about a year in 1977 and joined up with Peter Tosh, who had been a member of the original group The Wailers who formed in the 1960s.
He returned to them in 1978 though and went straight into appearing at many sold out American and European concerts at venues such as Madison Square Garden and Pavilion de Paris. He saw many chart successes along the way with songs such as “Could You Be Loved “, “Exodus”, “No Woman No Cry” and “One Love”. He continued to appear with The Wailers Band following Bob Marley’s death and over the years featured on 14 of their albums, with the first being Natty Dread from 1974.
Since the 1980s he has lent his talents to continuing performances with The Wailers Band and accompanied artists such as James Brown, Stanley Clarke, The Commodores, The Fugees, Inner Circle, Markie Mark, The Rolling Stones, Steel Pulse, Third World and Stevie Wonder .
Outside of Bob Marley & The Wailers recordings he has also appeared on albums such as The Will to Live by Ben Harper, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, Equal Rites by Peter Tosh and the DVD Legend by Rick Wakeman. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Bob Marley & The Wailers recordings
Could You Be Loved (Bob Marley )
Island WIP 6610-A (UK 45)
One Drop (Bob Marley )
Island WIP 6610-B (UK 45)
Redemption Song (Band Version)(Bob Marley )
Island: WIP 6653-B ( UK 45 PS)
Here’s his solo on “No Woman No Cry”….
Sources:
- http://www.hermosarecords.com/marley/anderson.html
- http://www.beepworld.de/members4/antjii/seite5.htm
- http://www.classical-reggae-interviews.org/index.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Anderson_(Wailers)
- http://www.swer.net/english.tic.alanderson.html
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Al+Anderson
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hjfyxqrhldhe~T4