Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Catch the midnight riders

Allman Brothers ramble into Ketchum

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

The Bravo summer concerts continue Tuesday, July 6 with a live show featuring the Southern rock stylings of a legendary band.

Greg Allman Photo by David N. Seelig

Some bands transcend mere genres, some create them. It might be surprising to some that the Allman Brothers Band was as influential in its day as the Miles Davis was in his or U2 in theirs.

The Allman Brothers Band appears Tuesday, July 6 at Bravo Entertainment’s Coors Light Sun Valley-Ketchum Outdoor Pavilion in Ketchum. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the show commencing at 7 p.m.

Southern rock simply didn’t exist until a wicked slide guitarist named Duane Allman gathered Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, Dickey Betts, Jaimoe Johanny Johanson (cq) and then scooped up baby brother Greg to form The Allman Brothers Band. Duane was already a much sought after session musician, but once the band jelled into the wall of jamming Southern rock, he became a legend and the band flourished.

In 1971 Rolling Stone magazine called the band "the best rock and roll band this country has produced in the past five years."

After several hit albums, including "Live at Fillmore East," The Allman Brothers were honored to be the last act to play at the legendary Fillmore East in New York before it closed.

Almost from the beginning, the band perfected a sound that effortlessly combined rock, blues, country and jazz on such tunes as "Dreams," "Revival," "Ain’t Wasting Time," "Melissa," and "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed."

Sadly, Duane Allman was killed in 1971 in a motorcycle accident in Georgia when he collided with a truck. The album they were producing at the time, "Eat A Peach" is considered by many one of the best rock albums ever made. The title of the album comes from a quote of Duane’s: "Every time I’m in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."

Oakley was also killed in a motorcycle accident in 1972, a block from where his friend Duane had been killed.

After some musical and personal frays, the band is in it’s finest reincarnation in sometime. Betts is gone but the heart and soul of the band remains. The group these days includes Greg, original drummers Johanson and Trucks, guitarist Warren Haynes of the band Gov't Mule, percussionist Marc Quinones, bassist Oteil Burbridge and slide/lead guitarist Derek Trucks (Butch's nephew).

More recently, when the Wall Street Journal reviewed their 2003 album "Hittin' the Note" and said it "may be their best studio album in almost 30 years." And that’s with the current band, that yes, includes real Allmans.

The opening act is Chris Robinson and the New Earth Mud.

The ex-Black Crowes’ front man Robinson has toned down his wild man grunge act with a new band, tossing around tunes full of honky-tonk country, New Orleans funk, boogie woogie, reggae, gospel and heavy blues. New Earth Mud features Robinson on guitars and vocals, Paul Stacy on guitar, keyboards and bass, his brother Jeremy Stacey on drums and Matt Jones on keyboards.

Tickets are available for the show at Atkinsons’ Markets or on ticketweb.com.

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