News

Legendary Drummer Butch Trucks Has Passed Away At Age 69 January 25, 2017 08:38

Legendary drummer and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Butch Trucks, has passed away at age 69.  The news was confirmed early this morning by Trucks' cousin, Lee, as well as the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival.  The cause of death is currently unknown.  

Trucks helped form The Allman Brothers Band in 1969, along with Duane Allman (guitar), Gregg Allman (vocals and organ), Dickey Betts (guitar), Berry Oakley (bass), and fellow drummer Jai Johanny Johanson. Together, the two drummers developed a rhythmic drive that would prove crucial to the band. Trucks laid down a powerful conventional beat while the jazz-influenced Johanson added a second laminate of percussion and ad libitum cymbal flourishes, seamlessly melded into one syncopated sound.

Trucks would be one of the constants in the band until their disbandment in 2014 and continued playing after that with various projects including his Freight Train Band. Trucks also led the Les Brers project, featuring numerous ABB alumni and put together various Allman-related superjams at festivals like Wanee.  He is survived musically by nephews Derek Trucks (Tedeschi Trucks Band) and Duane Trucks, who plays drums for both Widespread Panic and Hard Working Americans.

Watch this 1984 interview with Butch Trucks and Dickey Betts here:


Gregg Allman Cancels All Scheduled Dates Through January November 9, 2016 10:17

As a result of continued health issues, Gregg Allman has announced that he is cancelling all scheduled performances through January of 2017. In a statement on his website Allman says:

“This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do in a long, long, time. I’ve been on the road for 45 years because I live to play music with my friends for my fans. As much as I hate it, it’s time for me to take some real time off to heal.

“Not making a show is a really hard decision for me because I want to play so bad, but it’s also hard on my partners and fans who make plans to be with me. I never want to put anybody in a bad spot. I’m so grateful for the people that I work with and for the fans that come to my shows and I want to be at my best for all of them. That means I’m going to have to wait until I’m feeling really good, not just good enough like I have been. Good enough isn’t working for us all.”

Watch Gregg Allman perform "Whipping Post" earlier this year at Wannee here:

Allman's Winery shows in New York originally slated for this month will now take place in July. His southern dates from late December into January will not take place but have not been rescheduled as yet.  The complete information regarding a ticket exchange for the Cty Winery performances appears below:


Dear Gregg Allman Ticket Holders,

It is with great regret that we reach out to inform you of Gregg Allman’s postponement of his 2016 run at City Winery due to a recent vocal injury requiring additional rest.

The rescheduled dates are as follows: July 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17

With this rescheduling, you have a few options of what to do with your tickets:

1.Transfer your tickets for November x directly to x day, July x. If you have a standing room ticket, your standing room ticket will be honored on July x. If you have seated tickets, your exact seats will be secured for July x.

2.If you would prefer to upgrade or seek out different ticketing options for one of the other dates (July x,x,x…), we will be happy to issue you store credit for easy check out AND we will see that you are provided with EXCLUSIVE access to Gregg Allman tickets, three weeks in advance of the general public sale date (to be announced).

If the above options are not applicable, we will see that you are provided with a full refund of your tickets. Please note that refunded ticket holders will not be eligible for the above noted exclusive pre sale period.

Please let us know your preference of direct transfer, store credit or refund by Friday, November 18th so that we might best accommodate you. We will answer inquiries in the order they were received as quickly as possible and do our absolute best to accommodate requests.

Though Gregg will not be performing on Wednesday, November 9th or Thursday, November 10th, we invite you to join us for a free concert featuring the Gregg Allman Band. Doors will open at 6pm for the 8pm performance. We would love to have you join us regardless of what you decide to do with your tickets.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask that you join us in wishing Gregg a speedy recovery. We’ll see you here for another show soon!


Watch Members of The Allman Brothers Band Join The String Cheese Incident at Peach Fest August 14, 2016 03:34

Photo by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen

After learning that Gregg Allman would be taking time off from the road to due "serious health issues," The Peach Festival was unfortunately forced to cancel the highly anticipated Gregg Allman Incident scheduled for this weekend.  Fortunately, adjustments were quickly made to arrange The Allman Brothers Family Incident, which occurred during the first of two sets from The String Cheese Incident on Friday night.  Throughout the set, the band welcomed former Allman Brothers' drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, bassist Oteil Burbridge, percussionist Marc Quiñones, and guitarist Jack Pearson.

The set kicked off with "Statesboro Blues," and was followed by ABB hits such as "Midnight Rider," "Melissa," "Ain't Wastin' Time No More," Bob Dylan's "Quinn The Eskimo," and an lengthy jam on "Jessica" > "Drums" > "Jessica."  Video footage from "Jessica," Trouble No More," and "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" can be watched below, and a complete setlist from Friday nights show can also be found. 

Watch the band's 17-minute "Jessica" here:
-
-

Watch a clip from "Trouble No More" here:

Watch a clip from "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" here:

The String Cheese IncidentPeach Music Festival; Scranton, PA

Set I: Statesboro Blues, Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Melissa, Outside & Inside, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn), Jessica > Drums > Jessica

Set II: Can’t Wait Another Day, Believe > Dudley’s Kitchen, Song In My Head > Sirens > BollyMunster, Close Your Eyes, It Is What It Is > Colorado Bluebird Sky

Source: friendsofcheese.com


Watch Gregg Allman & Luther Dickinson Sit-In with Tedeschi Trucks Band in Charlotte July 25, 2016 15:03

Tedeschi Trucks Band continued it's Wheels of Soul summer tour over the weekend, bringing their world class live performance to both Atlanta and Charlotte.  With both Los Lobos and North Mississippi Allstars currently on tour with TTB, the collaborations have come early and often this tour.  Saturday night in Alpharetta saw the likes of Col. Bruce Hampton and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) join TTB for a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful," before Hampton exited and left Dickinson on stage for both "Leaving Trunk" and "Midnight in Harlem."

Shortly after, Widespread Panic (and Aquarium Rescue Unit) guitarist Jimmy Herring took to the stage and traded licks with Trucks on "I Want More." Dave Idalgo, Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), and Cody Dickinson (NMA) would then help TTB close out the set with "The Storm."  Luther (Dickinson) would appear once more in the encore for a cover of Joe Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends."

The epic sit-ins would continue on Sunday night at Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre.  Gregg Allman would unite with his Allman Brothers bandmate Derek Trucks (with a little help from Dickinson) for a powerful performance of the Allman Brothers Band classic, "One Way Out."  Thankfully, youtube user Josh Daniel was there to capture the magic.

Watch Tedeschi Trucks Band perform "One Way Out" with Gregg Allman & Luther Dickinson here:

Setlist: Tedeschi Trucks Band at Uptown Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC - 07.24.16

Set: It Ain't Easy, Don't Know What > The Letter, Something, Within You Without You > Just As Strange, One Way Out*, Color of the Blues, Keep On Growing#, That Did It, I Want More, Let Me Get By

Encore: Going Down To Mexico, Let's Go Get Stoned

* = w/ Gregg Allman and Luther Dickinson
# = w/ David Hidalgo

[Setlist via Tedeschi Trucks Band Fans Post]