One liver transplant later, and Gregg Allman is thankful to still be alive and kicking. But to still make music at a level that rivals his best days with the Allman Brothers Band — well, that must make life for the 63-year-old legend all that much sweeter. With Low Country Blues, Allman’s first solo album in almost two decades on Rounder Records with T Bone Burnett producing, how could he miss? Burnett’s track record, which includes the Oscar-winning soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, as well as albums with Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and John Mellencamp, is overtly impressive. When you factor in that Allman is a veteran southern rock artist, custom-made for Burnett’s brand of alt-country flavorings, you just have to assume this record has all the makings of greatness. And your assumption wouldn’t be too far off.
Like Rick Rubin did with Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, Burnett has a tendency to tap into a deeper well residing inside of certain artists. Anyone with ears can see Plant, whom many fans would rather see fronting a reunited Led Zeppelin, has been transformed from a golden-throated, hard rockin’ god into an edgy country crooner with a vintage sheen. A complete makeover wasn’t necessary in Gregg Allman’s case. Instead, Burnett gathered together a batch of well-worn blues tunes, assembled a tight-fisted combination of players, stripped down the arrangements to raw, yet refined accompaniment, and placed Allman’s distinctive drawl square in the middle.
Drop the needle on Sleepy John Estes’ “Floating Bridge” and prepare for a smooth, bluesy ride. Junior Wells’ “Little By Little” moves at a similar, juke-joint tempo, but is driven largely by Allman’s Hammond B3 and the fluid guitar lines of Doyle Bramhall II. The singer’s take on Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman” definitely wears the tone of classic ABB, but it’s Allman & Warren Haynes’ lone original composition, “Just Another Rider,” that will probably get seasoned Peachheads excited.
Elsewhere, the rootsy toosy acoustic swing of something like “I Believe I’ll Go Back Home” and the solemn steadiness of “Rolling Stone” dig deeper, capturing the singer’s true grit. In the old days, one could get lost in the moans and groans of Gregg Allman as he wailed through the verses of “Whipping Post.” These days, the controlled and weathered resonance that’s implanted itself into the man’s voice is a little more convincing. The fact that T Bone Burnett was able to bring that out throughout Low Country Blues would likely make older Allman brother Duane proud.
~ Shawn Perry
