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Blues Year’s Eve– Gregg Allman with JJ Grey and Mofro- The Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL 12/31/13

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Concert Review– Gregg Allman, with JJ Grey and Mofro– The Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL, 12/31/13

Gregg Allman and Band rock the Florida Theatre on New Years' 2013

Gregg Allman and Band rock the Florida Theatre on New Year’s 2013

” But I’m not gonna let ’em catch me, no; not gon’ let ’em catch the Midnight Rider “-
Gregg Allman, ” Midnight Rider ”

So who were those hellhounds on the trail of the Midnight Rider? The law? Jealous husband’s posse? Or could it have been Father Time, stalking even the most elusive of us, bearing down until every horse had fallen under our saddles, every step in flight had ground to a halt? Or could one bearded Pale Rider outrun even Time itself?

Back in the late 60s, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, the frontman for a Jacksonville based band, the Allman Joys, phoned his brother Duane to ask that he leave his rising career as a session guitarist in Muscle Shoals and L.A. and come east to start a new band. Based in Macon, GA, the Allman Brothers roared out of the South behind a two-drummer, twin lead guitar lineup playing a blues/rock hybrid that gave free rein to jammy solos and soulful vocals. Soon they headlined festivals, sold millions of records, and won fans worldwide, their career arc culminating in the 1970 release of one of the greatest live LPs ever, ” Live at the Fillmore East ” . Sadly, Brother Duane and bassist Berry Oakley died in motorcycle wrecks months apart within a few blocks of their beloved Big House headquarters and residence in Macon, and now rest peacefully in a lovely local cemetery.

Gregg shows off his guitar chops on an extended break from the keys

Gregg shows off his guitar chops on an extended break from the keys, alongside Scott Sharrard.

But the music lived on with new band members, surviving the departure of original lead  guitarist Dicky Betts and various personal triumphs and tragedies. And no one put more miles on the odometer than Gregg, with his confidante Scooter Herring puking on the band to the DEA, a head-spinning marriage to Cher Bono, tattoo-contracted Hepatitis,  and constant touring in the headwind  of musical trends from punk to disco to grunge threatening to  marginalize every genuine blues rocker into obscurity. But like the song says,  ” the road goes on forever.. and I’ve got one more silver dollar…”

Today the Allman Brothers Band features guitarists Derek Trucks ( whose uncle Butch is an original member on drums) and Warren Haynes, both named by Rolling Stone as among the 50 top axemen of all time ( both just announced this year as their last with the ABB – Ed.), and tours as a unit when Derek and wife Susan Tedeschi are not on the road with their Grammy-winning band, Haynes is on break from Government Mule, and Gregg is not touring with his own band. And as Father Time bore down on 2013 on Florida’s First Coast, the Midnight Rider took his act into the Florida Theatre before a hard-sellout crowd of ABB fans from three generations.

JJJ Grey and Mofro

JJJ Grey and Mofro serve up some home cookin’ to the locals!

The promoters could not have scored a better opener than local favorite JJ Grey and Mofro, who would ordinarily have been rocking the Freebird LIve, a Jax Beach venue owned by Ronnie Van Zandt’s widow Judy, during their annual 3-night New Year’s run that has become legend in these parts. JJ has stubbornly refused to follow any trends or commercial leads, instead hammering away at his very own blend of blues, soul, R and B, with a smattering of rock. JJ’s love for the swamps and backwaters of the undeveloped Florida woods pours out in his lyrics and music, especially tunes like ” Lochloosa “, which prompted an amazing singalong by the packed house. The number of fans who knew JJ’s material was staggering for a guy whose name is unknown nationally and never will have a ” hit “, much less care. His set was wildly received, and the humbly amiable frontman wore a shit-eating grin throughout, no doubt prompted by the show of love from the locals.

Grey led Mofro through a rousing set of favorites, including ” 99 Shades of Crazy “,” Country Ghetto”,  ” Brighter Days”,  ” Ybor City “, and a tribute and wave to his daughter in the house , ” The Sweetest Thing”. His stage banter and mid-song freestyling were alternatively poignant and hilarious, with down-home philosophizing on the beauty of Old Florida and the inanity of his childhood preference of a Big Mac over the native foods he loves today: ” I didn’t want no okra… I didn’t want no blackeyed peas… I didn’t want no Silver Queen corn fresh off the cob!” Grey’s unabashed sincerity and embrace of American roots music forms show his artistic integrity, and drive his steadfast fan loyalty and fellow musicians’ respect.

The extended ovation for Mofro was exceeded only by the roar when Gregg strode onstage, waved, and climbed behind the Hammond B3. Back off, Father Time!

Scott Sharrard steps into the limelight, effortlessly

Scott Sharrard steps into the limelight, effortlessly covering those Duane Allman and Dicky Betts solos the crowd came to hear.

With the opening lines of ” Statesboro Blues ” , the lead track from ” Live At the Fillmore East” rocking the house, the sellout crowd knew they were in the presence of Blues Rock Royalty. Following his solo ” I’m No Angel “,  Gregg chose heavily from the ABB catalog, with ” Ain’t Wastin’ Time”, ” Hot ‘Lanta “, ” Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ ” ,  ” Whipping Post “, and yes, ” Midnight Rider ” . Gregg stepped off the Hammond B3 stool to join Scott Sharrard on guitar for several tunes, including ” Melissa”, and Jackson Browne’s ” These Days “.  Despite the years and the mileage, his voice was amazingly strong, with no apparent loss of tone or range. To the delight of the crowd, Sharrard managed to wail unerringly through the well-known Skydog and Betts solos on the ABB standards, with the rhythm section and horns keeping pace.  The band closed with Sonny Boy Williamson’s    ” One Way Out “, another ABB war horse, and the celebration ended as the New Year began.

Father Time rounded up the hellhounds and waved goodnight, as the Baby New Year cried in vain for another encore. The Midnight Rider escaped again!

Were you at the rock show?

Were you at the rock show?

Our Florida correspondent Nanker Phledge sends special thanks to the Florida Theatre security for clearing out the pinheads who constantly stand in front of the stage shooting video on tiny cameras that will never be watched by anyone. Props to you!

Midnight up in Morrison– Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, JJ Grey and Mofro

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Concert Review– Tedeschi/Trucks Band- Red Rocks, Morrison, CO 6/15/13

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You’ll just have to take my word that’s Susan and Derek. Please ask the boss to buy me better seats! The background is no banner; those are real rocks!

The First Family of the Blues brought their traveling road show back to the nation’s finest outdoor concert venue on Saturday night, still rolling from the momentum of Grammy awards, fawning press accolades, and sellout crowds generated by 2011’s ” Revelator” and last year’s live release ” Everybody’s Talkin’ “. This time, the band brought along their Northeast Florida homeboy JJ Grey with his swamp funk band Mofro and the former blues artist craving mass appeal Grace Potter in her ” sparkly white bathrobe ” (her words, not mine) for six solid hours of inspired funk, rock, blues and jazz that stoked a packed house eager to start the summer season in style. With the Phillies’ pitching staff surrendering basehits like batting practice, our arrival from Coors Field at the venerable Red Rocks was well into JJ Grey’s set, but we could hear the roaring approval of the crowd from the parking lot, where scalpers and failed Craigslist ticketshoppers pleaded in vain for spare ducats. From his backwoods hideout on the far westside of Jacksonville, JJ Grey has managed to craft his own blend of country, folk, rock, and funky blues into a style all his own, informed by a childhood on the rivers and swamps of Cracker Florida and a strong environmental conscience. JJ has become a regular on the summer festival scene and his New Year’s stands at the Freebird in Jax Beach are local legends, but his roots chops have also supported gigs like his leading of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Promise to catch your full set next time, JJ !

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Grace Potter on stage and on the big screen, shortly before going Sharon Stone on us!

When Grace Potter appeared on the national scene some ten years ago, she lead a blues-based band playing originals and covers in a humble, unassuming style that made one think she’d slowly grow into a respected artist with a modest following. Her first shows at the Florida Theatre and  Springing the Blues were well received, but when she returned two years ago it was as if she’d fallen under a Svengali’s spell that lead her to dress like Tina Turner, dance like Madonna, and shriek like Yoko Ono. Her songs now tend toward arena anthems and bombastic hard rock, and her bookings and sales would indicate the public embraces her new persona. The set at Red Rocks had plenty of the light-show effects and screaming vocals atop searing guitars, but the best moments were when she dropped the rock-star image and showcased her voice within a comfortable register. The set’s highlight was when the band went acoustic and gathered around Grace for a mini-break that included Jerry Garcia’s Grateful Dead classic, ” Friend of the Devil “, though some would argue for the moment when Grace sat on the drum riser to take off her heels, with that white robe revealing miles of leg and evoking Sharon Stone in ” Basic Instinct”. Gabba Gabba Hey! And Grace pulled many of the aging rockers out of their seats with the band’s encore of the Black Sabbath anthem ” War Pigs “. As Grace said early on, ” we like to mix it up a little “, and she had something for everyone on this night.

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Susan and Derek on the big screen well after midnight

Susan Tedeschi had a successful career as a blues singer and guitarist before her marriage to Derek Trucks, nephew of long-time Allman Brothers drummer Butch and namesake of the Clapton monicker from Eric’s brief halcyon days with Duane ” Skydog ” Allman. The slide guitar prodigy was playing onstage with BB King at age 15, and soon moved into the Allmans lineup alongside Warren Haynes in what now stands as the most potent blues/rock band in America when Derek, Warren, and Gregg Allman’s  schedules permit touring together. After their marriage, Derek and Susan continued separate touring and recording, with occasional appearances together, such as the holiday concerts with family and friends at the Florida Theatre. Many observers concluded that Derek’s desire to explore jazz and big-band sounds would never mesh with Susan’s blues roots , but they managed to find common ground without compromising their talents and instincts on         ” Revelator “, and have toured relentlessly since. Their band includes keyboards, three horn players, and two backup singers, and much of the material begins with blues or rock and expands into jazzy improvisation. Saturday’s set included ” Don’t Let Me Slide ” and    ” Midnight Up In Harlem ” from ” Revelator “, and several new tunes from the next CD, scheduled for release on August 27. Typically, they threw in several well-chosen covers that turned out to be highlights of the evening, with Elmore James’  ” The Sky Is Crying “, and Bobby Whitlock’s Dominoes rocker, ” Anyday ” showcasing Susan’s powerfully expressive vocals and Derek’s controlled fret frenzies. The encore brought another tasty treat, with Grace returning ( this time in an impossibly short skirt that barely covered her honkytonk badonkadonk ) to trade verses with Susan on John Prine’s  ” Angel From Montgomery “.

By this time it was well past midnight. The natural mountain amphitheater was lashed by winds that were chilling even hardy fans and playing havoc with equipment. Susan  politely thanked everyone for staying through the six-hour musical marathon, and we trudged down the hill to the parking lot to resume lives delightfully interrupted by the Rock Show.

—Your Mile High correspondent, Nanker Phledge