Jam Central Station 06.28.09: The Allman Brothers Band
Posted by Jeff Modzelewski on 06.28.2009
One of the most amazing stories of perseverance and longevity in music takes the lead in the first column here to deal with the jam band scene. Check it out!
Hey all, and welcome to my new column here at 41mania. As always, I'm glad to be back, and I'm hoping a few new ideas here will make for a great column for everyone. Before I started, I think I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of Michael Jackson. You're going to hear a whole lot of MJ coverage here on 411mania over the next month, but I do want to recognize the early death of a legend.
But on with the show. So what is Jam Central Station? Well, I've thought for a while that 411 was missing a huge genre of music, namely the jam band scene. So that's what I'm here to bring.
That's great, but what exactly is this column going to cover? Basically, if it has to do with the jam band music scene, I'm going to try and cover it. Of course, no one likes being put in a box, and "jam bands" especially encompass a whole range of musicians. This isn't just Phish and The Grateful Dead. I'm going to be talking about electronic music like STS9. Radio-friendly bands like The Dave Matthews Band and Ben Harper. Michael Franti and Spearhead. Widespread Panic. The Black Crowes. Moe. And, maybe, possibly, something a little heavier? Primus? Tool? That's right. Basically we'll be going beyond just Woodstock and through the past 40 years of music to see what moved people, where the groove was, and what jammed. And we're going to be starting with one of the premier and most influential Southern Rock bands of all time, The Allman Brothers Band.
The Headliners
The Allman Brothers Band are the very picture of perseverance. Duane and Gregg Allman had already been trying to make a living playing music when Duane began jamming with Butch Trucks, Berry Oakley, and Dickey Betts in the late 1960's. It didn't take long for Duane to bring in drummer Jaimoe Johanson and then begin to bring Gregg into the fold. The chemistry was immediate, and the band released their self-titled debut album in 1969.
The Allman Brothers Band was a critical success, but it had very little commercial appeal. Their 1970 follow up, Idlewild South, did much better commercially, and included the radio-friendly hit "Midnight Rider." The band really began making a name for themselves with their live shows, however. Improvisational jams lasting a half hour or more were not uncommon, nor were shows that lasted well into the night. The band's impressive live performances were the source of their third album At Fillmore East. This double album captured part of the band's two-night stand at the Fillmore East in New York in 1971. At Fillmore East is considered by many to be the definitive Allman Brothers album, and has been ranked high in multiple "Greatest Albums of All Time" lists.
The band was becoming a major factor in the early 70's rock and roll scene when disaster struck, a mere two years after their initial 1969 release. Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1970, months before the band released their third studio album, Eat A Peach. Berry Oakley died just over a year later, also in a motorcycle accident. The band could have easily given up at this point. They had lost two of their founding members, including half of their namesake. Instead, the band continued on, releasing Brothers and Sisters in 1972, their biggest commercial success to date.
Unfortunately, this is where things really went downhill for the band. Personal conflict and drug use led to a string of less-than-stellar albums, lineup changes, breakups, and continued conflict. More breakups and reunions were common for the band in the 80's but no real success came from that time. They experienced a major resurgence in the early 90's, in no small part because they brought in Warren Haynes as a guitarist. Haynes brought energy and life to the band that hadn't been present since the early 70's.
The band maintains a rigorous touring schedule to this day, including annual multi-night runs at The Beacon Theatre in New York. While they are contemporaries of The Grateful Dead and Lynard Skynard, they have also toured with The String Cheese Incident, moe., and have appeared twice at Bonnaroo. Songs like "Michelle," "Ramblin' Man," and "Midnight Rider" are staples on classic rock radio, and a wide variety of bands list The Allman Brothers as influences in their music.
You can check out The Allman Brothers online here. They'll be starting a two-month tour in New York on August 18.
From The Road
A couple clips for you this week.
First, a classic performance of "Ramblin' Man" from The Allman Brothers:
And a performance of "All Along the Watchtower from their 2007 Beacon run. Sorry for the low quality on this one:
Finally, Phish and The Boss at Bonnaroo. Great clip, good quality:
Groove In The News
Umphrey's McGee adds a second night at Rothbury
Umphrey's McGee will play a Sunday night "nightcap" performance at this year's Rothbury Music Festival, July 2-5 in Rothbury Michigan. The band is already scheduled for a late-night performance on Saturday night, and will now help close the festival as well on Sunday night. On a personal note, anyone in the Midwest should seriously consider attending this show. Tickets are still available, and, if you're tight on cash (or can't get the time off of work), tickets for only Saturday and Sunday are available as well. Check it out here.
Béla Fleck Working on a new project
Béla Fleck, tabla player Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer will release the collaborative album The Melody of Rhythm on August 25. The disc has been described as "a new sound steeped in Indian tradition, chamber music, and American roots music," and will be followed by a 19-city tour of North America in September and October.
"When I play with Zakir, I'm not an Indian musician but I can learn enough to be respectful in my ignorance. We can find a place to meet." Fleck said in a statement. "Along with carrying the top level of Indian classical music in his veins, Zakir is incredible at understanding music from all over the world and collaborates effectively with an amazingly diverse number of musicians." In 2009, Hussain earned a Grammy in the Best Contemporary World category for his collaboration with Mickey Hart.
Rodrigo y Gabriela ready 11:11
Rodrigo y Gabriela have set September 8th as the date for their next studio album 11:11. The album was recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico and was produced primarily by the band. The album was mixed by Colin Richardson, best known for his work with metal acts Slipknot and Trivium.
11:11 features 11 new compositions and is dedicated as a personal thank you to 11 musicians who have inspired them along the way. Acoustic veterans Strunz & Farah appear on the album, as well as Alex Skolnick of Testament.
Rodrigo y Gabriela will open their fall tour in New York City on September 16.
Keller Williams to Release New Album Track-By-Track
Keller Williams will release his next album, ODD through the new download feature "The Once A Week Freak." The "one man jam band" will release one track a week until the album's official release on August 12. The tracks will be released in the order in which the songs appear on the album. In addition, fans that purchase the album one track at a time will receive bonus content hand-picked by Williams.
"I'm truly excited to share with you the ton of music that I have been sitting on for so long," said Williams. "The more support we get for this project, the more selections will be available every week." The guitarist plans to release additional material, including never-before-heard studio recordings, in to the fall. His tour began on June 25th, and includes a stop at Rothbury on July 2nd.
Artist Additions for moe.down
moe. has announced a second round of performers for this year's moe.down X. Artists added to the tenth installment of the festival are: Ani DiFranco, Method Man and Redman, The Heavy Pets, Okemah, Nate Wilson Group, Family Groove Company and Lynch. They join the host band, along with Matthew Sweet, Sam Bush, The New Mastersounds and The London Souls. moe.down will return to the Snow Ridge Ski Resort in Turin, NY over Labor Day weekend, September 4-6.
The Encore
Thanks everyone for checking out this column. I'm getting ready for Rothbury next weekend, so I'm gonna be pretty busy with this column and four days in Michigan with The Dead. If you're planning on making the trip to Rothbury, let me know. Otherwise, until next week, jam on!
