Artist: Big Band of Brothers (Various)
Album: Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band
Label: New West Records
Release Date: 01.02.2020 80
The music of the Allman Brothers Band has been covered in many ways by musicians drawn to bluesy guitar and extended improvisation. The band’s penchant for jams that stretched into the wee hours of the morning and filled two sides of vinyl (think “Mountain Jam”) has always fueled discussions of where the music crossed over into jazz. Big Band of Brothers: A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band goes beyond previous attempts to reinterpret Allman classics with arrangements that rely on saxophone, trumpet and trombone rather than guitar.
Just as the Brothers opened so many of their shows, the album kicks off with “Statesboro Blues,” one of the least satisfying of the ten tracks. A piano intro had me wondering what I was in for: was this going to be a series of lite FM covers of songs originally built around guitar? Fortunately, things picked up from there. Another signature Allmans opener, the hard-rocking “Don’t Want You No More” followed by “It’s Not My Cross to Bear” were more on the mark. Ruthie Foster does an admirable job on vocals, although it’s nearly impossible for anyone to live up to the primal scream and full-throated blues Gregg Allman delivered on “Not My Cross to Bear.”
The album’s best tracks are the instrumentals that always leaned heavily into jazz in terms of composition and musicianship. “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” is the stand-out, with “Hot ‘Lanta” and “Les Brers in A Minor” solid contributors. The arrangement of “Dreams” smartly forgoes vocals in favor of trombone and trumpet solos that work well. Fans who simply cannot conceive of Allman Brothers music without guitar should know that one-time ABB member Jack Pearson sits in on several tracks to add the signature slide guitar that Duane Allman made a cornerstone of the band’s sound.
After a five-year hiatus, yet another iteration of the Allman Brothers Band will return to New York to play Madison Square Garden on March 10 in celebration of the band’s 50th Anniversary. Since the last shows at the Beacon Theatre in 2014, Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks have passed. It won’t be the same, but despite decades of changes, the music of the Allman Brothers Band continues to evolve. Here’s hoping the road goes on forever.
—Lou Montesano
I purchased the LP and found this review to be spot on… as stated the “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” is standout… true to the heart of the Allman Brothers…with the horns giving it the Jazz spirit….a must have for Allman fans and Jazz fans alike..