Long Live the ABB: Conversation from the Crossroads of Southern music, history, and culture with historian Bob Beatty

Long Live the ABB
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Conversation from the Crossroads of Southern music, history, and culture with historian Dr. Bob Beatty, author of 'Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East' www.longlivetheabb.com

  1. Aug 10

    "I came into it because I was born into it" Artistic intent, musical generosity, and Southern cultural inheritance

    Episode overview Jesse Valcich, frontman and guitarist for Asheville’s Strictly Liquid, visits me at the crossroads to discuss influence, intention, the South, and life and musical partnership. Fresh off a week at Roots Rock Revival, our discussion threads the Allman Brothers Band, Phish, the Grateful Dead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Our crossroads We’re Floridians, Orlandoans, guitar players. Each of us is interpreting the musical traditions we’ve inherited, making them our own. Roots Rock Revival has given us another crossroads—as musicians, as friends, and as followers of the muse. A generation apart, we are each inheritors of the Southern musical tradition—from the Allman Brothers Band to the Tedeschi Trucks Band to Col. Bruce and the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Jesse cut his teeth on Phish and the Grateful Dead. And we share something beyond music: the experience of building a life with a woman we love. The conversation Late night Waffle House runs. With no Phish on the jukebox, Jesse’s chief introduction to the Allman Brothers Band was “Jessica.” From there, he sought a deeper understanding of the band’s place in the music he already loved. Roots Rock Revival. This was the impetus for this episode: a conversation about intentionality and the difference between showing up to receive and showing up to give. We talked about arriving with insecurity and leaving with a much stronger sense that music is about giving rather than taking. Finding a musical identity. Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Grateful Dead, and the Hampton Grease Band’s Music to Eat—Jesse talks about how these influences manifest in Strictly Liquid’s sound. Music and companionship. Jesse asked my thoughts on the importance of friendship, love, family, and trust in sustaining a creative life. These relationships—the lovers and bandmates and friends—make art a reciprocal act. This is the goal. To help create a space in the world in which you and those around you are reaching their utmost potential. Strictly Liquid. Website: strictlyliquid.com. Things are much more active on the band’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/strictly.liquid. Their latest album is Music to Drink (link opens to all music services). This episode is brought to you by the paid members of the Conversation from the Crossroads Community. Upgrade now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  2. Aug 5

    “I’ll always be a student first. Always.” Drew Smithers on Duane, Jack Pearson, Marcus King, and the language of music

    Episode overview I first met Drew Smithers in 2014 when my late friend Jules Fothergill came to Nashville to meet and jam with Jack Pearson. Drew was taking lessons from Jack and was on the precipice of a wild ride up the mountain (and later crashing down) with Bishop Gunn. Drew carries Duane’s influence everywhere he goes. Our crossroads Duane, the Allman Brothers, Jack Pearson, guitar, the South, music, fatherhood—Drew and I meet at all of these crossroads. We are fans/students of the music that has shaped our lives professionally and personally. Our conversation Duane Allman, the Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe, and learning from Jack Pearson. This is our deepest connection. Unmentioned here is an amazing validation Drew gave me after he read Play All Night, backstage after a Big Band of Brothers gig with Jaimoe in 2013. Marcus King. In early 2020, right before the pandemic, I said to Drew, “Marcus would be great with a guitar partner.” “Marcus needs to hire me,” he said. That’s exactly what happened. Band dynamics and chemistry. Drew had just left Bishop Gunn when we had that conversation. We didn’t talk in specificity about the band’s implosion, only in the context of what Drew learned from the experience, and how it’s shaped him in Marcus King Band. Honoring the Allman Brothers legacy. This is an important part of Drew’s vibe as a guitarist and a human. He’s done his homework, he knows the importance of the music he carries with him. The South and community. This is a part of every conversation I have. One of my goals here is to carry lessons of goodness into the world. Music is one of the South’s greatest gifts, and I love to celebrate that with the keepers of that flame. Paid members receive previews of new episodes of Conversation from the Crossroads of Southern music, history, and culture. 🍄🍑MERCH🍑🍄 * Jimmy Carter reppin’ the ABB July 4 weekend 1976. * Ad for ABB’s March 1971 run at Fillmore East. Lagniappes Big Band of Brothers “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” 1/27/23 Drew and Lamar Williams Jr. anchoring ABB mini-reunion featuring Jaimoe and Oteil Burbridge Marcus King & Drew Smithers “24 Hours at a Time” 12/21/24This was from one of the coolest venues I’ve ever been to, the Caverns in Pelham, TN 🍄Play All Night! Duane Allman & the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 BUY PLAY ALL NIGHT Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community. 🍄MUSHROOM🍄MAGICIANS🍄 Brent W. Hammond, Craig Stevens, Ken Lupson, Laura McCarty, Steve Marshall 🍑 PEACH 🍑 PALS 🍑 Allen Barnes, Art Dobie, Baileys Mike, Bob and Laura, Bob Johnson, Brent Pruner, Bruce Miles, Buddy Lewis, Cabinetsales, Caroline Doolittle, charlie2541, Chuck Zumwalt, Clifford Morse, Cwktwo, Danbookin, David Manes, Dennis Newton, Denny, DJ Brown, Ed Ashton, Ed Pokorny, F. D., Frank Young, Gary Nagle/Chairman Wonwayout, Gary Smith, Gary Williamson, George Holman, Hlnbkt, Irishbeatz, James Reynolds, James Yerrill, Jason Hecht, Jcsarphie, JD Guitar, Jeff Kushmerek, Jeff Schein, Jerry K, JoaquinDinero, Joe Sokohl, Joel Berger, Joel Tanzer, John Delaney, John Dolan, John Haughey, Jordan David, Joseph Lilly, Kenton Lee, Kevin Harper, Kevin Walker, Kurt Nielsen, Mark Leitner, Martha Haynes, Mike Clark, Patrick McKeary, Peter Poulos, Phillip Page, Preston Root, Randy Woodall, Ray Tillman, Robert Porter, Rose Brandt, Scott Green, sswoger, Stanleyglennie8, Steve Teodeki, Surrender Cobra, Taylor Kropp, Tim Langan (Hot ‘Lanta Tim), Tina Christopher, Tom Pragliola, Tony Dobek, Tony Gioia, Wade McCurdy, Wiszowa This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  3. Jul 26 ·  Bonus

    'Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul' A story of triumph, tragedy, and devotion to music

    Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul is an empathetic portrayal of Gregg Allman as an artist. It’s an unflinching look at his artistry and achievements in the face of tremendous loss and a devastating addiction. What comes through most is Gregg’s devotion to music. Had a chance to chop it up with Adam Choit Adam Choit of the Unofficial Tedeschi Trucks Band podcast and filmmaker Michael Drumm, who’s just shared True Colors, his 2003 ABB documentary, on Facebook. Our main point of discussion was the documentary, but like most conversations I’m involved in, the discussion ranged pretty far afield. We talk everything from ABB history to the myriad ways Derek Trucks carries the legacy forward. Michael called the film not just a great movie about Gregg; it’s “a great Allman Brothers documentary” in how well it highlights the band’s uniqueness—twin lead guitars and dual drummers—and Duane’s leadership in the early days. Adam’s is a TTB podcast so of course we’re gonna talk about what I thought was one glaring omission of the film—that Derek is not among the on-camera interviewees. This is a somewhat minor complaint, but valid given that Derek is legit family and also an ABBsolutely incredible interview. Bringing Derek and TTB into the conversation also gave me a chance to sing his praises. I was in good company. Adam and Michael also love TTB. Tedeschi Trucks Band is where Allman Brothers’ musical DNA lives on through virtuoso players, elite performances, respect for the canon, and an artist’s genuine ability to reinterpret others’ songs. It’s an amazing combination, one I’ve never grown tired of. Upgrade to support Long Live the ABB: Conversation from the Crossroads. Be not selfish in your doings. Pass it on. Until next time. 🍄Play All Night! Duane Allman & the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 BUY PLAY ALL NIGHT Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community. 🍄MUSHROOM🍄MAGICIANS🍄 Brent W. Hammond, Craig Stevens, Ken Lupson, Laura McCarty, Steve Marshall 🍑 PEACH 🍑 PALS 🍑 Allen Barnes, Art Dobie, Baileys Mike, Bob and Laura, Bob Johnson, Brent Pruner, Bruce Miles, Buddy Lewis, Cabinetsales, Caroline Doolittle, charlie2541, Chuck Zumwalt, Clifford Morse, Cwktwo, Danbookin, David Manes, Dennis Newton, Denny, DJ Brown, Ed Ashton, Ed Pokorny, F. D., Frank Young, Gary Nagle/Chairman Wonwayout, Gary Smith, Gary Williamson, George Holman, Hlnbkt, Irishbeatz, James Reynolds, James Yerrill, Jason Hecht, Jcsarphie, JD Guitar, Jeff Kushmerek, Jeff Schein, Jerry K, JoaquinDinero, Joe Sokohl, Joel Berger, Joel Tanzer, John Delaney, John Dolan, John Haughey, Jordan David, Joseph Lilly, Kenton Lee, Kevin Harper, Kevin Walker, Kurt Nielsen, Mark Leitner, Martha Haynes, Mike Clark, Peter Poulos, Phillip Page, Preston Root, Randy Woodall, Ray Tillman, Robert Porter, Rose Brandt, Scott Green, sswoger, Stanleyglennie8, Steve Teodecki, Surrender Cobra, Taylor Kropp, Tim Langan (Hot ‘Lanta Tim), Tina Christopher, Tom Pragliola, Tony Gioia, Wade McCurdy, Wiszowa 🍄🍑MERCH🍑🍄 Jimmy Carter reppin’ the ABB July 4 weekend 1976. Ad for ABB’s March 1971 run at Fillmore East. Here’s the original ad—with Johnny Winter at top of the bill. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  4. Jul 21 ·  Bonus

    I’ve never played with anyone like that who did it every time. Not just musically correct, but energy and creativity every time.

    The dude onstage with his hands above his head and clapping is Thom “Ace” Doucette, harmonica player and nominal seventh member of the original Allman Brothers Band. Duane offered Doucette a permanent spot in the group. Thom turned them down; he did not want the hassle of being in a band. “Duane was interested in having me in the band full-time, but I didn’t really want to. We were close and it was a lot of fun.” In 1970, he made his first appearance on record with “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” from Idlewild South. He appeared twice on At Fillmore East: “Done Somebody Wrong” and “You Don’t Love Me”—though his solo on “Stormy Monday” was cut for the album. Ace was a magnificent fit with the Allman Brothers Band, which is obvious on At Fillmore East. Doucette and the band were well-rehearsed. “In February, we went to an island off the Georgia coast. We rented a crib and rehearsed for Fillmore and then went there and did the album.” Ace was all over the sessions that weekend, including this smoking version of “DKMW” that first appeared on Duane Allman Anthology 1 (1972) and later on The Fillmore Concerts (1992). Thom “Ace” Doucette Thom was more than just a player and part-time member of the group, he was a also a huge fan of the Allman Brothers Band. Their music was special to him, as was the time they played together. The music was incredible. And you’d have a night where it was like, God, I cannot play. I’m just beat to shit. You drag yourself up there and see one or two other guys, they’re dragging, and you figure, “We’ll just try to get through this.” Well, that f*****g first chord would hit and forget it, man. It was like doing a f*****g speed bomb. And there would always be one guy in the band who would have a little extra pop that would push the next guy and he’d get some pop and it would start off a chain reaction. I don’t know how many dates I did with those guys, I guess 100 or so. And I never heard them play even remotely bad ever. I’ve never played with anyone like that who did it every time. Not just musically correct, but energy and creativity every time. You play with guys like that, you play stuff not only have you never played before, you never to play it before, and chances are you never heard it before, so you walk off that stage wondering, “Where in the f**k did that come from???” You come off. Your feet are not touching the ground at all. You’re just completely floating, and everybody looks at each other and goes, “Yeah!” It was unbelievable. Thom WAS NOT the seventh member Duane mentioned in an interview In December 1970, Duane sat for an in-studio interview with WABC in New York City. He was more than a little drunk and dropped a bombshell. We’ve just hired a seventh cat. I ain’t gonna talk about that now. That ain’t none of nobody’s business yet. Cause it might hurt the cat we hired you know. Because he’s got a little money coming from where he’s at and it might screw it all up, man. So I ain’t gonna do that out of respect to the cat. But he knows who he is…. I’m real enthusiastic about this new person we’ve hired, man. Obviously. Really, man. He is so hot, man. He is so good, man…. It’s getting to be a full orchestra. Full orchestra. That’s what I’m looking for, man. If I can find them right cats, man. I don’t care how many it is. It don’t matter how many you got doing it. It’s as long as they’re all doing it and all the pieces fit. That seventh member was not Doucette, but drummer/percussionist Bobby Caldwell, who was playing in Johnny Winter’s band. Duane didn’t let fly Caldwell’s name, and for years the conjecture was Duane was referring to Doucette. But Thom had already declined an invitation to join the Allman Brothers. Ultimately, the band rejected Duane. Caldwell didn’t end up joining the Allman Brothers and instead founded Captain Beyond with Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt, former guitarist for Dickey and Berry’s band the Second Coming. Captain Beyond recorded a self-titled album for Capricorn Records in 1972 and Caldwell still tours with a version of the band. Doucette stopped recording and touring with the Allman Brothers in the aftermath of Duane’s death. Beginning in the 1990s, he made appearances onstage and record with the band: on An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band First Set (1992) and Play All Night (2014) from a 1992 run at the Beacon Theatre. He was also in the lineup for the Atlanta Pop Festival July 3 and 5, 1970 released in 2003. Lagniappe: Ace Doucette playlist Tried to give y’all a few things you might not have heard in a while (if ever): eight different songs, thirteen versions. YOUTUBE PLAYLIST “Done Somebody Wrong” and “You Don’t Love Me” from At Fillmore EastOf course his two tracks on the ABB’s landmark album made the playlist. “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” Atlanta Pop Festival 7/5/70 and Fillmore East 9/23/70I chose these two specifically because it’s some of the very scant video we have of the original band. “Trouble No More” Atlanta Pop Festival 7/3/70Chose this one simply because it wasn’t DKMW, DSW, or YDLM 🍄. Atlanta Pop Festival was the largest audience Duane played in front of. “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” Fillmore East 3/13/71 early show and Idlewild SouthThis live take is a longtime favorite. And the playlist is incomplete without Doucette’s only studio appearance with the Brothers. “Stormy Monday” The Fillmore Concerts and The 1971 Fillmore East SessionsHere’s the full version, with Thom’s harp solo restored in all its glory. “Get on with Your Life” and “Southbound” from First Set “Get on with Your Life” is a gorgeous (and overlooked) Gregg original slow blues in the “Stormy Monday” vein. And y’all know “Southbound” from Brothers and Sisters, this version is slightly different than that, and with Dickey on vocals. “You Don’t Love Me” and “Statesboro Blues” Play All Night (1992) and “You Don’t Love Me” Beacon Theatre 3/22/03 These tracks give a sense of Doucette’s presence with the band in the latter half of its career. 🍄Play All Night! Duane Allman & the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 BUY PLAY ALL NIGHT Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community 🍄MUSHROOM🍄MAGICIANS🍄 Brent W. Hammond, Craig Stevens, Ken Lupson, Laura McCarty, Steve Marshall 🍑 PEACH 🍑 PALS 🍑 Allen Barnes, Art Dobie, Baileys Mike, Bob and Laura, Bob Johnson, Brent Pruner, Bruce Miles, Buddy Lewis, Cabinetsales, Caroline Doolittle, charlie2541, Chuck Zumwalt, Clifford Morse, Cwktwo, Danbookin, David Manes, Dennis Newton, Denny, DJ Brown, Ed Ashton, Ed Pokorny, F. D., Frank Young, Gary Nagle/Chairman Wonwayout, Gary Smith, Gary Williamson, George Holman, Hlnbkt, Irishbeatz, James Reynolds, James Yerrill, Jason Hecht, Jcsarphie, JD Guitar, Jeff Kushmerek, Jeff Schein, Jerry K, JoaquinDinero, Joe Sokohl, Joel Berger, Joel Tanzer, John Delaney, John Dolan, John Haughey, Jordan David, Joseph Lilly, Kenton Lee, Kevin Harper, Kevin Walker, Kurt Nielsen, Mark Leitner, Martha Haynes, Mike Clark, Peter Poulos, Phillip Page, Preston Root, Randy Woodall, Ray Tillman, Robert Porter, Rose Brandt, Scott Green, sswoger, Stanleyglennie8, Surrender Cobra, Taylor Kropp, Tim Langan (Hot ‘Lanta Tim), Tina Christopher, Tom Pragliola, Tony Gioia, Wade McCurdy, Wiszowa This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  5. Jul 20

    "There are no perfect vessels." History, music, mentorship, and life lessons that endure

    Episode Overview This is a wide-ranging conversation that covers every thing from the internet hustle culture of the ‘teens, a lesson in Washington, DC’s go-go music, music and the Civil Rights Movement, and revisionism in history. Our Crossroads Brian and I are historians who have spent our careers working with and for historic sites. Each of us has been deeply immersed in our professional lives as we’ve pursued our own interests on the side. We’re girl dads. We’re musicians and cultural historians. And we both care deeply about helping others navigate the world. The Conversation Be Better Guys. Brian founded started Be Better Guys—a guy’s guide—in 2006. The idea was that certain male rights-of-passage like tying a tie or buying a suit used to be rituals passed down through institutions. He democratized the information—sharing it widely online at a time when the internet was really providing some great stuff. Dress for the moment. Brian is a clothes horse. His philosophy? Dress with urgency for the moment you’re in. He credits his older brother and his attorney father for his sense of fashion, but he returns to his great-grandfather, a tobacco farmer who dressed exactly for what the day required. Go-go. Brian walked me through Washington, D.C.’s sound, how Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers stretched out songs with extended loops to keep dancers on the floor, turning percussion into the engine of the music and horns into a call-and-response line. It was inclusive music to play and participatory for audiences. Rethinking the Civil Rights Movement in Albany, Georgia. Brian spoke on a panel around the 50th anniversary of the Albany Movement. It changed my view of this important event. Albany had long read as a failure because the SCLC never got the confrontation they desired. But the coalition on the ground, SNCC organizers working alongside local leadership, secured full desegregation within a year. Washington, D.C. Brian gave a great lesson on the history of our nation’s capital. Geographically it sits below the Mason-Dixon line, and demographically it filled with Southern migrants chasing federal jobs from World War II onward. Home rule didn’t arrive until 1973. He mapped the city’s segregation ward by ward, and the flight of Black families out to Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Playlist I asked Brian to pull together a go-go playlist. Here’s what he sent along. Don’t expect anything even remotely similar to the Allman Brothers Band except a groove that is a mile wide and a mile deep—and a sound built for a live audience. Rare Essence - Overnight Scenario Trouble Funk - Drop the BombTrouble Funk - Pump Me UpTrouble Funk - Let’s Get SmallChuck Brown and the Soul Searchers - Chuck, BabyChuck Brown and the Soul Searchers - Run JoeChuck Brown and the Soul Searchers - Bustin’ LooseExperience Unlimited - Da ButtGrace Jones (backed by members of EU) - Slave to the RhythmJunkyard Band - Sardines (and Pork & Beans)Solange, Backyard Band - Cranes in the Sky remix TIDAL * https://tidal.com/playlist/65e6b86f-f7e1-481f-a2a5-68ce361c0c64 YOUTUBE * https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDlxvJ2WkPQw SPOTIFY 🍄Play All Night! Duane Allman the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 BUY PLAY ALL NIGHT Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community. 🍄🍑MERCH🍑🍄 Walt McNamee shot of candidate Jimmy Carter in an Allman Brothers July 4 weekend 1976. Ad for ABB’s March 1971 recording run at Fillmore East. Original ad, with Johnny Winter at the top of the bill, below. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  6. Jul 18 ·  Bonus

    In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

    “Who is Elizabeth Reed?” She’s more than just inspiration for a song title is my most popular post at Long Live the ABB. The entire “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” tale is straight from Southern Gothic central casting. A widow of a Confederate veteran, Elizabeth Jones Reed Napier married into a family that became one of the largest donors to the rebel cause. She is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, where the Allman Brothers found inspiration and where Dickey Betts and Carmella Scaggs (Boz’s wife) met for trysts. It’s one of the finest songs in the Allman Brothers Band’s canon, and Dickey Betts’s signature instrumental, from a guy who’s penned a slew of them. What makes “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” an Allman Brothers classic? It’s jazz influenced and carries elements of classical music. It’s a blues. It’s psychedelic. It’s different than anything anyone was doing at that point. “Elizabeth Reed” is also an evolution in songcraft. On Eat a Peach, they're writing completely original stuff: “Melissa,” “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” “Les Brers in A Minor,” “Stand Back,” “Blue Sky,” “Little Martha.” It’s a pretty astounding leap on the songwriting front in two years. Lagniappe I’m a huge fan of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” from At Fillmore East. It’s ABBsolutely perfect in every way: from Duane’s introduction, to Dickey’s intro —the soloing, the comping, the dynamics, the energy, the crowd, and the sound….the glorious sound Tom Dowd coaxed out of the room itself. It is by far my favorite version of the song, one I never tire of. I have a few other favorites, including this one recorded six months after At Fillmore East: “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” 9/19/71 SUNY Stony Brook. (I also chose it because it’s got artwork from my dude Brett Underhill/Porkchop Bob Studio, whose work I really dig.) Thanks for being here y’all. Sharing is caring. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 10

    Southern blues/rhythm & blues onstage, psychedelic pop in the studio: Hour Glass's split identity

    Here’s a video intro to the third playlist that accompanies Chapter 4 of Play All Night! Duane Allman & the Journey to Fillmore East. The Play All Night Playlist Project: Hour Glass Repertoire. One thing that became VERY apparent as I researched this time in Duane’s life, was the huge gap between Hour Glass as a live band and how Dallas Smith of Liberty Records produced them in the studio. The band simply refused to play the songs on their studio albums, preferring a repertoire of blues and rhythm & blues covers. I’ve pulled this playlist together from the text in Chapter 4, the various cuts mentioned as part of Hour Glass’s repertoire. This is not a comprehensive list nor am I 100% certain these are the arrangements Hour Glass used, but it’s close enough to give you an idea of how wildly different the band was live versus how Liberty Records wanted them to sound. We know exactly what that sounds like, it’s on the two Hour Glass studio records. PLAYLISTS 🍄 Spotify 🍄 Tidal 🍄Youtube 🍄 Liner Notes brought to you by paid subscribers of Long Live the ABB Rather than the pop psychedelia of their studio records albums, Hour Glass live sets featured music they knew best: southern blues and R&B. The repertoire remained mostly covers, “Leaving Trunk” (Sleepy John Estes by way of Taj Mahal), “I’m Hanging Up My Heart For You” (Solomon Burke), Little Milton’s “Feel So Bad,” and Bobby Bland’s “Stormy Monday” and “Turn on Your Love Light.” They opened shows with an instrumental take on “Norwegian Wood” and closed with a current hit by country star Buck Owens. “They knew they were good,” John McEuen said. “Anyone who heard them understood how good they were. Duane had total command and authority of the guitar and Gregg was just a great singer who could make anything his own.” The Yardbirds “Over Under Sideways Down” Duane’s bands were always lauded for their ability with the Yardbirds’ catalog. This features Jeff Beck in all his early guitar wizard glory. Johnny Jenkins “Dimples” Sharing this because it is the same Eddie Hinton arrangement as the Allman Brothers Band, which Paul Hornsby taught Duane in this era. Though Duane played on much of Jenkins’s album Ton Ton Macoute, he isn’t on this track that I know of. He is, however, on this track. Yes, this is Duane on “Dimples” from Muscle Shoals in early 1969. The Nashville Teens “Tobacco Road” Written by Duane and Gregg’s songwriting mentor J.D. Loudermilk, the Hour Glass take on it was apparently pretty psychedelic. Taj Mahal “Statesboro Blues” and “Leaving Trunk” Taj Mahal’s arrangement of Blind Willie McTell’s acoustic “Statesboro Blues” featuring Jesse Ed Davis is what inspired Duane to pick up slide. “Statesboro” entered Duane’s repertoire in this era and became the first track on At Fillmore East. Sleepy John Estes’s “Leaving Trunk” is another acoustic blues Mahal adapted for his first album. Bobby “Blue” Bland “Stormy Monday” and “Turn on Your Lovelight” The Allman Brothers Band included a brilliant take on T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday” on At Fillmore East. Gregg’s 1974 The Gregg Allman Tour album included a rollicking take on “Lovelight,” a song that’s been in the jamband canon for years. It was one of Grateful Dead founder Pigpen’s signature tunes, and a particular favorite of Col. Bruce Hampton’s. Solomon Burke “I’m Hanging Up My Heart for You” and Percy Sledge “I’m Hanging Up My Heart for You” Here’s Burke’s original and a cover by Percy Sledge, whose “When a Man Loves a Woman” put Muscle Shoals on the map. Incidentally, Jaimoe backed Sledge around the same time Duane and Gregg were in L.A. though I don’t believe he ever recorded with him. Little Milton “I Feel So Bad” Little Milton was Gregg’s favorite singer and he covered this song throughout his career. A live version appeared on The Gregg Allman Tour. The Derek Trucks Band covered it regularly and released it on 2004’s Live at the Georgia Theatre. Hour Glass “Norwegian Wood” This is a pretty psychedelic take from their second album. I can only imagine how killer it would’ve been live. This is an example of a truly original arrangement for Duane, who had trouble convincing Dallas Smith to listen to any of his ideas. Buck Owens “Act Naturally” Buck Owens was one of the biggest country stars on the planet at this time. I know Hour Glass covered Owens, but I found no reference to any particular song. I chose this as it’s one the Beatles covered, with Ringo Starr on vocals. Lefty Frizzell “Long Black Veil” The music of home comforted the southerners while they were in L.A. As Pete Carr of Hour Glass noted, “Duane and I shared an apartment and we would play guitars together a lot. I remember Gregg, Duane, and I playing and singing ‘Long Black Veil.’ I remember us harmonizing on it and it really was a moment separated from everything else we were doing. It was like a close family thing.” Random notes Carr expresses one of the biggest frustrations Duane and company had in Los Angeles: it was just too unlike the South. And the proof is in Duane’s output upon returning South in just the first three weeks of September 1968. Duane joins, records, and performs live with Butch Trucks’s 31st of February; he links up with Berry Oakley to form a band; and plays a Clarence Carter session in Muscle Shoals. Two months later, in November, he returns to the Shoals to play on a Wilson Pickett session. He suggests they cover “Hey Jude,” the song becomes a massive hit, and Duane becomes a star to such a degree that he gets to hand pick his next musical project. We’re not quite there yet in the story musically, but we’re getting there. As always, thanks for reading. 🍄Play All Night! Duane Allman the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 BUY PLAY ALL NIGHT Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community. 🍄MUSHROOM🍄MAGICIANS🍄 Brent W. Hammond, Craig Stevens, Ken Lupson, Laura McCarty, Steve Marshall 🍑 PEACH 🍑 PALS 🍑 Allen Barnes, Art Dobie, Baileys Mike, Bob and Laura, Bob Johnson, Brent Pruner, Bruce Miles, Buddy Lewis, Cabinetsales, Caroline Doolittle, charlie2541, Chuck Zumwalt, Clifford Morse, Cwktwo, Danbookin, David Manes, Dennis Newton, Denny, Ed Ashton, Ed Pokorny, F. D., Frank Young, Gary Nagle/Chairman Wonwayout, Gary Smith, Gary Williamson, George Holman, Hlnbkt, Irishbeatz, James Reynolds, James Yerrill, Jcsarphie, JD Guitar, Jeff Kushmerek, Jeff Schein, Jerry K, JoaquinDinero, Joe Sokohl, Joel Berger, Joel Tanzer, John Delaney, John Dolan, John Haughey, Jordan David, Joseph Lilly, Kenton Lee, Kevin Harper, Kevin Walker, Kurt Nielsen, Mark Leitner, Martha Haynes, Mike Clark, Peter Poulos, Phillip Page, Preston Root, Randy Woodall, Ray Tillman, Robert Porter, Rose Brandt, Scott Green, sswoger, Stanleyglennie8, Surrender Cobra, Taylor Kropp, Tim Langan (Hot ‘Lanta Tim), Tina Christopher, Tom Pragliola, Tony Gioia, Wade McCurdy, Wiszowa This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.longlivetheabb.com/subscribe

  8. Jul 9

    "All music is soul music" Lamar Williams Jr. on recording and touring with Oteil and life within the Allman Brothers family

    Episode Overview Lamar Williams Jr. is the son of Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams, and he’s spent two decades building his own place inside the Allman Brothers’ extended musical family. I talked with him about The Offering, the long-gestating album with Oteil Burbridge recorded in Iceland, and about the lineage that carried him from Macon’s church choirs to Butch’s Les Brers, the Big Band of Brothers, and touring/recording with New Mastersounds, North Mississippi Allstars, and the Allman Betts Revival. Our Crossroads We are Lamar lost his father young and our shared experience of grief and carrying someone’s memory forward came up directly in our talk. I’ve seen Lamar live multiple times in a variety of settings. He’s one of my favorite singers of the Allman Brothers canon, perhaps my favorite. When you listen to the conversation, you’ll hear why. Lamar is not only a fantastic vocalist, he’s a student of the craft. His voice is his instrument. Overlooked is his how much love he puts out into the world as a lyricist and singer. I certainly gravitate to that presence. The Conversation The Offering. Lamar’s latest project began a decade ago when Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge picked up a banjo at home while his wife spent a year in Africa working with gorillas—just exercises to keep himself busy and learn the instrument. Williams heard them in Burbridge’s basement studio, told him “I hear something all over it,” and took the instrumentals to his writing partner, the late Victor Clark. After the ABB closed up shop, Dead & Co. pulled Burbridge away for a decade. Lamar, Oteil, and friends finished it in Iceland, near Akureyri, the same coast where Williams had already recorded twice with the New Mastersounds. Singing onstage with the Allman Brothers Band. This is a great story. Riding to the Beacon Theatre with Gregg Allman and godfather Chank Middleton, Allman quizzed Williams on songwriting and planted the idea that he needed a writing partner. Hours later, Chank pointed him out to Gregg before the ABB’s set that night; Allman’s only response was, “Come see me at halftime.” Lamar tells the full story. Lamar Williams Sr. Jaimoe and Lamar’s pops grew up together on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. They essentially learned to play music together. Lamar was the obvious choice when Berry Oakley died in 1972, when Butch Trucks cut the audition short and announced something to the effect of “As far as I’m concerned, this decision is made. We’ve found our bass player.” Williams Sr. died in 1983 of lung cancer linked to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. His son shares a very specific memory of him—walking on his back while he watched sci-fi on the floor after returning from tour. Lamar Jr.’s favorite moment from his pops? His father’s upright bass on “Ponyboy.” Upgrade to a paid membership for previews of Conversation from the Crossroads episodes. Les Brers, Big Band of Brothers, Trouble No More, Allman Betts Revival. Butch Trucks built a band around Williams on impulse after a Roots Rock Revival gig: “We’re going to start a band now, and I want you to be in it.” That became Les Brers, with the ABB rhythm section of Butch, Jaimoe, and Marc plus Jack Pearson alongside Burbridge—Williams’ formal entry into the Allman Brothers family. He later toured with Big Band of Brothers, the jazz ensemble reworking the catalog with Jaimoe on drums, and says his approach to singing it comes from refusing to imitate—reverting to the church tradition he grew up in instead. The New Mastersounds and North Mississippi Allstars. Williams joined the New Mastersounds after sitting in at a Peter Levin benefit show in Denver. He became their first vocalist in eighteen years. Years later, Luther Dickinson watched Williams cover an ailing Charlie Starr on “Come and Go Blues” at an Allman Betts Family Revival show, and the two went on to record North Mississippi Allstars’ Set Sail. It earned a Grammy nomination. His father’s words. In a 1974 Downbeat interview, Williams Sr. called the Allman Brothers Band “a religion”—six musicians lifting each other into something that resists categorization. Williams points to The Offering’s closing track, his version of Earl King’s “Time for the Sun to Rise,” first played for him by Luther Dickinson, as the record’s clearest expression of that same patience. We talk specifically about this version of the song with Luther Dickinson. And here’s Lamar Sr.’s full quote about the Allman Brothers, Macon, the South, and music: Lamar Williams grew up with Jaimoe Johanny Johanson in Port Gulf, Louisiana (Gulfport, Mississippi). It was through Jaimoe’s recommendation and a subsequent audition that Williams entered the band. I asked him if he was accepted into the band immediately. “It was a thing of adjusting to their particular style of music. I feel that musicians are able to . . . if you have to play country and western, then you’re going to play country and western; if you’re going to play jazz, you’ll adjust to that. Now, you take cats who are not real musicians, then they’re hung up in one particular bag, a lot of other things they’re not hip to.” Do you have any idea what the term “southern blues” means? Well, I can relate to “down home,” you know. Musicians who come up in the South, musicians who come up on the West Coast, the East Coast, anywhere. That environment affects their heads. In most cities you have a whole bunch of other static going on. Down South, living in a small town, Macon, you have a lot of time to put into it. You have a lot of time to check out other stuff, to check out a lot of stuff in your head. The whole South is laid back, that’s where atmosphere comes from. I’ve met cats who come down from New Jersey and New York to try to get some of that southern thing to rub off on them. What is the special quality that the Allman Brothers Band has that makes them so popular? To me it’s a religion. For instance, I can feel just blah, but when I get on that stage, there’ll be so much energy flowing from the other five cats that they just lift me in a real strong spiritual way, till I don’t know how tired I am. It becomes a real strong spiritual thing to get to the point where the six cats on that stage, their job is to produce a sound, the Allman sound. But I don’t think it can be put in any particular category. We play the first and second numbers, all that time we’re feelin’ each other out, where everybody’s head is. As it goes up, everybody gets into a thing with each other. I can feel incredible vibes on that stage. Play All Night! Duane Allman the Journey to Fillmore East🍄 Resources Lamar Williams Jr. * www.lamarwilliamsjr.com * Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lamarwilliamsjr/ North Mississippi Allstars, Set Sail (2022) Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr., The Offering (2026) The New Mastersounds, Shake It (2019); The Deplar Effect (2022) Playlist Here’s a sample of some of my favorite Lamar Williams Jr. cuts. The Youtube playlist is the most complete as two of these tracks are only available there. An additional two are missing from Spotify altogether. Spotify Tidal Youtube * “Trouble No More (live)” - Allman Betts Revival & Slash (Youtube only) * “Love and War (Live from Mexico)” - Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Country Road” - Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Set Sail, Part I” - North Mississippi Allstars & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Cold as Ice” - Lamar Williams Jr. * “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ (live)” - Big Band of Brothers w/ Jaimoe(!!!) & a sit-in from Oteil Burbridge (Youtube only) * “Authentic” - North Mississippi Allstars & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Peace and Understanding” - Peter Levin, Lamar Williams Jr., Eric Krasno & Marc Quiñones * “Love They Deserve” - The New Mastersounds & Lamar Williams Jr. * “I Can Hear My Train Calling” - Joshua C.S. & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Everyone & Everything” - Eddie Roberts, George Porter Jr. & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Let Me in from the Cold” - The New Mastersounds, Eddie Roberts & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Meet You in the Sunshine” - The New Mastersounds, Eddie Roberts & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Days of Summer” - Lamar Williams Jr. * “Gonna Get in My Way” - The New Mastersounds, Eddie Roberts & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Shake It” - The New Mastersounds & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Time for the Sun to Rise” - Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. * “Time for the Sun to Rise” - Lamar Williams Jr. & Luther Dickinson Brought to you by the paid members of the Long Live the ABB community. 🍄MUSHROOM🍄MAGICIANS🍄 Brent W. 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Conversation from the Crossroads of Southern music, history, and culture with historian Dr. Bob Beatty, author of 'Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East' www.longlivetheabb.com

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