In deserved recognition of the seminal Southern band's final concert a decade ago, The Allman Brothers Band: Live -- Beacon Theatre New York City 10-28-14 has been issued digitally and as a set of three compact discs.
But it's important to note that this is not the first time the recording has been available. It was released right around the time of the event -- if not on that very date -- as part of the 'Instant Live' concert recordings the ABB had been making available for some years.
However, this latest iteration differs in some relatively significant ways. The sound was remastered to noticeable effect by Jason NeSmith, who has done similar work on latter-day projects of the Brothers, such as the 2020 box set Trouble No More: 50th Anniversary Collection.
In addition, the stylized but ultimately generic cover art from the prior edition has been replaced with a panoramic color photo of the band on stage by Derek McCabe, who also did the graphic design work. The clarity and depth of the image correlate to the improved sonics and musicianship contained therein.
Oddly enough (or perhaps not), though, the most stirring moments of the concert recording occur within the thirty minutes or so near the end of its nearly four-hour duration. Not surprisingly, within a rendition of the group's signature instrumental, "Mountain Jam," these intervals are as emphatic as they are mellifluous.
The patient but rabid audience offers instant recognition of the instrumental introduction to "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," after which the intonation in Gregg Allman's voice, as he begins to sing, triggers a flood of emotion: the moving likes of those moments has been curiously absent from earlier portions of this last live performance by this iconic unit.
There as elsewhere during the three sets-the last of which ended on the anniversary of founder/guitarist Duane Allman's passing-the group smolders continuously and threatens to catch fire. Containing virtually every tune a fan would want to hear from the ABB repertoire, the only conspicuous absence is co-founder/guitarist Dickey Betts' glorious instrumental "Jessica" (arguably as egregious an omission as the absence of its author as a participant).
In the end, the final ABB concert's overall selections present an accurate summary of this influential blues-rock group's forty-five-year time together (the titular leader of Gov't Mule devised the setlist). Played by the surviving five ABB members at the funeral of 'Skydog" Allman's 1971 funeral -- and explored on previous nights during this second Beacon run of 2014 -- the gospel above traditional no doubt brought home the truth of the occasion to all the participants as well as the audience.
This performance is thus a microcosm of the autumn run of shows ten years ago at the Brothers' beloved venue. Firsthand reports at the time suggested a discernibly fitful momentum in the playing on the prior five evenings, so in that context, it is perhaps not so confounding that those moments the ensemble comes closest to bursting into flame are not standards like "Dreams," "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'," or "Ain't Wastin' Time No More."
Instead, a jam on the Grateful Dead's "The Other One," emerging out of "Black Hearted Woman," reaffirms why this particular segue was a reliable avenue for extended improvisation for some years. With guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks leading the proverbial charge, the whole group stretches its imagination to maximize its collective firepower.
The two fretboarders are equally moving as they reach upward in their spiraling interplay near the end of the late Betts' other famous tune, "Blue Sky. " In its mention of "...goin' to Carolina," the song clearly carries meaning for Haynes, the native of the northern of the two Dixie states, but his engagement is greater than Trucks' only insofar as he is the lead singer.
In turn, its choice goes a long way in explaining why and how the final numbers played over the near week-long run at their beloved New York City venue reflect their feelings about their history together and these moments of closure. For instance, the near-silences within this "Whipping Post" contrast its otherwise white-hot frenzy and serve as a reminder of why Haynes' and Trucks' interplay was the main attraction of ABB shows in its later years: to watch and hear them complement each other in such uncanny ways was a sublime experience.
In its way, too, this contemporary blues composed by Gregg Allman carries more than a little autobiographical meaning for them. But that's certainly no more so than the final selection, Muddy Waters' "Trouble No More:" introduced by the band's only remaining namesake as the very first song the original Allman Brothers ever played together, the keyboardist/vocalist then caterwauls as if he wrote the words himself.
Meanwhile, as the Haynes/Trucks axis redefines the concept of "slash and burn," the dual drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, plus Marc Quinones on percussion, showcase an intricacy often lost in the years just before this influential series of shows ( a minor stumble during the three's solo spot,"JaBuMa," recalls that adverse phenomenon). Still, this plush sound mix compensates in allowing Oteil Burbridge's bass a prominence it did not always receive in the Upper West Side theater.
The prior release of The Allman Brothers Band: Live -- Beacon Theatre New York City 10-28-14 contained no content to provide historical perspective, but keeping the technical and cosmetic improvements of this package, there's a sixteen-page booklet of photos and prose.
John P. Lynskey's essay might sound a bit overly effusive, but that's certainly understandable, considering the profundity of the milestone in question. Meanwhile, the action shots of the musicians by long-time ABB griot Kirk West-who supervised this release with Lynskey and master archivist Bill Levenson -- reveal both the camaraderie and the sense of purpose these seven musicians shared.
Accordingly, during the most brilliant moments, such as that half-hour above at the conclusion, this last configuration of Allman Brothers delivers a finale as dramatic as the band deserves.