Alan Paul's Blog, page 18

Gregg Allman announces winter dates

Photo – Derek McCabe

Gregg Allman has announced a winter tour. He’ll have about six weeks off after is ten-night residency at City Winery in New York, which will be his first extended run of band shows since July, when he left the road to get well after suffering with pneumonia. Allman will return with a pair of New Year’s shows near his home at Savannah, GA’s Lucas Theatre for the Arts. He’ll then tour the South hard, finishing up with four nights at Macon’s Grand Opera House January 17-21.

More info and direct link to buy tickets here.

This past Saturday Gregg played his first band show since July, headlining the Atlanta stop for his Laid Back Festival at Lakewood Amphitheater, which also featured ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, Michelle Malone, Mother’s Finest, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, Gabriel Kelley and Stonerider.

November 6 New York, NY—City Winery

November 7 New York, NY—City Winery

November 9 New York, NY—City Winery

November 10 New York, NY—City Winery

November 11 New York, NY—City Winery

November 13 New York, NY—City Winery

November 14 New York, NY—City Winery

November 16 New York, NY—City Winery

November 17 New York, NY—City Winery

November 18 New York, NY—City Winery

December 30 Savannah, GA—Luca Theatre For The Arts

December 31 Savannah, GA—Luca Theatre For The Arts

January 3 Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

January 4 Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

January 6 Biloxi, MS—Beau Rivage Casino

January 7 Lake Charles, LA—Golden Nugget Lake Charles

January 10 Birmingham, AL—Iron City

January 11 Birmingham, AL—Iron City

January 13 Robinsonville, MS—Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino

January 14 Chattanooga, TN—Tivoli Theatre

January 17 Macon, GA—The Grand Opera House

January 18 Macon, GA—The Grand Opera House

January 20 Macon, GA—The Grand Opera House

January 21 Macon, GA—The Grand Opera House

Duane Allman’s Three Beloved Les Pauls Reunited Onstage for the Allman Brothers’ Final Stand

Photo – Cree Lyndon

Duane Allman had three primary Les Pauls during his time with the Allman Brothers Band.

The 1957 goldtop he played on the band’s first two albums as well as most of the Derek and the Dominos Layla sessions has been on display at the Big House Museum in Macon, Georgia.

The other two Les Pauls, a 1959 cherry burst and a 1958 or 1959 dark burst, are owned by Duane’s daughter Galadrielle and have long been on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. She made sure that both guitars made it to the Beacon, along with Duane’s goldtop, for the Allman Brothers Band’s final performances this past October.

“I’ve always wanted to see them play the guitars, knowing that it would be amazing for everyone,” Galadrielle says. “It’s a daunting thing to try to imagine these fragile and valuable things out in the world, and it had to be the right time and place.”

The guitars’ histories are long and varied. In September 1970, Duane traded the goldtop for the cherry burst after swapping the pickups between the instruments. The cherry burst became his primary guitar, heard on At Fillmore East. In June 1971, guitar dealer Kurt Linhof sold Duane the dark burst, which became his main guitar until his death on October 29, 1971.

According to Galadrielle’s moving memoir, Please Be with Me: A Song for My Father, Duane Allman, Duane Allman, her mother Donna took the cherryburst from Duane’s apartment after his death and soon lent it to a musician friend—who had introduced Duane and Donna. She asked him to return it when her daughter was 21.

Gregg had the darkburst, but the band’s road manager Twiggs Lyndon was worried about its fate. A classic car aficionado, Lyndon traded Gregg a 1939 Ford Opera coupe for the guitar, determined to hold it for Galadrielle until she was “old enough not to give it to the first guitar player she dated.” He took the guitar on tour with the Dixie Dregs, and it was on the road with him and band when Lyndon died in a skydiving accident in 1979.

Dregs guitarist Steve Morse safeguarded the guitar for over a decade, recording several tracks with it. On April 2, 1990, Twiggs’ brother Skoots Lyndon met Donna Allman at Duane’s Macon grave and presented her with the guitar for her daughter.

Fittingly, it was Skoots who traveled to Cleveland to transport the guitars to New York, guarding them with the expected vigilance. After decades behind glass, both guitars were not in playable shape. Lyndon, who is on the Deep Purple crew, asked Morse guitar tech Tommy Alderson to prep the guitars. He began working on them at 10:30 at night on an ironing boarding in room 805 of the Millburn Hotel, pronouncing them done at about three in the morning.

Photo by Kirk West

“I kept it really simple because they are very fragile,” Alderson says. “I cleaned the pots real good and got the intonation as right on as you can get with flattened frets. I flattened the necks with the truss rod so I could measure and set the bridge so it didn’t buzz or fret out.”

Alderson was struck in particular by the pickup setup on the cherry burst. “They are set different than anything I’ve ever encountered,” he says, “dropped down a fair amount below the pickup ring. The pickup pole adjustments had the screws turned up so they would pick up the signal. Also unusual, the bridge pickup is a lot weaker than the neck pickup. I plugged it in and put it in the middle, and it was the ‘One Way Out’ sound. It was just crazy to hear.”

The guitars’ unique sounds were apparent the moment Haynes and Trucks played them.

“You plug them in and the sound of Duane is unmistakable,” Haynes says.

“The sound is so distinct and powerful,” adds Derek Trucks. “There was definitely some extra spirit in the room. At one point, [his uncle, drummer] Butch looked down, saw I was playing Duane’s goldtop and was really struck.”

“It was during ‘Dreams,’ ” Butch recalls. “And seeing and hearing Derek play the solo on the guitar Duane used was very emotional.”

Two years ago today – the Allman Brothers band’s final show

Two years ago today, the Allman Brothers Band played their final show at the Beacon Theatre. You can order a CD of the final show right here.

I covered the final shows every which way, posting on Facebook, covering immediately for Billboard, with a story I had to get up and write with about two hours sleep,  and writing the following story for Guitar World. The paperback edition of One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band includes a full chapter on the tumultuous final year. It includes some of this material, and so much more. Click to order. If you want a signed copy, just drop me a line. Enjoy the story. Still emotional for me to read this!

The final bow – Kirk West

The Allman Brothers Band closed out their 45-year Hall of Fame career with six shows at New York’s Beacon Theater, October 21-28. The group’s final year was dogged by controversy. Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes announced in January they would no longer tour with the group after this year, but also said it had been a band decision, Gregg Allman and drummer Butch Trucks sent mixed signals about whether the band was really retiring. The group had to postpone four March shows at the Beacon when Gregg was physically unable to perform, and the singer also had to cancel a host of solo dates.

Yet things seemed calm as they entered the run of final shows. On the eve of the run’s first show, just before a final rehearsal on the Beacon stage, Gregg Allman stood in the theater’s lobby and seemed quite at peace with the band’s decision.

“It’s been 45 years,” he said. “I think that’s about enough.”

He also said that the group had decided not to have any of the guests who have become a Beacon staple: “There’s only six shows left and we’re going to go out with just the seven band members.”

On opening night, the theater was filled with an air of anticipation and reverence, a step beyond the normal excitement that has always met the band at the Beacon, where they have sold out 238 shows since 1989. They closed the first set with “You Don’t Love Me.” Before applause could swell, Haynes played a plaintive, almost mournful lick, which revealed itself as the melody of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Derek Trucks responded with a sacred slide wail, Gregg’s churchy organ fell in with them, and the whole band swooped in for a breathtaking instrumental version of the traditional American song of mourning, which always played a special role in the Allman Brothers and which the group played at Duane Allman’s funeral.

The next night, the guitarists again started an instrumental “Circle,” this time offering up a more jagged, aggressive reading in the jammed out coda of “Black Hearted Woman.”

Derek McCabe photo

Before the third show, on Friday October 24, Duane’s two Gibson Les Pauls, a cherrytop and darkburst, arrived from the Rock and Roll of Fame. (See accompanying story.) They joined the 1957 Les Paul which Derek had been intermittently playing since the first show, marking the first time Duane’s three primary guitars were all together, and their presence seemed to animate the band, who played their best show since the 40th anniversary performance of March 26, 2009. The surge of energy was testament to the remarkable power Duane exerted on the Allman Brothers Band until the very end. Trucks and Haynes’ playing took on more urgency. The two moved closer together, leaning in to better hear and respond to each note.  The drummers hit with more force. Gregg Allman was fully, absolutely present, and singing with extra power and precise phrasing.

“Those guitars were inspiring to play,” says Haynes. “They are not in the greatest shape after not being played for so long, but the sound is unreal. The tone they generate is so remarkable and distinctive; it is the sound of Duane.”

During Friday’s show-ending “Whipping Post” encore, the band stopped on a dime and went into “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” again, but this time Gregg sang it, a mournful, haunting lament that led right back into the finale of  “Whipping Post.” The band was flying at a very high altitude.

The Allman Brothers mostly maintained this level for two more nights, with instrumental versions of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” inserted into “Jessica” and “Les Brers in A Minor,” respectively. That left one final show, on Tuesday, October 28th.  Grandiose rumors circulated: They would play four sets. They would play until sunrise, just like at the Fillmore East. They would play an hour-long “Mountain Jam.” All the hyperbole turned out to be just a slight exaggeration.

From the first notes, it was clear this was going to be a special night. The reverential, ecstatic crowd was hanging on every note, each of which was played with intent and focus. It suddenly seemed likely that the band could actually pull off Derek Trucks’ desire to go out on top of their game.

The band kicked off with a brief reading of the instrumental “Little Martha,” transitioning into a “Mountain Jam” that was little more than a tease, then launching into the first songs from their first album, “Don’t Want You No More” and “Not My Cross to Bear.”

Butch Trucks summoned the old freight train power that drove the band to their greatest heights. Jaimoe complemented his partner’s fury with swinging accents and added power. Percussionist Marc Quinones heaped coal into the furnace. Gregg Allman sang as well as he has in years, while his organ seasoned every song. The frontline of Haynes, Trucks and Oteil Burbridge pushed one another higher in an endless conversation of push-pull rhythms and interwoven parts.

“I had a good feeling from the very first night,” says Derek Trucks. “But It wasn’t really until the show started on the last night that everything seemed to fall into place and we all knew this had the potential to really become something special.”

The show largely leaned on Duane-era material, plus three songs recorded after Duane’s death but closely associated with him: “Melissa,” and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” which were both played at his funeral, and “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” which Gregg wrote in response to his brother’s death. A Haynes-sung “Blue Sky” paid unspoken tribute to founding guitarist Dickey Betts, who has not performed with the band since 2000. The only late-era song in the playlist, interestingly, was “The High Cost of Low Living.”

Derek, Duane’s goldtop. Photo- Derek McCabe

When the show ticked past midnight, the Allman Brothers were wrapping up their career on October 29, the 43rd anniversary of Duane’s death.  They played an extended version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” wrapped in the middle of a massive “Mountain Jam.”

After an encore of a high energy “Whipping Post” the band walked to center stage as the Beacon shook with applause. It was startling to see the seven members together, arm in arm, waving and bowing, because the Allman Brothers have never been a group bow type of band. Gregg has gone whole Beacon runs without saying much more than “thank y’all,” but he took the mic and offered some eloquent words of thanks and reflection. Then he said that they would close out with the first song they ever played together. Every hardcore in the audience and there went; many there who didn’t meet that description- knew what was coming next: the band’s reinterpretation of Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More.”

The whole audience sang along, leaning forward so much that it felt like the theater might tip over backwards. When the song ended, no one on stage seemed to know what to do, lingering by their instruments. Butch and Jaimoe thrust their arms in the air in triumph. Gregg stood and waved. Haynes and Burbridge embraced. Quinones walked to the front and handed drumsticks to the crowd.

The crowd remained in their seats as a slide show of the band’s history, heavy on Duane and Berry Oakley, rolled on screen to the recorded strains of the lilting instrumental “Little Martha.” It was Duane’s only composition, the notes of which decorate his gravestone. It was also the tune that began this night four and a half hours earlier. The circle was complete, unbroken.

“I think the one thing everyone who was in that room could agree on is the night happened exactly as it should have,” says Derek Trucks. “There was something really honest and pure and it was a bonafied moment, which don’t happen too often on Planet Earth.”

Jaimoe played the shows the highest Allman Brothers compliment, saying the spirit, energy, musicianship and tireless flow reminded him of the original band, that elusive gold standard every other iteration has been chasing like a ghost since 1971.

“Those dates were a lot like the original six,” he said. “We could have kept playing more nights.”

The final bow – Photo – Derek McCabe

The Guitar World Inquirer with Susan Tedeschi

I had forgotten that I interviewed Susan Tedeschi for Guitar World in 2000! Here you go. 

Blues singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi was nominated for the Best new Artist Grammy, alongside the likes of Britney Spears and Kid Rock. Her second album Just Won’t Burn (Tone Cool) came out in February, 1998 and has slowly gained momentum thanks to relentless touring and glowing word-of-mouth buzz.

Who or what inspired you to play guitar?

Freddie King and Magic Sam and local Boston players Ronnie Earl, Paul Rishell and Tim Gearan. I went to the Berklee School of Music for voice and piano, then got into blues and got inspired by those guys and decided to start playing electric guitar. I had played acoustic when I was younger so I was familiar with basic chord shapes and progressions.

What’s the one piece of gear you couldn’t live without?

My ’64 Fender Deluxe Reverb.

Do you have any fashion tips to impart?

Don’t wear mini skirts on tall stages. I did that once and saw a few pictures show up later.

When your record came out two years ago, you probably couldn’t have imagined that it would do so well or last so long. What has been the most pleasant surprise?

The whole thing, but it all starts with radio support. That was a big, wonderful surprise and it triggered everything else. Suddenly, I’d show up in Boise, Idaho and have 1,000 people there. And that led to all the great tours I got to be on: with Dylan, the Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, John Mellencamp, Sarah McLaughlin, the Dixie Chicks. I’ve opened and/or played with all of them and it’s been truly great.

Has your success shown that the popularity of blues is under-estimated?

Definitely, and jazz is, too. It’s just that the way the industry and the marketing are, they are never in the mainstream. But a lot of people love a lot of music which is deeply influenced by the blues whether they know it or not –everything from the Beatles and Stones to Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. I think people are more connected to this music than they realize, so it’s actually an easy connection to make. People always tell me, “I never liked blues before I heard you” and that can only mean they didn’t hear the right stuff. That’s why my career is not just all about me, me, me. I like to educate people about my singing heroes like Big Mama Thornton and Mahalia Jackson and my guitar heroes, like Johnny “Guitar” Watson, B.B. King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy. I just wish I could play like them!

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington plays Duane Allman’s Les Paul

Gary with Duane’s goldtop. Photo – Richard Brent

I interviewed Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington last week for an upcoming Guitar World story. Just a few nights prior he had played Duane Allman’s 1957 Les Paul goldtop, courtesy of Richard Brent and my friends at the Big House Museum and he was so excited.

“I was so honored that the nice people form the Allman Brothers museum brought it to me. Just playing it backstage was a thrill and an honor, and then they asked me if I wanted to play it onstage.  So I played it on the last three songs of the show and it was just great. It’s just real warm and good sounding and had a real vibe to it. It was magical, actually. Magically! It was a real honor for me.

“The last time I went to the Hall of Fame in Cleveland, my 59 Les Paul Bernice hanging right there next to another one of Duane’s guitar – his sunburst. They were the first two things you saw when you walked in the Hall and seeing that was an incredible honor. Duane was my first and greatest influence and always will be. There’s no way to describe the impact of being a teen guitar player and standing in front of that guy in Jacksonville.”

Richard Brent sidestage photo of a happy Gary feeling the magic.

Dickey Betts on the term Southern Rock

 

RFK 73 – Photo by John Gellman

Look what I found – an interesting overlooked tidbit from a Dickey Betts interview, circa 1998 or 99.

You didn’t like being called Southern Rock. How do you feel about it now?

Mixed. It is true that we were the first band to sound like we were from the South. We fought tooth and nail to prevent Atlantic Records from moving us out of the South, when they said we’d never make it living in Macon, Georgia, and playing that type of music. They insisted we had to go to New York or L.A., and that they’d break us out of there. Thank God we, along with Phil Walden, our manager, were smart enough to know that that would ruin the band. We stuck with it and stuck with it, and finally got to make a record. Atlantic kept holding off, so we kept touring. Even without a record contract, we developed a strong grass-roots support system that finally impressed the label.

But it wasn’t called “Southern rock” until a lot of bands saw they could succeed by playing the way they were always told that they couldn’t succeed. And other bands came along, like Charlie Daniels and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Then there was a need to call the music something, and somebody tagged it “Southern rock.” I really don’t think there is a need to call it that anymore. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, we’re just a progressive rock band from the South. They don’t call the Black Crowes “Southern rock” just because they’re from Georgia. I’m damned proud of who I am and where I’m from. But I think the title pigeon-holes us a little bit, and forces people to expect certain types of music from us. I’ve seen us referred to as a “Boogie Band,” and I don’t think that’s fair.

Warren Haynes Christmas Jam Lineup Announced

PRESS RELEASE: Warren Haynes’ 28th Annual Christmas Jam returns on December 10,2016 to Asheville, NC’s U.S. Cellular Center. The Jam  brings together the Asheville community with performing artists, volunteers and friends from all over the country to raise funds for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. For the 18thyear in a row, proceeds from the Jam will go toward constructing energy-efficient new houses (33 houses have been built so far with 25 more on the way) as well as purchasing and developing land for entire Habitat subdivisions. To date, more than 2 million dollars has been raised by the Jam for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

This year’s line-up: Gov’t Mule, the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, Michael McDonald, Jamey Johnson + Alison Krauss andThe Last Waltz Band, with the evening’s special guests Branford Marsalis, George Porter Jr., Steve Kimock, Marcus King, Kevn Kinney, Audley Freed, Bob Margolin and Mike Barnes with more to be announced.

The pre-sale including VIP tickets and travel packages begins October 24th.  The public on-sale begins November 1st. For the first time ever, a limited number of reserved seats in the balcony of the arena will be made available, offering a guaranteed seat for the entire 7+ hour show with the flexibility to also go downstairs and enjoy the show on the floor. The floor and the majority of sections upstairs will remain General Admission.

 This year’s Jam-goers can look forward to Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir returning to the Jam stage for the first time in 14 years, while Alison Krauss makes her first-ever Jam appearance, performing with Jamey Johnson and his band, and in addition to his involvement in The Last Waltz Band, Michael McDonald will lead a one-time only Christmas Jam all-star ensemble. Following two sold-out shows at New Orleans’ historic Saenger Theatre during Jazz Fest, The Last Waltz Band will be reuniting for a special third performance. Haynes will lead an all-star band consisting of Michael McDonald, Don Was, John Medeski, Jamey Johnson, Terence Higgins and more as they pay homage to the 40th anniversary of The Band’s legendary 1976 farewell concert. This year’s incredible line-up of artists will come together for an electrifying night of music that promises to deliver more unique pairings and unforgettable musical moments than ever before.

In addition to the main event, there will be numerous daytime activities for guests to take in. “Xmas Jam By Day” concerts will take the Asheville Music Hall and One Stop and feature special collaborations alongside some of the best local musicians. The annual art show will be held at the Satellite Gallery and feature some of the best photography and poster-art in music. Attendees will also have the opportunity to give back during the annual “Before The Jam, Lend A Hand” event where fans, staff and artists come together and volunteer to help build the houses made possible by Christmas Jam donations.

Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Liz Reed”

Photo – Marc Millman Photography. 10/5/16, Beacon Theatre

Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi All Stars joined Derek Trucks and the Tedeschi Trucks Bands last night at the Beacon for a three-song encore, concluding with the Allman Brothers Band’s 1970 instrumental “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Check it out below… video and photo above both by Marc Millman.

It’s an amazing testament to the genius of Dickey Betts and the original ABB that in 2016 no one has come close to topping their almost-50-year-old instrumentals! I think Derek needs to record a guitar album working with people like Luther Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring… even Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. I want to hear him keep stretching and being pushed and prodded by other alpha soloists. Enjoy!

Stream Marcus King Band New Release

Photo – Eric Gettler

The Marcus King Band has released their second album – which is their first non-DIY effort – and it’s damn good. Well, i think so anyhow and you can stream three tracks below and make your own decisions.

The album was produced by King’s mentor Warren Haynes and features Warren on one track (“Virginia”) and Derek Trucks on another (“Self Hatred”). But the real story here is not the special guests but the special growth. When I first saw Marcus two years ago doing a showcase show at Haynes’ annual Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC, he was clearly a very strong player mature beyond his 18 years. But he was also somewhat one dimensional. The growth he’s displayed in two years is remarkable.

The Marcus King Band album is really well rounded and he utilizes the full ensemble, including Hammond B3 organ and two-man horn section, to great effect. I interviewed Marcus for an upcoming story in Guitar World. Stay tuned for that, and enjoy the album. If you like it, support the band by purchasing a CD, download or some merch… and go see them live.

Marcus is only 20 years old and it’s very easy to see why Warren has taken him under his wing. Stay tuned.

The Marcus King Band on Tour:

10/5 – Boston, MA – Great Scott’s

10/6 – Bay Shore, NY – YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts

10/8 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern

10/14 – Evans, GA – Columbia County Ampitheater

10/15 – Greenville, SC – Fall For Greenville

Marcus King Band w/ Eric Krasno. Photo – Eric Gettler

Gregg Allman returns to the stage

Photo by Marc Millman – City Winery 2015

Last night at Red Rocks Gregg Allman returned tot he stage for the first time since cancelling a number of shows after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He played an abbreviated acoustic set with guitarist Scott Sharrard. It was part of Gregg’s Laid back Festival, which also included performances by  ZZ Top, Richie Furay Band, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band and others.

Gregg  played “Whipping Post,” “Midnight Rider,” “Melissa,” “One Way Out,” Muddy Waters’ “I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love,”and “These Days.” Gregg’s next scheduled shows are at the Atlanta  Laid Back Festival on October 29 and a November residency at City Winery in New York City. I’ll be at a bunch of those.

How did Gregg sound? Judge for yourself. Years ago, I tried to push an acoustic tour with just Gregg and Warren. I love him in this setting.Thanks to Jeremiah Rogers, whom I do not know, for capturing these videos.

MIDNIGHT RIDER

WHIPPING POST

MELISSA

THESE DAYS