The Allman Brothers Band – Final Concert, 10/28/14 (3-CD)
Review
There is an especially poignant photo in the modest booklet that accompanies this three-CD set honoring the final concert of The Allman Brothers Band. It’s a black-and-white picture of three remaining founding members- Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe; (co-founder Dickey Betts was not in this lineup). In a simple, humble snapshot that respectfully accentuates the greying of this trio of aged musicians, we see 55 years of the road coming to a dignified and gracious close at the group’s home away from home, onstage at the Beacon Theatre.
The passing, in 2017, of Allman and Trucks all but guaranteed that this performance in October of 2014 was, indeed, the last one. The band, at the time, suspected it could be, announcing it would be the culminating event, and delivered one of its longest shows ever, covering the breadth of the Brothers career- from seminal blues to ethereal, jazz-infused instrumental bliss to brilliant songcraft. It also came with the plenty of the unexpected.
“Little Martha” had been, for years, cast as pre-recorded walk-out music; the studio version playing as the house lights came up at the end of the night. Instead, here it is a starter, executed delicately by guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, leading into a surprising and ferocious “Mountain Jam” that would also reprise three hours later. Too, the beginning was the end, with a “Trouble No More” finale; the Muddy Waters cover and first song the band every played, back in 1969, bookending over five decades. In between, it was an Allman Brothers Band concert like no other.
This refurbished, 10th anniversary collection has been dressed up a bit; remastered, and with the new, aforementioned booklet that includes a touching and reflective essay by the longtime ABB archivist John Lynskey. The sonics on the trio of discs are fantastically robust and immediate- to the point that the rabid, supportive remarks of some of the NYC faithful are caught clearly on mic- putting the listener in the front row of the Beacon. As for the show itself, it’s indicative of what was so impressive about this particular unit.
Allman’s voice, through its chipping patina, still grabs, hold and haunts. Trucks and Jaimoe, augmented by percussionist Marc Quinones, roll down the tracks with a full belly of steam. Oteil Burbridge’s bass work is peerless. And the guitar duo of Haynes and Derek Trucks comes closest to the impossible- equaling the majestic six-string symbiosis of Betts and Duane Allman.
Make no mistake, this is no requiem. For fans of The Allman Brothers Band, this is an absolutely vibrant, celebratory keeper. And, for any dedicated music fan, it is historic; a final presentation of some of the finest American music ever written and performed.
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— Larson Sutton, jambands.com
Product Details
Forty-five years after they first took the stage together, the Allman Brothers Band closed the book on one of rock's great live institutions at the Beacon Theatre, the Manhattan venue they'd called home for over two decades of spring and fall residencies. This three-disc document captures every note of that farewell night, a bittersweet send-off for a band that redefined what American guitar music could be and do.
Three CD set. The final show of their final six-night stand at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, October 2014.
Tracklist
Disc 1
Disc 2
Disc 3
UPC: 810347013485
Label: Peach Records Associ
Release Date: 11.22.24
Format: CD