Rounder Records will release the seven CD box set,Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective on Tuesday March 19th. It will include rare recordings by Duane Allman’s early bands: the Escorts, Allman Joys, the 31st of February, and the Bleus. A 72 page liner notes booklet featuring extensive content is accompanied by a tribute from Allman’s daughter, Galadrielle Allman.
“I hope the celebration of Duane’s life inspires you to live fearlessly and enjoy life,” Galadrielle states. “I know that would have made him proud.”
The deluxe set also has the guitarist’s best-known and most commercially successful recordings with the Allman Brothers Band and Derek & the Dominos, as well as session work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Ronnie Hawkins, Otis Rush, Laura Nyro, Lulu, the Sweet Inspirations, Laura Lee, Spencer Wiggins, Arthur Conley, Willie Walker, the Lovelles, the Soul Survivors, Johnny Jenkins, John Hammond, Doris Duke, Eric Quincy Tate, Herbie Mann and more.
In her recollection of her father, who died when she was a young child, Galadrielle writes, “I am very lucky that my father is Duane Allman, an artist who left behind a wealth of incredible music . . . Working on this retrospective, I have gotten closer than I ever have been to understanding my father’s development as a musician and a man.”
Copyright Amalie R. Rothschild
The best price I have seen for this seven CD set is on the Allman Brothers Band Store, Hitting the Note. The pre-order price is $99.99 a $40 savings off the list price!
Our good friend Bill Ortiz just announced his latest full-release CD, Highest Wish is available for pre-order. If you act now you can get a limited edition signed copy by Bill Ortiz for $15. Pre-orders will be shipping on or about August 15th.
There is also a digital album pre-order option for $9.99. Pre-order of Highest Wish including immediate download of 1 track in your choice of MP3 320, FLAC, or other formats. A link to the complete album will be emailed to you the moment it’s released. You can pre-order this option here.
Visit the Buy/Share Link on Bill’s Highest Wish page here. You can also get an advanced preview of Highest Wish feat. Zumbi of Zion I (Phoenix Black Remix) on that page. It’s tight, check it out.
Or if you’d like click on Bill’ s widget on the right hand side of this blog
Highest Wish officially drops on September 4th.
I will be writing a review about Highest Wish for Bill on this blog soon. My wife and I look forward to catching up with Mr. Ortiz at the Santana East Coast shows with the Allman Brothers Band coming up later this month.
Bill Ortiz is the first artist I did an extensive interview for on this music blog in 2009. It was conducted as a companion piece for his first recording, From Where I Stand. We have been collaborating ever since.
I covered Bill Ortiz’s EP release Winter In America earlier this year. Highest Wish expands greatly upon Winter in America.
So stay tuned more to follow about Bill Ortiz and Highest Wish.
Santana and The Allman Brothers Band will be co-headlining a six date East Coast tour this summer. They have a tour stop in Connecticut at the Comcast Theatre, Hartford, Ct. on Saturday July 28, 2012. Imagine the guitar wizardry of Carlos Santana, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks all on the same stage on one night. We’ll all be shape shifting for sure.
Speaking of Shape Shifter, the date draws closer for the May 15 release of Shape Shifter the recording. Here is the video, inside the making of Shape Shifter.
I have to hand it to Warren Haynes. He is one of the hardest working musicians in show business these days. Examine his schedule and the bands he plays with in a given year.
He is one of the twin guitar leads in The Allman Brothers Band, which has a healthy touring schedule each year that includes a month at the Beacon Theater in New York City.
He also has the Warren Haynes Band that has been touring in support of The Man in Motion album.
Warren Haynes then switches back into Gov’t. Mule mode for 2012. Gov’t. Mule has announced various 2012 tour dates, most notably playing their annual Mountain Jam event in Hunter, NY and their annual New Years event at the Beacon Theater in NYC. Gov’t. Mule is co-headlining dates with moe in our market in Hartford
He has been touring this year with the Warren Haynes Band. Its fitting that they record on Stax Volt records because they are reviving the classic 60′s soul sound complete with horns, backup vocalists and a Hammond B3 organ.
Stax Volt Records released yesterday, the Warren Hayes Band, Live At The Moody Theater on 2 CDs and 1 DVD. Its an awesome package
We braved the snow storm last night to see the Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) and Scrapomatic at The Klein in Bridgeport. The show was well worth it as this was the last performance of their 14 stop tour and they were prepared to give us their all. Susan Tedeschi thanked us for coming out despite the weather. We thank her and the band for playing for us on a rough weather evening.
Scrapomatic opened the evening with a particularly warm and appealing 30 minute set. Mike Mattison has a raspy singing voice that I find engaging for the blues. He was ably backed by founding member Paul Olsen and Dave Yoke on guitar . Tyler Greenwell, TTB drummer rounded out the nucleus.
Here they are performing on the TTB Tour at the Lynn Auditorium two weeks ago.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band took the stage next. I have seen the Derek Trucks Band (DTB) twice before in 2007 and 2008. I had seen Susan Tedeschi as the female singer with The Other Ones in 2003. The dimensional difference of TTB vs. DTB was striking. I wasn’t ready for the collective onslaught of an 11 member nucleus band. They exhibit maturity beyond measure. Their precision and execution of their collective musical craft was powerful to witness. I found myself happily stunned many times last night. The band took me in new sonic directions I had longed to find for some time now. I just never knew until I heard TTB where those explorations lay and how enraptured by the journey I would become.
The soul stew revival delivery is a liberating musical and aural experience. There is so much happening on stage you’re not sure where to look or listen at times. Yes, Susan Tedeschi and her husband Derek Trucks are the orchestra leaders. They play off the musicianship of a worthy all-star cast. From left to right on stage you have the steady keyboards (along with his flute playing) of Kofi Burbridge. His brother Oteil, stands next to him holding down the bottom with his eclectic bass guitar work. Next on the risers are the two drummers, J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell who lay down a very textured syncopation. Derek Trucks with his dozen years of service with The Allman Brothers Band has learned how to join Oteil and the two drummers as an ocean of sound.
TTB also features a three-man horn section and two back up singers. The precision of the horns and backing vocals is masterful in its execution.
The evening flowed like champagne from a bottle, evenly tasting each song title as we sipped the music sound with the band. I found the intersection with avant-garde jazz, classic blues, soul and the TTB Revelator CD songs an unbeatable combination. You couldn’t quibble about the amount or diversity of the music. As a listener you were constantly challenged with what song and music direction TTB would play next.
Derek Trucks is jaw-dropping to watch as his slide work is incredible. He is the quietest guitarist on the stage, nary a word does he utter. he lets his hands and the guitar do his talking. He accents the music with sharp contrasts and adds signifying endings to the Revelator songs. He commands so much respect when he solos. You shake your head in total disbelief that someone can play the guitar to such amazing heights.
It’s difficult to pinpoint all the highlights we saw, my favorite moments were several. I loved the jazz textured direction of The Allman Brothers ‘”Standback” which featured Derek accenting on guitar and Kebbi Williams on saxophone. It felt like they turned the clock back to 1959 and we were in the midst of a Coltrane experience as two persons as they jammed.
I especially enjoyed when Susan Tedeschi let loose on “That Did It”. Her fast-paced blues guitar playing coupled with her strong vocals confirmed my belief in her as a formidable blues musician. I love her voice and stage presence. She anchors herself well in TTB.
The song I loved the most (after Midnight In Harlem which I was so psyched they played) was “Uptight” by Stevie Wonder. The band was on a tear at this point of the evening. It was a great rendition that had the audience up and dancing. It was even more fun to see Susan dancing with the vocalists and horn section like a sock hop collection at the rear of the stage. The band truly enjoys what it is doing and playing. It’s a warm infectious sight to behold for the state of music when you are subjected to some artists who just march through their set lists and collect their checks.
Rumor has it that the Trucks Tedeschi Band has a live CD and DVD in the works. Let me tell you that is something you will want to get when it is available.
Two Hour Set
1. Don't Let Me Slide
2. Everybody's Talkin' At Me
3. Midnight In Harlem
4. Learn How to Love
5. Simple Things
6. Soul Serenade(Instrumental)
7. Bound For Glory
8. Stand Back
9. Darling Be Home Soon (Lovin Spoonful)
10. That Did It (Bobby "Blue" Band)
11. Uptight (Stevie Wonder)
12. Love Has Something Else to Say*
13. Shrimp & GritsEncore
14. Wade in the Water
An Afro-American spiritual sung as a prayer by TTB to help us all get home safe
15. Sing A Simple Song>
16. I Wanna Take You Higher
Yossi Pollack's stellar taping is available here: http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=549483
*Saunders Sermons, Trombonist sings "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks with members of the Tedeschi Trucks Band have a new recording coming our way next month on June 7th. It’s entitled Revelator. This 11 person nucleus is a hard-working, well oiled band of musicians who have collaborated to make a rich wall of Southern sound.
I like the evolutionary direction Derek, Susan, and company are taking with Revelator. I’ve had the fortunate opportunity over the years to witness Susan Tedeschi with The Other Ones, Derek Trucks with The Allman Brothers Band, The Derek Trucks Band (2) and with Eric Clapton. My wife and I loved seeing Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks perform with Herbie Hancock for his 70th Birthday at Carnegie Hall last year.
Revelator was recorded in Derek and Susan’s own Swamp Raga Studios in Jacksonville, co-produced by Derek with producer/engineer Jim Scott (Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco).
In order to get a better idea of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, plug into their YouTube Channel and watch the videos about the making of Revelator. You will get a strong appreciation for what this 11 person ensemble is accomplishing!.
Warren Haynes is one of my favorite guitarists and singers. His latest record, Man in Motion rocks. It will drop on Tuesday May 10th. I ordered my copy yesterday and urge you to do the same You can hear it in full and for free right now on Rolling Stone’s Web site, http://goo.gl/q8eSK. When it comes […]
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the closing of The Fillmore East on June 28, 1971. No rock hall echoes stronger in the music of our heart than Bill Graham’s legendary venue in the East Village section of NYC.
The concert that closed The Fillmore East is equally, if not more historic. The Allman Brothers Band headlined that night, with J Geils Band as the middle act and Albert King as the opening act. Guest stars who joined The Allman Brothers Band and the other scheduled acts on stage that night included Mountain, Country Joe McDonald, Edgar Winter’s White Trash with Rick Derringer and The Beach Boys. I listened to the entire concert which was broadcast live over WNEW-FM 102.7. The concert went from 8 p.m. on June 27th until 6 a.m. in the morning of June 28th.
This tile was a gift to the Fillmore East employees
There were 40 albums recorded live at The Fillmore East from 1968 through 1971. Considering there were 111 main concerts during that time frame (more if you count both early and late show events) 40 concerts was close to 1/3 of all shows that were performed there. You can see the complete list of live Fillmore East albums, sorted A-Z by recording title on this Wikipedia page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Live_at_the_Fillmore_East_albums
Many people associateThe Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East as “the” recording that captured the music live of the last night. Truth of the matter is that only when the deluxe edition of this dual CD was released did we get to hear two tracks from June 28th, “One Way Out” and “Midnight Rider”. According to Peter Wolf, lead singer of the J Geils Band who performed that night, “the Allman Brothers started at around four in the morning. At dawn, they were still playing “Crossroads,” or something like that.” (Graham and Greenfield, 2004).
The late, great photographer Jim Marshall took the photographs for the cover of The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East in the alley next to Capricorn Recording Studios in Macon, Georgia. (not in the alley of The Fillmore East as many, including myself, always thought). This is my favorite pose by the band that Jim Marshall’s unique lens captured.
There are several definitive sources of information available about The Fillmore East. I refer you to my reference section at the end of this blog post.
As we get closer to celebrating the real 40th anniversary of the closing of The Fillmore East I will update this blog post with any potential celebrations and events. Trust me I plan to take part as fully as I can in those events.
An immensely satisfying book about the Fillmore East authored by Amalie R. Rothschild who worked for the Joshua Light Show and was the official photographer for The Fillmore East. Her camera captured many intimate moments as they occurred during those exciting three years. Live at the Fillmore East, A Photographic Memoir, http://www.amazon.com/Live-Fillmore-East-Photographic-Memoir/dp/1560252790
Rounder Records will release the seven CD box set, Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective on Tuesday March 19th. It will include rare recordings by Duane Allman’s early bands: the Escorts, Allman Joys, the 31st of February, and the Bleus. A 72 page liner notes booklet featuring extensive content is accompanied by a tribute from Allman’s daughter, Galadrielle Allman.
15. Sing A Simple Song>
16. I Wanna Take You Higher
Yossi Pollack's stellar taping is available here: 
