Patterson Barrett
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Patterson Barrett | |
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| Add a Photo Patterson Barrett performing in concert | |
| Birth name | Patterson Hall Barrett |
| Born | October 12, 1953 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | Country, Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Songwriter, Engineer, Producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, Steel Guitar, Dobro |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Labels | MCA Records, So'Fish Records |
| Associated acts | Jerry Jeff Walker, Deborah Holland, Animal Logic |
| Website | pattersonbarrett |
Patterson Hall Barrett (born October 12, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer. He is an Americana musician active in the development of the progressive country music scene in Austin, TX. [1]
Early Life and Career
Barrett was born in Washington D.C. where his father Richard W. Barrett worked for the State Department and the Bicentennial Commission. He began playing cornet at the age of 10, and piano soon after. At age 12, he adopted a guitar that had been given to his older brother. In his teen years his father gifted him with his first pedal steel guitar. Later he added mandolin, dobro, and bass guitar to his repertoire.
In 1968, Barrett’s family left the Maryland suburbs and moved to Manhattan where his father joined The Rockefeller Foundation and Barrett attended The New Lincoln School. There he became friends and recorded as a duo with classmate Deborah Holland. Holland would go on to become a member of bands including Animal Logic and enjoy a busy solo career. Barrett has contributed to many of Holland’s recordings.
After graduating from high school in 1971, Barrett answered an ad in the Village Voice and joined the band Dufine, who were living on a farm near Hudson, NY. Jerry Jeff Walker, who had recently settled in Austin, TX, was touring in the northeast, and at the suggestion of producer Michael Brovsky, spent a long weekend at the Dufine farm jamming with the band. Walker subsequently enlisted the band to help with the completion of his first MCA album Jerry Jeff Walker, recording additional tracks with them at Soundtek studio in New York. [2] [3]
This album, which included the Guy Clarke composition “L.A. Freeway” reached no. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 18 year-old Barrett playing pedal steel guitar, electric guitar and dobro on that and other tracks. [4] [5]
In 1974, after spending two years with Dufine in California, Barrett left the band and relocated to Austin, TX. There he reconnected with Walker and other members of his band. On Walker’s recommendation, he was hired by singer/songwriter and Willie Nelson protégé Dee Moeller, performing with her at the second Willie Nelson’s Fourth Of July Picnic. He celebrated his 21st birthday performing onstage with Moeller at the Armadillo World Headquarters and appeared with her at the 1976 Kerrville Folk Festival.
In the mid-1970s Barrett began forming bands to perform his original songs. The iteration named Partners in Crime included Julie Griffin (nka Julie Miller) and Buddy Miller. That group released one album, Partners In Crime, on their own label, Criminal Records, in 1978.
Barrett continues to work with the Millers. He has appeared on several of Buddy Millers’ albums and has performed in Millers’ Hardly Strictly Blue Grass and Americana Music Honors & Awards bands. Both Millers have made guest appearances on Barrett’s solo CDs.
In addition to pursuing his solo singer/songwriter career, Barrett continues to work as an in-demand sideman in live and studios sessions with numerous bands. He has been named as one of several “key music business operatives and recording specialists in the ongoing Austin scene. . . instrumental in establishing the singular climate of creativity that welcomed a new generation of singer/songwriters to Austin in the early 1970s.” [6]
1980s and 1990s
Barrett was a member of The Austin All-Stars, a group that began with members of various Austin bands convening weekly at local clubs to sing and play mutually beloved cover songs. Celebrity guests invited to sit in included Sonny Bono, Todd Rundgren, Bruce Willis and many others. The group’s heyday, at Steamboat 1874, a landmark nightclub on Sixth Street (Austin, Texas), stretched from 1980-1987, although they occasionally still play. [7]
In 1980, Al Kooper moved briefly to Austin, where he frequented Steamboat. He enlisted Barrett and three other local musicians to accompany him during his Austin dates, billed as "The Hot Shots."
In 1985, after being impressed by a live radio performance by Hal Ketchum, Barrett approached the singer/songwriter and offered to produce some demo recordings for him. After these recordings were completed, Barrett performed with Ketchum, who eventually moved to Nashville to launch his recording career.
Playing pedal steel, mandolin, and piano, Barrett accompanied Nanci Griffith in her 1985 debut on the Austin City Limits television show (Season 10, episode #1011). [8]
At the 1989 Austin Aqua Festival Barrett joined the fraternity of musicians who backed Chuck Berry as a member of one of the impromptu bands assembled for the singer’s live dates. [9] [10]
Music and Commercial Audio Production
While working on recordings for his own band, Barrett became proficient in audio engineering and music production, and was subsequently hired by other Austin notables. He became a co-owner of the Third Coast Sound studio, and from 1980-2010 worked for The Production Block Studios. Barrett was an early adopter of digital audio recording technology, including Digidesign’s Sound Designer and ProTools programs. [11]
In 1986 after collaborating with Production Block Studio engineer William Harwell on numerous jingles, the Barrett and Harwell Music company was formed. The pair earned several Austin ADDY Awards for their commercial work through the 2000s. Their clients included the San Antonio Spurs and The University of Texas. [12]
From 1993-2007 Barrett worked extensively as a lead audio producer and spoken word director on numerous projects for the educational publisher Holt, Rinehart, Winston (now an imprint of HMH). His company Patterson Barrett Audio Services produced full audio narration for hundreds of the publisher’s education titles.
2000-present
Barrett returned to the ACL tv stage in 1990, playing assorted instruments accompanying Tish Hinojosa (Season 15, episode #1504).
Since 2006, Barrett has hosted an annual tribute to the music of Gram Parsons, who popularized what he termed “Cosmic American music” and whom Barrett cites as one of his greater influences. The Annual Gram Parsons Birthday Hoot assembles an all-star house band and 40 plus invited guest artists to sing songs written by or associated with Parsons. The event’s proceeds are donated to various charitable causes.
In 2011, Barrett began performing with Stephanie Urbina Jones, beginning as guitarist and then adding the responsibilities of music director. In addition to appearing with Jones at national and international festival dates, he has made multiple appearances with her on the Grand Ole Opry. In 2018 he produced her CD Tularosa, a fusion of classic American country and Mariachi music.
In 2014 Barrett made an uncredited acting appearance as a Bluebird Café guitar player on the TV series Nashville, in “I’m Coming Home to You,” Season 3, episode 7. He also provided back up musical performances on the cast soundtrack album The Music of Nashville: Season 3, Volume 2.
In 2016, Barrett was inducted into the Austin Songwriter’s Group “Texas Music Legends Hall Of Fame” along with members of the Lost Austin Band. [13]
Discography and Appearances
Solo
- Dr. Boscoe Plays Name That Tune (single) (1983)
- I Must Be Dreaming (2007)
- When I Was Your Age... (2007)
- Give’em What They Want (2018)
- Who’s Left To Keep the World Turning? (single) (2020)
- I Just Can’t Call It Quits (2023)
Appearances
- Jerry Jeff Walker - Self Titled album (1972)
- Partners in Crime - self titled album (1978)
- Tommy Elskes - King of Dixie (1992)
- Buddy Miller - Your Love and Other Lies (1995)
- The NewMatics - Up Popped Pancho! (2000)
- Denim - The Fifth Sun (2003)
- Lorrie Singer and Bradley Kopp - Walk Tall (2005)
- Deborah Holland - Bad Girl Once (2006)
- The Steady Freddie Five - Tex-Pop (2007)
- Robert McEntee - Coin Of The Realm (2007)
- Denim - Cool Blue Flame (2008)
- Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale - Buddy and Jim (2012)
- Walt Wilkins - Plenty (2012)
- Brian Kalinec - The Fence (2012)
- Gurf Morlix - Gurf Morlix finds The Present Tense (2013)
- Deborah Holland - Vancouver (2013)
- Nashville Cast – The Music Of Nashville: Original Soundtrack (2015)
- Gurf Morlix - Eatin' At Me (2015)
- Well Worn Soles - Country Folk (2015)
- Brian Langlinais - Right Hand Road (2016)
- Stephanie Urbina Jones - Tularosa (2018)
- The Lost Austin Band - Live! (2019)
- Libby Koch - Redemption 10: Live at Blue Rock (2019)
- Buddy and Julie Miller - Lockdown Songs (2020)
- Deborah Holland - Fine, Thank You (2020)
- Craig Marshall - After All (2020)
- Doc Simons - It's Not Over
- Animal Logic - Ordinary/Can You Tell Me
References
- ↑ https://www.vintageguitar.com/3537/patterson-barrett-i-must-be-dreaming/
- ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/image/104585471
- ↑ Walker, Jerry Jeff (1999). Gypsy Songman. Woodford Press, Eraeyville, Ca. p.119. ISBN 9780942627572.
- ↑ https://billboard.elpee.jp/single/L.A. Freeway/Jerry Jeff Walker/
- ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/patterson-barrett-mn0002333087/credits
- ↑ Hillis, Craig Dwight (2011) The Austin Music Scene in the 1970s: Songs and Songwriters. Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin. p. 193
- ↑ Andy Langer, (1999, Sept. 24),“The Boat: When Rock & Roll Was Dangerous,” The Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1999-09-24/74004/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AysAB0fYOMs
- ↑ Blackstock, P. (1989, August 5), “Berry Prepares Little For Big Aqua Fest,” Austin American Statesman. F10. https://www.newspapers.com/image/364121263
- ↑ Duffy, Thom. (2017, March 22), “Musical Collaborators Remember How Chuck Berry Terrorized Them On Stage Musicians remember performing with Chuck Berry.” Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/music/features/chuck-berry-onstage-terrorized-7735728/
- ↑ Greenwald, Ted. Careers without College Music. Peterson’s, Princeton, NJ. 1992. ISBN 1-56079-219-1. Chapter: “Composer/Songwriter, What’s It Really Like.” Patterson Barrett p.33-35.
- ↑ Beets, Greg, (1997, December 19), “A Word From Our Sponsor: Jingles All the Way,” The Austin Chronicle. https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1997-12-19/519277/
- ↑ Austin Songwriters Group. Webpage (2023) “Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame” https://austinsongwritersgroup.com/texas-music-legends-hall-of-fame/
External links
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