OFF: Allman Brothers Band

[Paul Mather]

On Mon, 6 Aug 2001, Ted Jackson wrote:

=> > Just got back from catching three Allman Brothers Band/Phil & Friends
=> > shows.  I hope the rest of the venues they're playing have their fire
=> > insurance paid up, because the boys are burning up the stage!...
=> >
=> Whoa, too much!  Who's on guit. for ABB these days, Warren and
=> Derek?

Yes, the very same.  The Brothers have never sounded better!  The extra
possibilities opened up by having two lead slide players just have to be
heard.  They rotate the lead slide parts on a show-by-show basis, and
I'm sure that keeps both Warren and Derek on their toes.  I heard a
breathtaking "Soulshine" where the lead trading was so frequent and
seamless in the solo that you couldn't pick it out except to watch it
happen on the stage.  Truly magical!  Jimmy Herring also guested on an
insane "Southbound" in Raleigh which featured four (count 'em!)
percussionists.  Derek smoked the solo on "'Liz Reed" in Charlotte.  He
had the crowd as fired up as I've seen them.  Then poor Gregg had to
follow it on the B3.  I wouldn't have liked to have been in his shoes,
let me tell you.  But, Warren brought everything back when he took his
solo after Gregg.  Charlotte was the best of the three nights, with
Raleigh running a fairly close second.

Catch this band if they come your way.  They really are on fire.

(Phil and Friends are great, too.)

BTW, Warren really must be the hardest working man in showbusiness now,
playing a full set with the Allmans *and* a full set with Phil and
Friends the same night.  Does he ever rest?????

Oh, and Theo, look for the new Gov't Mule album to appear, too.  Part 1
is due out in October now.  It features a guest list that reads like a
Who's Who of the music business.  Gov't Mule must have the hardest
working management in showbusiness to pull off a logistical nightmare
like that!


Cheers,

Paul.

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production
 deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."
        --- Frank Vincent Zappa