Middleburg Eccentric
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June 22 ~ July 27, 2017 Page 39
Del Yeah! In Unison
W
Steve Chase
e lost Gregg Allman a few weeks back; it was a huge blow to American music and a body slam to fans of the Allman Brothers. The shockwaves, in the form of dozens of tributes that are still crashing across the Internet, only increase the great legacy of his music--Allman’s spectacular voice is one of the most iconic of the entire rock genre. Early songs like Midnight Rider, Black Hearted Woman, Hot ‘Lanta, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Dreams and the stellar Whipping Post are branded into our musical psyche, as is the trio of masterpiece Allman Brother albums: Idlewild South, At Fillmore East, and Eat a Peach. The Allman Brothers formed in Florida in 1968 when Duane Allman called his brother and asked him to join a new band he was putting together. They soon moved to Macon, Georgia, to begin intensive rehearsals and songwriting. The first albums, while excellent, did not sell well. Their live shows, however, were toprated, bringing in more and more people as the word spread. Deciding to focus on this strength, the band released the seminal live album, At Fillmore East, in 1971 -- and with that, their popularity exploded, and they were established as the first blues/rock/jazz “jam band” a couple of decades before that term was coined. The album revealed the live energy and unique sound of the Allman Brothers Band that featured the interplay of two lead guitarists, great songwriting, and furious improvisation—some hail it as the greatest live rock album of them all. Tragedy struck soon after when Duane Allman’s motorcycle hit a truck hauling peaches, killing him. Their bassist Barry Oakley, devastated by Duane’s death, was later killed in a motorcycle accident as well. The next album, Eat a Peach, was a combination studio and live album, featuring some of their most beloved compositions, including Melissa, Blue Sky, and Mountain Jam. At the same time, Gregg Allman released a solo album, Laid Back, considered by many to be a solo masterpiece that hallmarked Allman’s remarkable voice and song writing skills. The Allman Brother’s Band
continued to evolve over the decades, with lackluster albums, infighting, alcohol and substance abuse, personnel changes, and other problems. Many great musicians were in the band over the years, including founding member Dicky Betts, who wrote a number of their greatest songs; the talented but unknown bassist Allen Woody; and the great keyboardist Chuck Leavell, founder of the band Sea Level, and a later member of The Rolling Stones. The band experienced a renaissance around the millennium when the young guitarist Warren Haynes joined the band, and they set up residence runs at the extraordinary Beacon Theater in New York City. I attended one of those shows in 2009, and it was remarkable with the dual guitars of Derek Trucks and Haynes, the continued presence of Butch Trucks and Jaimoe on drums, all tied together by Gregg Allman’s road-burnished voice. You can purchase many of these shows at www.munck-music.com. There have also been some excellent re-releases that provide myriad unheard material from the early days, including expanded “deluxe” versions of The Allman Brothers, Idlewild South, the At Fillmore East albums, and a release of all of the Fillmore East recordings, a six-disc Fillmore extravaganza. Also of note, was remarkable, Hittin’ the Note, released in 2004, which broke their long streak of lackluster studio albums. This album featured some of the best songs to come out since the seventies. Warren Haynes co-wrote the music with Gregg Allman, and tunes like the powerhouse Desdemona and the acoustic ballad, Old Before My Time are as good as they get. We should celebrate the remarkable musical songbook that Gregg Allman created, music that will persist long into the future. My summer musical prescription for you is to go out on the back porch with your beverage of choice, fire up the grill, and throw on the At Fillmore East Deluxe album. Turn it up and be engulfed by the very best. I have put together a playlist of some of my favorite Gregg Allman/Allman Brothers tunes, listen to it on Spotify at tinyurl.com/ybps83b9 and don’t forget to follow me on Spotify.
to our July Mixer Tuesday, July 11 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hosted by Goodstone Inn 36205 Snake Hill Road Middleburg
NOW serving the Middleburg Community!
www.mbecc.com
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