A conversation with Gregg Allman
May 28th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Gregg Allman
Gregg Allman does not want to be a nostalgia act.
He constantly reworks The Allman Brothers Band songs such as “Midnight Rider” and “Whipping Post” that made him famous.
He’s been working on a new solo album in partnership with famed producer T Bone Burnett, the man behind the “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou” and “Crazy Heart” soundtracks.
And he’s happy to be on the road, promoting both the new and the old.
Allman chatted with the Northwest Arkansas Newspaper group about his new album and the concert that fans can expect when he plays Sunday (May 30) evening at The Venue at Downstream Casino, located west of Joplin, Mo., on U.S. 44.
Although he’s a household name now, Allman says it almost wasn’t so. He almost wasn’t even a member, he recalls. It was his brother, the late great slide guitar player Duane Allman, that had assembled a band. They were looking for a lead singer, and Duane asked Gregg if he would audition. Gregg did, playing the group four songs that were met with disapproval.
“I was sweating peach pits,” Allman says of that audition.
He then played the song “Dreams,” a tune that found its way to the Allman Brothers Band’s self-titled debut.
Things began to click from that point forward. The band, with Gregg Allman as lead vocalist, sold millions of records and earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the best live bands in the world.
That group remains an active touring group with players such as Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks rounding out the lineup.
But when the Allman Brothers Band is not touring, Gregg often takes his own band, a group that is steeped in the soul and blues, and plays solo shows.
They are playing Allman Brothers songs, in addition to several new songs that are set to be released in January on “Low Country Blues,” an album of obscure blues songs covered by Allman and a backing band that included Dr. John.
To read the full story, you can check it out here, if you a subscriber to our online or print products.
You can also see him live on Sunday. Tickets are $15-$50 and available through the venue or ProTix.