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Pete Anderson
Anderson's 2009 Blues CD "Even Things Up"

by: Miles Overn

Leave it to Pete Anderson to cut it way back to the simplest of band formats – a trio, pen a slew of finely crafted vocal tunes and instrumentals, lay down the kind of groove you need a tow truck to get out of, and then top it off by never overplaying the tune while soloing. Anderson is a musicians’ musician and a producers’ producer. “Even Things Up” reminds us that he is also a wonderful artist in his own right.

This CD, his fifth under his own name, reveals something that previously was only hinted at. Pete Anderson loves the blues, and he can play ‘em too! While he has included other blues tunes on previous CDs, “Even Things Up” is a blues album from start to finish. His vocals on this offering are strong, perhaps his strongest to date, fully capturing the essence of the blues while revealing his own heart and where he comes from musically and emotionally. His playing likewise honors the blues tradition but still includes the type of twists and turns of phrases that have marked Anderson’s entire career. Just when you wonder where he’s going with something, he resolves it in a manner that makes you go “of course” and then “damn, that was sweet”.

Whether he is crunching out rhythm parts, providing fills, or taking solos, Anderson’s tone and dynamics relegate note selection and phrasing to their proper places..... all aspects of his playing that become shades and hues in the kind of a palette that allows a master to create a masterpiece. Anderson solos with better time than many rhythm players ply their trade, and the interplay with keyboardist Michael Murphy throughout is infectious.

Murphy provides classic Hammond organ, electric piano, accordion, and key bass parts throughout as well as taking the lead vocal on his own “Room With A View”, the only song in this collection not written by Anderson. Herman Matthews and Jeff Donovan share the drumming duties across the various tracks, with Anderson himself sitting behind the kit for one tune, “Stop Me”.

“Still In Love”, “Wes’ Side Blues”, “Blue Guitar” and “Even Things Up” are all instantly likeable and somehow manage to stand out on a genuinely standout CD.

A blend of simplicity and sophistication, this CD is masterfully understated, gorgeously produced, and a true pleasure to listen too. Anderson’s playing is so tasteful and emotive, and the band grooves so sweetly that you won’t want to take this one out of your player. It will, however, have you returning often to his website to find out when he’s going to tour in support of it. This reviewer, for one, would love to see him stretch out on these tunes

Pete Anderson


Pete Anderson, along with being one of the top producers on the planet and heading up Little Dog Records, is simply one very complete guitarist.

Blessed with an incredible sense of time and an uncanny ability to groove even when soloing, Anderson adds to that gorgeous tone, often unusual but always musical note selection and phrasing, and an other worldy knack of delivering it all with total authenticity.




Partial Discography:

Even Things Up
2009
Live At Ohio University Bootleg
2004
Daredevil
2004
Dogs In Heaven
1997
Working Class
1994

Partial Gigs List:



Miles Overn

Miles Overn has been writing about music and musicians for close to 30 years. He has attended hundreds of concerts all over the world and has also photographed many of the world's top artists.



Other reviews by Miles Overn

Van Halen's 2012 Release A Different Kind of Truth
Plant's Band Of Joy Masterfully Nuanced
Satriani's 2010 "Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards"
Joey + Rory's 2010 Release "Album Number 2"
Yanofsky's 2010 "Nikki"
Pace Jr's "Because of You"
Buble's 2009 Release "Crazy Love"
Anderson's 2009 Blues CD "Even Things Up"
Wooten's 2008 Release "Palmystery"
Abercrombie's 1985 Masterpiece "Current Events"
Di Meola's "Consequence of Chaos"
Anderson's 1997 "Dogs In Heaven"



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