novablues concert review
Allman Brothers Band
As teams of searchers scoured the ocean for
clues in the July 17th downing of TWA Flight 800, 70 miles to the west
the Allman Brothers Band was cleansing the spirit of Long Island, recapturing
the vibes first cooked up a generation ago and venturing out into uncharted
territory. Unlike so many other bands first active in the late '60's and
early 70's who are on the road this summer, the Allmans are not content
to rehash old glories, but are exploring new musical ideas and taking their
fans along for the ride.
It would be hard to imagine a more perfect
day for a concert; warm and dry, bright sunny skies, everyone enjoying
their Sunday at the beach. The Jones Beach Amphitheater is entirely open-air
and provides convenient amenities for concertgoers - ample parking and
restrooms and above-average refreshments (but no alcoholic beverages).
After a good set by opener God Street Wine, a good NYC jammin' favorite,
the crowd was comfortable and ready.
For those who had been attending the Furthur
Festival, the exuberant crowd reaction to the Allmans stood in contrast
to the spotty and often-restrained response to the bands at the Furthur
shows. After bringing the crowd into the music with Statesboro Blues
and Midnight Rider, the jamming began with a nice Blue Sky
and just kept going.
About 45 minutes into the show, all pretense of conforming
to conventional song form was dropped as the band went into In Memory
of Elizabeth Reed, moving past the main themes and into
searing
solos by Dickie Betts and Warren Haynes, each of whom took the jam into
improvisational free-flight, beyond the point where the individual playing
styles of either musician could be recognized. The jam broke off into a
percussion groove, which was followed by an Allen Woody showcase, touching
on the Other One and The Eleven themes before settling into Lovelight,
at which point the rest of the band reappeared, jammed some more and finished
up Elizabeth Reed.
The audience, riveted by the music, barely aware
of their surroundings, and expecting to cool down, was lured into a slow
groove as Gregg started Dreams. But ten minutes later, the respite
was over, as Betts and Haynes, overflowing with new ideas, once again ignited
a jam which found a groove somewhere between mathematical precision and
emotional release. There were other highlights of the show - Haynes' Worried
Down With the Blues and Hootchie Coochie Man, and Betts' Back
Where It All Begins, but the Allmans' had proved themselves after Dreams. The
amazed and satisfied audience brought the band back for the crowd-pleaser
No One to Run With, the visuals for which prominently featured Garcia,
and a fine One Way Out.
Yes, the spirit of the Grateful Dead lives, but
not where you would first think to look. Through hard work and musical
dedication, the Allmans are taking that spirit to the next level - catch
them if you can.
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