Dear John,
Enjoy your week!!
Sincerely,
Jim Crawford, PBS
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 | | | Considered to be one of the best ever, Duane would have celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday.
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Skydog
Why does Duane Allman's music and vision remain so very much alive today almost 50 years after his death when so many other musicians of his era and caliber have faded into the history books? Duane Allman, founder and visionary leader of the Allman Brothers Band, died in a motorcycle crash on October 29, 1971. He was only 24, and the Allman Brothers Band had been together less than three years. Yet when the Allman Brothers Band played their final shows together in October of 2014, some 40 years later, Duane Allman's presence was still palpable and his spirit seemed to have never left the band after all those years. Why? Why does Duane Allman's music and vision remain so very much alive today 45 years after his death when so many other musicians of his era and caliber have faded into the history books? Duane's vision was both musically grander and more personally modest than the more egocentric Hendrix or Clapton trios Duane Allman's creativity, talent and charisma were all clearly evident long before the Allman Brothers Band's 1969 formation, as can be clearly heard on the splendid 129-track Skydog box set, which includes much of his session work from these pre-Allman Brothers days. However, Duane's continued relevance today-his musical immortality if you will-is not due to his precocious talent alone. It is due in large part to the fact that he never became consumed by his own ego but consciously set out to create something that was larger than himself. For all his charisma, technical facility and musical inspiration, he did not build a band aimed merely at casting a spotlight on himself. And as a result, unlike other greats of his era-Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, etc...-Duane's musical legacy was not cast in amber upon his death. Instead it continued to thrive. develop and adapt over the ensuing decades in the work of the band he founded. His continuing consequence to the very last note the Allman Brothers played is a testament to both the power of group collaboration and the brilliance of his initial, expansive concept: two lead guitars, bass, two drums and baby brother Gregg on organ and vocals. When manager Phil Walden signed Allman in 1968, he envisioned the creation of a group based around a guitar hero in the mold of Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream. But Duane had other ideas. His vision was both musically grander and more personally modest than the more egocentric Hendrix or Clapton trios. "They wanted him to form the Duane Allman Band, but he had something different in mind- something bigger," says drummer Jaimoe, a veteran of Otis Redding, Percy Sledge and other R&B acts who was the first musician Duane asked to join his new band. Adds harmonica player Thom Doucette, "Walden may have wanted a trio but Duane would have never done that. He would have liked to have 16 pieces!" Duane teamed Jaimoe, a hard-swinging player with a passion for jazz and an encyclopedic knowledge of drum history, with Butch Trucks, who earned the nickname Freight Train for his relentless drive. The two created an enormous whole, like a singular organism. On bass, he had Berry Oakley, a former guitarist whose free range conception of his instrument stemmed from a love of Cream's Jack Bruce and the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh. He didn't put this great rhythm section together merely as a platform for his own playing. Great lead guitarists rarely look to share the spotlight, but Duane had something larger in mind: another stellar lead player to help spark him. He found his man in Dickey Betts, who already had a huge local reputation and was playing with Oakley in The Second Coming. Betts had a fantastic knack for crafting melodies inspired in large part by Western Swing, a unique approach that played a huge role shaping the Allman Brothers Band's sound. His melodic licks were a perfect launching pad for Duane's guitar explorations. "All of us were playing in good little bands," says Betts. "But Duane was the guy who had Phil Walden - Otis Redding's manager!- on his tail, anxious to get his career moving... And Duane was hip enough to say, 'Hey Phil, instead of a three-piece, I have a six-piece.' Together, Betts and Allman redefined the possibilities of how two rock guitarists could work together. Inspired by Western Swing, bluegrass and jazz horn duos, they alternated taking leads while also supporting one another with harmonies and counterpoint rather than one player sticking largely with rhythm patterns. "I wish everyone could hear what I heard standing by their amps," says Doucette, a good friend of Allman's who played often with the Allman Brothers and appears on the albums Idlewild South and 'At Fillmore East'. "It's easy to focus on the leads, but the rhythms they laid down for each other were just incredible. Betts and Allman created a template that busted open the possibilities of the instrument and was oft-imitated though never duplicated. "The level of respect and musical love between Dickey and Duane was profound," says Doucette. "What struck me when I first heard them playing together was how they didn't try to outdo each other, but instead supported one another. I had worked with the Butterfield Blues Band in Chicago and all [Paul] Butterfield and [Michael] Bloomfield thought about was wasting one another. Duane didn't have that head-cutting mentality. It was just the opposite; he had his arms wide open to everyone. It was Allman's idea to cover the song, which was a top 5 hit at the time, and he pushed on when the when Pickett and producer Rick Hall scoffed, coming up with an arrangement on the spot. What confidence it took for an unknown 20-year-old session guitarist to argue with a star singer and hit producer. And what brilliant playing it took to create a version of "Hey Jude" that scorched the Beatles' and to craft a solo which caught the ears of many, including Eric Clapton, who once told me that when he heard the song on the radio he ran home to call Atlantic Records and find out who the guitarist was. "With Duane around, nothing was an issue," says Doucette. "People respected him so much that there was no room for anything else. Duane laid it down and it was done, but he never did it like that. He never said, 'This is my band.' Never. Ever." Every member of the Allman Brothers Band and everyone who worked with or was close to the band during their original run reiterates this idea: Duane was a natural born leader who dictated everything and nothing. "His philosophy was get on my back and nobody ever questioned that," says Bunky Odom, who worked for Walden as the Allman Brothers' day-to-day contact. "This was a connected guy," says Doucette. "He was connected to the higher order of the world. I took Duane to New York City and introduced him to all kinds of hip people - artists, theater people. He would show up in ridiculous lime green shoes with that orange hair and, man, he'd just stun these people. He was so charming and smart. He was just incredibly tuned in, and with absolute self-confidence but no ego. It was never about 'me.' That combination of total self confidence, lack of egocentrism, incredible talent and fire is unheard of. " That mix of self-confidence and selflessness infused everything Allman played and it remains stunning. By insisting that he not be the focal point of his band, Allman and crew created a template that ensured his legacy, influence and musical vision would live forever. "It's almost like he's with us," Gregg Allman said of his late brother. "Sometimes when I'm on stage I can feel his presence so strong. It's like he's right there next to me." |
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| Out & About Tuesday, November 22 Blues Review Trio, 8 p.m., Triple 2's, Gilbert Wednesday, November 23 Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Tempe Paris James, 5:30 p.m., II Vinaio, Mesa Bad News Blues Band, Every Wed., 9:30 p.m., Chicago Bar, Tucson Thursday, November 24 Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., Rags, Youngtown M&M Duo, 6 p.m., Camelback Inn, Scottsdale Friday, November 25 Harmonica Showcase, 8:30 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Bryan's BBQ, Cave Creek Rocket 88s, 6 p.m., Desert Eagle Brewing Co., Mesa JC & the Juke Rockers, 6 p.m., Taco Guild, Phoenix Hoodoo Casters, 9 p.m., Sage & Sand, Glendale Blues Review Band, 10 a.m., Arts Festival, Cave Creek Chuck Hall Band, 7:30 p.m., American Italian Club, Phoenix Acme Blues Band, 8 p.m., Tim Finnegan's, Phoenix Sugar Thieves Duo, 7 p.m., Opa Life, Tempe Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., All American, Fountain Hills Paris James, 7 p.m., D'Vine Wine, Mesa Saturday, November 26 Tommy Dukes Blues Band, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix
Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Bryan's BBQ, Cave Creek JC & the Juke Rockers, 6:30 p.m., Janey's, Cave Creek Hoodoo Casters, 8 p.m., Lucky Strikes, Apache Junction Blues Review Band, 10 a.m., Arts Festival, Cave Creek Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., All American, Scottsdale Paris James, 7 p.m., D'Vine Wine, Chandler Sunday, November 27 Francine Reed & Friends, St. Mary's Benefit, Rhythm Room, Phoenix
Blues Review Band, 10 a.m., Arts Festival, Cave Creek
Two Flavor Blues, NOON, Copper Star, Phoenix Monday, November 28 Carvin Jones (acoustic), 6 p.m., Monastery, Mesa |
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| Weekly Jams
Rocket 88s, 6 p.m., Saint Nick's Tavern, Phoenix
Ray Ray & BluZone, 5 p.m., Wild Willy's, Avondale
R.d. Olson JAM, 2 p.m., Sally's BBQ, Prescott
Bourbon Jack's JAM w/Kody Herring, 6 p.m., Chandler Ray Ray & Bluzone Every other Monday, Opa Life Cafe, Tempe
Bam Bam & Badness Open JAM, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
TUESDAY
Gypsy's Bluesday Night JAM, 7 p.m. Pho Cao, Tempe
Front Page Blues Band, EVERY THIRD Tuesday, 6 p.m., Far >From Folsom, Prescott
Tailgaters JAM, 7 p.m., Glendale
WEDNESDAY Rocket 88s, 7 p.m., Chopper John's, Phoenix Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., El Dorado, Scottsdale
Bumpin' Bud's 1st & 3rd Wednesdays JAM, 7 p.m., Marc's, Glendale
THURSDAY Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix Jolie's Place JAM w/Adrenaline, 8 p.m., Chandler Brad's Place JAM, 7 p.m., Ahwatukee (Every other Week) |
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Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter |
Phoenix Blues Society presents Blues Blast 17! This Family Friendly event, held annually at MT Hance Park, brings together the best of local and national Blues artists to ensure a great day of music. As always, children under age 16 are FREE! Artists for this year's event are: Eric Ramsey Sistahs Too, Mike Eldred Trio, Karen Lovely & the Pacific Northwest Allstars and the 2016 IBC winners, The Delgado Brothers. |
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