THE BLUES SUMMIT

Description

Over the first 20 years of his recording career, Devon Allman has clearly shown one thing: he never stops. As an artist and performer, he is constantly in motion, eager to push his limits, always searching for new sources of inspiration and new musicians to collaborate with. This philosophy drives him to create and move forward without pause. That is why his discography, while it includes several solo albums, also includes releases with Honeytribe (with whom he began in 2006), the southern rock supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood, as well as the Allman Betts Band. A constantly evolving résumé, but already worthy of the musical legacy passed down to him by his late father, Gregg Allman, of the legendary Allman Brothers Band. His new project, The Devon Allman Blues Summit, is an exceptional gathering of blues legends that promises to electrify the stage. Once again, this is a decidedly collaborative effort that sees Allman’s core band joined by renowned musicians such as Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larry McCray, Sierra Green, Jimmy Hall and Robert Randolph. But this time, Allman shows a disconcerting willingness to share the spotlight. He does not simply put his guests front and center on this session. On about half of the album’s ten tracks, he lets them take center stage. And since most of his guests are major blues names, the result is one of the bluesiest albums of Allman’s career. As its title suggests: a blues summit. One of the stars of this musical gathering is Jimmy Hall, whom some may know as the singer and harmonica player for the southern rock band Wet Willie or for his collaborations with Jeff Beck. Hall makes his mark on the record almost immediately, singing and unleashing the main theme of “Blues Is A Feelin'”. This track is a towering, muscular, rhythmically driving celebration, performed by eight musicians sharing an obvious passion for the blues. Hall returns to the vocals on the gospel-tinged “Peace To The World” (with Robert Randolph adding his signature pedal steel guitar) and on a loose, rollicking version, complete with handclaps and foot-stomping, of Willie Dixon’s classic “Wang Dang Doodle”. On “Hands And Knees”, Arkansas native Larry McCray takes over on lead vocals and lead guitar, his ringing riffs and smooth tone showing an obvious debt to B.B. King. “Getting' Greasy With It” is another McCray composition well served by Allman and company. This funky near-instrumental is laced with horns and carries the stamp of Memphis — unsurprising since it features the famed Memphis Horns, guests on three tracks in total. Although The Blues Summit was recorded at Sawhorse Studio in Saint Louis, echoes of Memphis are often heard, as shown by “Real Love”; this slow, sensual soul ballad written by Allman features New Orleans singer Sierra Green on vocals. Among Allman’s other songs are “After You”, the album opener “Runners In The Night” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on lead guitar) and the closing track “Midnight Lake Erie”, a melancholy instrumental that follows “Midnight Lake Michigan” from his 2014 album Ragged & Dirty. Yet more than any other track on The Blues Summit, it is a cover that shows just how much Allman is still looking forward rather than back. Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” has already been blown wide open. However, by taking liberties with the song’s familiar structure and adding thick layers of rhythm guitar where they are least expected (a nod to guitarist and co-producer Jackson Stokes is in order), Allman breathes new life into the track and makes it surprisingly his own. Devon Allman knows he is the standard-bearer for the new Allman musical generation. Anyone who has seen him live in recent years will remember that his sets often include Allman Brothers classics. Once again, with The Blues Summit, he proves that he is a man in full, a team player capable of bringing together diverse talents to create beautiful bluesy noise.