From where can any respectable music writer possibly start describing the career of a giant of American music like Gregg Allman in the best possible way?
The former singer, keyboardist and chief songwriter of a cult Rock Band like the Allman Brothers Band, who sadly passed away in 2017, has left such an inestimable sonic patrimony to the whole music world, both as a band member of the A.B.B. and as a solo artist, throughout the 5 decades of Allman’s glorious career, that calling him one of the greatest American music artists of this century is not at all an obvious or gratuitous compliment.
It's therefore such a great news the fact that on 20th September, off Allman’s personal archive, a 1983 live performance of the Gregg Allman Band will be officially released as a CD and digitally, more accurately, the performance being a full-length concert recorded on July 1, 1983 at Uncle Sam’s in Hull, MA, where Allman and his band of brothers delivered a spectacular show, revisiting some of the Allman Brothers Band’s classics and adding to them a few songs off Gregg Allman's solo career.
At the time that the show was recorded, 10 years had past since Gregg Allman had left his glorious past behind with the A.B.B., but the artist felt that a certain musical fire was still burning strongly inside of him, the type of fire that pushed him to put together a band on his own that would follow the musical criteria that had accompanied the whole history of the A.B.B., meaning wanting to play anywhere in the world, no matter the size of the venue, as long as people were willing to listen to their music.
Gregg Allman, after a few phone calls, managed to assemble a line-up of the finest quality, such as the two brothers and former members of the A.B.B., lead guitarist Danny Toler and his younger brother Frankie on drums, Gregg Voorhess on bass guitar, a Horn Section made by the two Finney brothers, respectively Donn, on sax and flute and Larry on trumpet, plus Bruce Waibel on rhythm guitar and percussionist Chaz Trippy, to complete what then will be universally known as the Gregg Allman Band.
The Uncle Sam’s club might have been a small venue, but for those that were present that night, when the Gregg Allman Band stepped on stage, that must have been one of the most unforgettable nights of music that they might have ever witnessed, judging by the quality of the material played on that occasion.
The choice of songs performed on the night, especially those belonging to the A.B.B. back catalogue, were aptly and wisely chosen by Allman, in our personal opinion.
From the first notes of Midnight Rider, it felt immediately like the time had stopped and that marvelous combination of Jazz, Blues and Rock that the A.B.B. were able to create so perfectly up until 10 years before, had returned back on stage with the same freshness and very strong musicianship.
Throughout the night, the Gregg Allman Band created some true magic, alternating some well-known A.B.B. classics like Melissa, here delivered in a spine-tingling acoustic version, with some lesser known material, such as the powerful instrumental Hot 'Lanta, for example, never released on any A.B.B.'s studio album but only as part of a live performance, several times, by the giant American collective.
Gregg Allman was on fire, both as a singer and as a keyboardist every step of the way and some of the tracks played on the night, often matched the same quality and intensity of the originals, on an overall performance style, especially on songs like Trouble No More and Don't Keep Me Wondering, here played by the whole collective with such swagger and a truly remarkable level of musical craftmanship.
By the time the live performance comes to an end, through an irresistible version of Blind Willie McTell's Statesboro Blues, a song originally recorded in 1928, one can clearly feel the huge excitement exuding from the crowd and their awareness of having just witnessed a superlative set performed by an exceptional artist and his band.
The Uncle Sam’s live recording is a sonic document of priceless value for every genuine music lover. A record that you don't want to miss in your collection and, most importantly, listening and loving every minute of it again and again.
Uncle Sam’s is due to be released on 20th September 2024 and it can be purchased via Rough Trade
