The Barrett Anderson Band

Barrett Anderson knows the roots of the blues -- he has recorded songs by Muddy Waters and Son House -- but he's never afraid to split off and do his own thing. He's very much a modern songwriter of the blues, incorporating the energy of the J. Geils Band at times and singing and writing with a rhythmic flair propelled by his outstanding guitar playing. He can pick in the subdued, lyrical style of Ronnie Earl, or burn with the dynamics of a true rocker. His album, "The Long Fall," is a first-rate statement and helped earn him a Boston Music Award for best blues artist of the year."
--- STEVE MORSE, former staff critic for the Boston Globe for 28 years who now teaches Rock History at Berklee College of Music. - Steve Morse, 2015

When I first met and heart the very talented Barrett Anderson he was in a band with Ron Levy and Per Hanson, two of the most renowned elder statesment of the Blues in New England and the world. He was in a Blues/R&B groove band that really showcased his blazing leads. By the time the trio finished Muddy's "Can't Be Satisfied," featuring Anderson's biting slide guitar, I was very, very impressed. Eyes closed, singing gruff and growling vocals, and playing the shit out of his old Telecaster with the worn fretboard. Barrett Anderson is the real deal. - A.J. Wachtel- The Noise- New England's longest running entertainment publication

He's just a wizard on the guitar. - Ronnie Earl, interviewed by Brian Owens, Metronome Magazine

Having had the opportunity to apprentice with Ronnie Earl and Monster Mike Welch, in addition to jamming with other greats in blues, it would be far too easy for Anderson to just repackage the music of those two guitar-slingers, but it is clear from the first note coaxed from Barrett's guitar, Barrett is his own man. - Georgetown Fats, editor, Boston Blues Society

Quote from music critic Ted Drozdowski - Ted Drozdowski, 2008

...After about an hour and a half breakdown/set-up time period, Barrett Anderson brings his excellent Chicago blues band up to play. They ignite the crowd with two sets of incredible music featuring Ron Levy on organ and Per Hanson on drums/harp and vocals. And in the second set, like icing on a cake, national star/local artist Lydia Warren joins the group with her guitar and stunning vocals and the trio becomes a foursome and the performance becomes incredible. Music highlights include: originals "Gone" and "Broken Down" from his debut album "All The Way Down," Barrett's Mississippi Fred McDowell-influenced slide guitar, and their blazing covers of Muddy Water's "Can’t Be Satisfied" and John Lee Hooker's "Dimples.” Ron Levy is a master of every note he plays and Per's rousing harp/vocals/drums performance on Jimmy Reed's "Going To New York" is inspiring to say the least. Swampy Blues: for a white band they sure sound black. - The Boston Blues Society

At the relatively young age of 30 years old, Barrett Anderson has had the opportunity to apprentice with both Ronnie Earl and Monster Mike Welch, jam with Bob Margolin and Pinetop Perkins while gigging regularly with Ron Levy and Per Hanson. Barrett Anderson, without aid of a car-magnates bankroll and finances, has shared the stage with some of the best in contemporary blues. The stories he shared in his recent run of 'In His Own Words' features are impressive. More impressive is how these greats have inspired Barrett's playing. He may have shared the stage with great bluesmen, but when fronting his own band and playing his own music, he is his own man.

The Long FAll opens with 'Not Your Baby,' a slow-burning blues rock. Anderson's mix of singing and spoken lyrics over the groove detail a late night carnal tale that could only happen well past last call. Showing every bit their own musical pedigrees, Levy and Hanson are content to help propel the track rather than overplay.

On 'Mile Wid Wind' the listener is treated to a raucous barn burner of a track. At a brisk three minutes and five seconds Anderson and company bring the listener aboard the musical train and quickly pick up tempo. With its infectious groove 'Mile Wide Wind' is best enjoyed at high volumes and repeated listenings.

And what blues rock release would be complete without a love song? On 'Peace I Need,' thankfully Anderson proves his talent to surpass his chronological years. Rather than a hackneyed cliche filled love song, 'Peace I Need' goes in a different direction detailing a summertime encounter that became a lifelong committment. - Boston Blues Society

We're just now hearing the solo album, released late in 2007, by guitarist Barrett Anderson. Once a member of Ronnie Earl's Broadcasters, Anderson took an unpredictable turn when he headed to MIssissippi in search of the deepest blues. The results are heard on the Jimbo Mathus-produced All The Way Down, a raw set heavy on Delta and Hill Country blues. "Woke This Morning," a minor-key instrumental, introduces a jazzy guitar figure not unlike the melody of "Summertime," then moves into jagged soloing, with lots of room sound (how far away from the microphone was that piano, anyway?) and atmospheric reverb. Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" is here, in a wonderfully crude take. The Chicago style is heard in "Red's," a churning instrumental built on the "Killin' Floor" motif.
-Tom Hyslop - Blues Revue Magazine, July 2010

Quote from music critic Ted Drozdowski - Ted Drozdowski, 2008

We're just now hearing the solo album, released late in 2007, by guitarist Barrett Anderson. Once a member of Ronnie Earl's Broadcasters, Anderson took an unpredictable turn when he headed to MIssissippi in search of the deepest blues. The results are heard on the Jimbo Mathus-produced All The Way Down, a raw set heavy on Delta and Hill Country blues. "Woke This Morning," a minor-key instrumental, introduces a jazzy guitar figure not unlike the melody of "Summertime," then moves into jagged soloing, with lots of room sound (how far away from the microphone was that piano, anyway?) and atmospheric reverb. Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" is here, in a wonderfully crude take. The Chicago style is heard in "Red's," a churning instrumental built on the "Killin' Floor" motif.
-Tom Hyslop - Blues Revue Magazine, July 2010