Dear Source readers: In this story, I write about another 4/20 celebration happening in Bend. Is this Bend's Christmas? Jokes aside, we have an extra special gift coming our way on Thursday, April 20 on the Midtown Ballroom's stage — a chance to see a true legend in music history, Al Anderson and his group The Original Wailers. For those who might not know Anderson's significance in music history, allow me to clarify. Al Anderson was the first American guitarist of Bob Marley and The Wailers beginning in 1974 on the breakthrough recording of "No Woman No Cry" from the '74 album "Natty Dread."
This was a turning point in the band's journey, accepting an American into the group. Need I explain more on this cosmic connection? I wish I had time to write a novel, because having a casual two-hour phone call with Al Anderson is an experience I will never forget.
Today, The Original Wailers are packing up for a new tour, with Anderson's new brotherhood of musicians spreading Bob Marley's unifying message in Rastafarian music and "one love." The Original Wailers received their own Grammy nomination in 2013 for their album, "Miracle," making it Andersons' second Grammy nomination.
Led by Anderson, The Original Wailers include Chet Samuel (lead vocals / guitar), Omar Lopez (bass guitar), Paapa Nyarkoh (drums) and Noel "Ras Klamper" Aiken (keys) who continue the legacy of Bob Marley & The Wailers' music. The group will perform new songs, such as the latest singles, "Si Tu Me Lo Das" (which translates to "If You Give It To Me I'll Give It Right Back To You") and "Song of the Divine" — which has a music video shot in Bali releasing soon.
"In 2008 I decided to put a group together called The Original Wailers, which was the intent of all the inspiration I got from Peter [Tosh], Bob [Marley] and Bunny [Wailer] and all of these band members from the past. I put all of that in my soul and put it on wax," Anderson said. "Bob told me, 'Write your own songs, man. Don't play all mine. Don't have no guy act like me. You do your own thing. But if you have to play the catalogue, you play it with dignity.'" After its 2023 tour the band plans on getting right back into the studio to work on its next EP.
We crossed many spectrums in our conversation. Early in his career, before meeting Bob Marley, he worked as a tape operator at Island Studios in London. "A tape op cleans the studios, cleans the studio boards, goes and buys weed for the artists," Anderson said. I chuckled. "I learned how to make a proper tea. My teas weren't so good in the beginning." We talked about how he ran away from home in New Jersey at the age of 16 to follow Krishna teachings. From there his journey took him to Boston, where sneaking into Berklee College of Music led to a lifelong friendship with the iconic jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius.
And for you guitar nerds out there, don't worry, I made sure to get the low down.
"There are so many modern guitar builders and pedal makers but they're forgetting about the essence of the old school that really had that sound. I'm trying to recapture that old sound of the '60s and '70s and bring into the 2000s." Anderson favors vintage guitars, amps and boutique custom pedals to help him achieve his signature sound.
If I learned one thing, it's that all of Anderson's stories flow into his musical artistry and the dedication to his eternal craft of guitar playing. He truly uses it to spread a universal message. "I wasn't looking for stardom," stated Anderson. "We aren't a superstar group. Bob Marley and the Wailers were freedom fighters. They went all over the world, preaching Rastafarianism, peace and love — one love. South Africa, Africa, Europe, Brazil. . . we went everywhere saying the same thing over and over and over again."
