A true music legend, and one of the most famous “Brothers” in Rock and Roll history is on tour this summer. Rock Hall of Famer Gregg Allman is touring with his own band while the Allman Brothers prepare for their final run in October.
Gregg’s Band
Of course, most people know Allman as the husky throated leader of The Allman Brothers Band. But he’s toured with his own band for years, and he’s excited to get on the road.
“It’s a smokin’ bunch, no doubt about that. I’m really happy with our sound, and our shows are just kick-ass, man,” explained Allman.
In an interview with GoLocalProv, Allman shared a little bit about his band, which includes veterans and some newcomers.
“We added a horn section a few months back, and man, do they make things jump! We’ve got a nice mixture of guys who have been with me for a while now – Scott Sharrard on guitar, Steve Potts on drums and Jay Collins on sax – and the new folks, who are Ron Johnson on bass and Peter Levin on keys, while Dennis Marion and Art Edmaiston have joined Jay in the horn section. We’ve also got Marc Quinones on percussion… on loan from the Allman Brothers.”
The Jam Band Sound
Like many artists, Allman’s not a big fan of the industry practice of labelling bands by genre. In interviews, he’s noted his disdain for the “Southern Rock” tag the Allman Brothers were given in the 1970s. In recent years though, many improvisational “Jam Bands” have cited the Brothers as a main influence.
Allman explains, “from the beginning, I’ve told people that the Allman Brothers are a band that jams; now the term “jam band” is everywhere, and there are plenty of groups that play in the same way we do, and I’m cool with that.”
Blues to the Core
In addition to the usual Blues classics like “Statesboro Blues,” “Stormy Monday” and “One Way Out,” Allman’s recent shows have included a mix of his own tunes, as well as songs from the Allman Brothers Band. He describes how the two bands differ:
“Two completely different animals there, brother. The thing about my band is there is only one cook in the kitchen, you know what I mean? With the Allman Brothers, there’s a lot of ideas, and that can get complicated at times.”
A “New” Album
This week marks the release of a comprehensive 6 CD box set of the Allman Brothers classic album, Live at the Fillmore East. “That’s as good as we ever played,” noted Allman. Other memorable shows included “all those great venues … like the Boston Tea Party and the Warehouse in New Orleans. We were like the house band at the Warehouse, man! More recently, I’d say the Beacon run in 2009 was something special; every night was off the charts, and all the guests we had made it so much fun.”
Calling it Quits
As the Allman Brothers Band prepares to end their 45 year run, Gregg is genuinely proud of what they’ve accomplished. “I can honestly tell you that the last 15 years or so with the current line-up have been just smokin’, man. I think my brother would be pleased with what we’ve done.”
In fact, Allman recalls his late brother Duane, one of the greatest guitarists of all time, as his most important musical influence.
“The biggest influence on my music came from my brother, and it had nothing to do with singing or playing. See, my brother truly believed in me before I did, and without him pushing me, I never would have made it.”
Note: A version of this interview was originally published on GoLocalProv, Rhode Island’s leading online only news and arts site. Ken Abrams review Roots, Rock and Blues. E-mail him at mrabrams@aol.com.
