b. Albert Anderson, 1950, Jersey, New York, USA. Anderson learnt to play the trombone prior to his expulsion from the Mount Clairidge High School. He later enrolled at the Berklee College Of Music where he took ensembles rather than registering for full-time education. He devoted his spare time to practising and playing bass guitar, which led to his performing with the Centurions. While playing with the band he impressed Chris Wood from Traffic. Wood invited Anderson to play on his band's projected album, to be recorded in the UK; however, the Traffic project faltered, but it led to Anderson becoming an Island Records employee. In 1972, while an apprentice at Island, Anderson was recruited to play lead guitar with Bob Marley And The Wailers for the Natty Dread sessions. With the Wailers, he also provided lead guitar on "Crazy Baldhead" as well as appearing on Live!, which featured the distinguished "No Woman No Cry". Anderson remained with Bob Marley until 1976 when he joined Word Sound And Power alongside Sly And Robbie as the driving force behind Peter Tosh. Anderson played on the sessions for the singer's pivotal albums Legalise It and Equal Rights. By 1979 Anderson was back with Bob Marley, performing alongside lead guitarist Junior Murvin on Survival and Uprising. Following Marley's death in 1981, the Wailers continued to perform, covering Marley's hits and introducing their own compositions. The band toured Europe alongside the revamped Black Uhuru, featuring the original line-up of Don Carlos, Derrick "Ducky" Simpson and Garth Dennis with DJ Lieutenant Stitchie. Following the tour, Anderson returned to his native New York where he began working with a number of session musicians, including the legendary Nile Rodgers at the Power Station. He continued to work as a session musician into the 90s, particularly with Jamaica Papa Curvin, notably contributing to the latter's Heavy Load. (NB: Not to be confused with the former member of US rock band NRBQ with the same name.)

Listen to Al Anderson at Finetune.

• (2006)  After Hours
• (2006)  Party Favors
• (2006)  Al Anderson

• Another Place I Don't Belong
• Right On Time
• Better Word For Love
• Blues About You Baby
• Don'T Hold The Line

• Los Lobos
• Air
• Belle And Sebastian
• George Jones
• Giant Sand
• Gonzales
• Holopaw
• Interpol
• Lambchop
• Paolo Nutini
• Peter Murphy
• Red House Painters
• This Mortal Coil
• Tindersticks
• Bettye LaVette
• Big Head Todd and The Monsters
• Duke Robillard
• Geno Delafose
• John Hiatt
• Little Feat

• eddielin11
• nickfmnorth
• menofude