Artist:     The Allman-Betts Band The Down to the River

Album:     The Down to the River

Label:     BMG

Release Date:     6.28.2019

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The Allman-Betts Band consists of three sons of the prominent members of The Allman Brothers Band,: Devon Allman (guitar, vocals), Duane Betts (guitar, vocals), and Berry Oakley, Jr. (bass), along with guitarist Johnny Stachela, keyboardist John Ginty, drummer John Lum and percussionist R. Scott Bryan.

The Down to the River (BMG) kicks off with that legacy sound of guitars bouncing off the B3 backdrop on the opener, “All Night.” The Betts-Vaughan co-write “Shinin” has Duane on lead vocals and the familiar dueling guitars, with Stachela on a piercing slide. The brief Allman-Adler co-write “Try” follows with signature soulful vocals in the forefront, abetted by background vocals and swirling organ and punchy guitar riffs. Next is the crowd-pleasing title track with Devon again in the lead for one of his best vocals, as the others chime in with their soulful exclamations and economical guitar breaks that stretch out (as do many) in live performance.

“Autumn Breeze,” the album’s longest track at eight minutes plus, features Duane on the vocal lead, and, as the song unfolds, it has those familiar jazz-like guitar-organ sequences that hearken back to their forebearers, with strong interplay between Betts and Stachela again, reminiscent of the great guitar lines from “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Allman takes another soulful turn on his rootsy, melodic, penned “Good ‘Ol Days” with Stachela’s tasteful slide and Levin’s ever present organ underpinning the groove. The guitar-driven “Memories and Melodies,” already a live staple, finds Duane in the lead, with a wealth of background vocals and crisp soloing from Duane. It’s one of the album’s standout tracks due to its eminently memorable chorus and raging guitar support.

The tip to their own heroes comes with Devon’s laid-back but terrific take on Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents” with Pete Levin delivering gorgeous piano and Stachela hitting just the right notes. The closer, “Long Gone” also begins in piano-driven style, with Devon and Duane exchanging vocal leads and combining for a riveting chorus that at one point goes a capella before the band brings it to rousing conclusion. It’s the perfect closer to a well-thought-out album that finds the proper balance between emotional playing and restraint.

About the album, Devon said, “We wanted a classic mid-’70s sounding album but with a freshness to it that Matt helped us get. We tried not to overdub too much.” Duane echoed, “We’re not making a modern rock record.” He described the songwriting as collaborative between himself, Devon and writer Stoll Vaughan, who they flew in on three separate occasions. Recording, done live, took six days with four or five songs being the core, extending to a dozen, from which nine were chosen for the album. Some combination of Devon, Duane and Vaughan have writing credit for most songs the album.

They’re excited and are off to an auspicious start.

—Jim Hynes