Gregg Allman ‘Low Country Blues’

By Martin Halo

Gregg Allman, the iconic troubadour and carrier of the Allman Brothers crown, has released his eighth studio album, Low Country Blues on January 18 [Rounder Records]. True to the laid-back Georgian jellyroll, the LP boasts devil bleeding blues covers from Otis Rush, Skip James, and Muddy Waters. Produced by T Bone Burnett, silky guitar picking and Allman’s weathered vocals solidify the vintage listening experience.

“Floating Bridge,” a cover from Sleepy John Estes, begins the recording before leading into Junior Well’s “Little by Little.” Accompanying Allman and filling out the lineup for his first studio album since 1986 is Dr. John on organ and the swamp wail of guitarist Doyle Bramhall II. “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” channels Muddy Waters while the haunting “Devil Got My Woman” extends the lineage back to the Paramount Recordings of Skip James.

Filled with gritty vocals, soulful horn arrangements and warm organ blasts Low Country Blues harnesses the glory of 40+ years from the artistic influences of a musician who created the blueprint for southern rock n’ roll. But shining above all others is the Bobby Bland soul-jerker “Blind Man.”

After battling Hepatitis C in 2007, the energy and drive experienced on Low Country Blues is a defiant and creative solo return for Gregg Allman as the Allman Brothers Band prepares for a month-long stint at the Beacon Theatre in NYC during the Spring.