Jazz and blues alive at the U

Jazz and blues were on the menu for the Student Union's Live at the U audience Saturday night.

Samantha Farrell and Barrett Anderson, who hail from the small Massachusetts towns of Orange and Petersham respectively took to the stage together, masterfully combining their gift for impassioned serenades and tender harmonies.

Farrell, who grew up listening to jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, got her start with singing in her senior year of high school after having already mastered an impressive 12 instruments. "[Singing] was something I always thought I could do," she admits. "I was just too chicken to do it."

The evident skill of the Bowdoin College graduate caught the ear of LeRoi Moore, the saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band, who eventually became a mentor of sorts and aided in the production of her debut album. Though Moore's passing in 2008 did pose several setbacks, Farrell's debut "Luminous" was released and climbed to the number eight spot on the iTunes charts.

While speaking about the vintage feel she wanted her album to have, Farrell said, "I really wanted it to sound warm. Like something you would hear in the 1970s, just sitting in a room or club listening to music." It is just that kind of intimacy that pervades her music and took hold during the set Saturday.

Farrell soulfully cooed through each track on her album with great control of her voice and an effortless command of her craft. Her voice, perhaps best likened to that of Norah Jones, is at times raspy and at times airy, but always mesmerizing.

The stirring strummings of Anderson's guitar served as the perfect backbone to Farrell's tranquil storytelling. Anderson, who describes his sound as "renegade blues," started playing the guitar in middle school and worked his way up the ranks, eventually scoring the opportunity to tour with blues musician Ronnie Earl, a period he describes as "wonderful."

"It was a great learning experience," he says. "The best learning I've had as a musician has come from playing with other musicians."

The serene blending of these two musicians' styles seemed to create a pleasurable experience for many students.