your head and heart. Don't want to sound dramatic here, but, it was truly a once in a lifetime happening, even though I have been involved in many other great live musical evenings and truly historical recording ses- sions, it's all too much. Meeting and hanging back stage at the iconic Carnegie Hall with Muddy Waters wasn't too shabby; the private party at the top of the Time-Life building with a crazy mish-mash of well-known and not so well-known characters from the New York City art and music scene of the day. The tour was well routed and we played
the finest theaters in the cities we visited. There weren't any sports stadium, non-musi- cal venues that would have been a drag for the audience and the musicians to have to try and enjoy a beautiful musical experience. The rides on the bus to the next gigs
with everyone joking, laughing and singing after an exhilarating, sold out show at the best theaters in the biggest American cities. Two tours, actually, another with private plane and limos to meet you at late night landings and whisk you to one of the finest hotels in whatever city you happen to arrive at that night. I must say, the tour with the bus was
much less exhausting than the "private flight" tour. Somehow it was more relaxing to just get on a solid, steady rollin' vehicle that gave you time to lay back, after all, it was the Laid Back tour! (Laughs)
While I have you here, I'd like to ask you a question that I am sure you get all the time. Would you describe Duane Allman for those of us who never had the opportunity of meet- ing him? Yes, I have been asked that over and over through the years, and every time I am asked it becomes more apparent how weak and in- competent words are to try and explain the wit, energy and love of life that Duane em- anated. A multi-leveled young man, that's one thing we seem to forget, how young we all
were in those days of constant creativity and really faithful in- nocence. Of course, even though he was well be- yond his 24 years, still the youth- fulness raised its carefree head often too. He was a kind human being who gave
his all in many ways, the world would be a better place if everyone could have a "Duane" cross their path at some time in their journey on this Earth. He and I had some great times just talking quietly at the back of a flight from San Diego to Atlanta or standing with each other at slow moments in the studio, electric guitars hanging on the shoulders, no amps, just picking out favorite licks and sharing each others love of certain chord changes and rhythms and why they made you feel the way they did. Cool friendship, living the dream for real. I used to love to see his long, quick, skinny-legged walk into the studio at times and hear him blurt out something like, "Al- right, let's play, damn it! And, playing meant sharing the song, being musical, each doing what was necessary to make a song a moving, living entity that could put life into a seem- ingly lifeless, tired time. That's what Duane was best at and tried to do, I'm not telling anybody anything by saying that, thank God, the world has heard it in his playing! Can I get a witness?
Tommy Talton’s latest album is Somewhere South of Eden. Available everywhere.
This interview is dedicated to the memory of Gregg Allman & Johnny Sandlin
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66
