All Blues Episodes

Living in the shadow of a family member is nothing anyone truly wants to deal with. Particularly, when your parent, is a musician in a world famous band who is adored by millions of people. Following in their footsteps, can be, and likely is a daunting task, but being able to carve out a niche for yourself with the rich history of a last name, can and is brave and noble. Such is the case for Devon Allman who has trudged through the music industry for some twenty years, and Duane Betts who has done the same, for quite some time. Needless to say, both thrive on their father’s legacies and talent but more to the point have become great musicians in their own right. We have spoken to both individually, but recently got the chance to catch up with them both on tour as part of the Devon Allman Project. You can learn more about the Devon Allman Project at devonallmanproject.com. Check out the new Duane Betts EP Sketches of American Music wherever you listen to music or at duanebetts.com.

Warren Haynes, has been a favorite musician of mine, and indeed the scene dating back to his time with the Dickey Betts Band, his subsequent tenure with The Allman Brothers Band, and more recently and since, with his own outfit Gov’t Mule. Along the way, he’s played in other projects including the Dead, Phil and Friends, and as solo artist, and with various symphonies playing the works of Jerry Garcia. He is, for all intents and purposes one of the most prolific live guitar players of our generation, and his sound, both his singing and his playing are unmistakable and undeniable. Now over two decades since forming Gov’t Mule with the late Allen Woody and Matt Abts, Haynes continues his assault with that band, and it remains his main focus. Gov’t Mule will be out on the road all spring and summer, and you likely want to see them wherever you are, especially, if you can catch some of these Dark Side of the Mule performances that also have The Avett Brothers and Magpie salute on the bill…

Truth be told when I first hit play on this record I was a touch confused. Matthew was dubbed as blues instrumentalist, who has played with Charlie Musslewhite, but what I heard was something totally different. A bit of a mind bender to be sure. You see Matthews music combines all kinds of genres like garage rock, psychadelic rock, acid blues, and afrobeat. But a man, with the talent that Matthew Stubbs brings to the table shouldn’t be pigoen holed into any sort of genre. His guitar playing is tenacious yet melodic. He blends riffs with melodies and attacks you sonically with a bevy of takes. Actually, its a very refreshing record, and if you listen right through, to his record, you’ll quickly find that he has created a great soundtrack for your day. Since the record has been out, I’ve enjoyed multiple spins, and the record itself has been lauded within the jam band community.

SIMO is a band that is difficult to define, and I am not sure you need to. They are a traditional power trio featuring namesake JD Simo on guitar with Elad Shapiro and Adam Abrashoff making up the rhythm section. We sat down with JD recently to get an understanding of why it is so hard to define his band. Intriguing and somewhat mysterious, marks that define a true artist. I suspect we will hear a lot more from SIMO as JD and the band continue to develop their sound.

Hannah Wicklund is a 20 year old that brings a very mature sonic presence, and I think you’ll agree both her playing and singing is solid for anyone of any age. Hannah wears her influences on her sleeve, and her 3rd record, this one self titled, will no doubt be her break through. We caught up with Hannah while she was on the road, and our conversations started when I asked just how young she was when she got started…

When we caught up with Devon Allman a few months back, he was all jazzed about his new project, and getting to share the stage with Duane Betts in the Devon Allman Project. We’ve been playing tag with Duane on Instagram ever since, and we finally had the chance to sit down and chat. Dude is busy with gigs on both American coasts. For those who don’t know, Duane is quite an accomplished musician, having played and sat in with countless bands, and his own outfit The Pistoleers. He brings an eclectic rock n’ roll sound that spans the genres, but there is absolutely no mistaking his guitar playing and now his singing. We spoke to Duane about carrying on his dad Dickie’s legacy, making music with Devon Allman, and of course his own projects.

G.Love is actually Garrett Dutton, a Philadelphia native who toiled in clubs and bars playing his brand of hip hop blues before getting to Boston where he met the “special sauce” in 93. That connection propelled G. to his first record deal and 25 years later, the rest as they say is history. Since he is celebrating his 25th year, we sat down with the guy that’s played with all kinds of great people, but more to the point has made great music in his own right.G.Love and Special Sauce’s longevity in its various forms is absolutely a testament to their live performances, the community they have built around those shows and their fairly prolific recording history. Our conversation started when I asked Garret how the 25th anniversary was going….   You can check the tour schedule at philadelphonic.com or listen to their music wherever you stream tunes.

Samantha Fish launched her career in 2009 and hasn’t looked back. She has cemented her place amongst up and comers in the blues world, and has begun branching out, playing other genres quite capably. That’s the thing these days, its hard to pigeon hole artists in one spot, and quite frankly as you’ll soon hear, they don’t necessarily want to placed in one specific bucket. She is a go getter, on the road, gigging and making a name for herself, as an original artist. When we caught up with Samantha, I asked about riding the wave of excitement that is certainly building around her…. For more on Samantha Fish, visit samanthafish.com.  Show Notes: First Song:  00:47 - Belle Of The West (taken from Belle of the West)  Interview Begins: 04:12 Extro Song:  19:52 - Daughters (taken from Belle of the West)  You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://b…

I remember watching the tribute to Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Col. Bruce Hampton put on at the Peach Festival last summer, thinking that this one event didn’t do those three gentlemen especially Gregg and all he had done for us enough justice. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the jam was magnificent, but I wanted more. We all did. So it was so great to hear that Gregg’s son, Devon was organizing his own sort of tribute, as part of his new project with Duane Betts (yes, Duane, son of Dickie). I was psyched to get on the phone with Devon as soon as I heard the news, and luckily was able to track him down on Instagram. Since he is so prolific on social media our conversation started I asked how important the medium was for him. Devon is no doubt doing his dad proud and we are excited to hear all about the December 8th gig, and how the entire Devon Allman Project comes together, and indeed the world tour.  To learn more about the Devon Allman project, and the upcoming tour dates, incluid…

The day Gregg Allman left us, I was personally rocked, having grown up listening to the Allman Brothers Band, meeting Gregg on a couple of occasions and seeing not only the “Brothers” live but also The Gregg Allman Band. His legacy and work will live on, as one of the finest blues vocalists and musicians we will ever know. We sat down with Michael Lehman Gregg’s manager to learn more about the posthumous release of Southern Blood and Gregg Allman.  You can listen to this episode below, or by connecting and subscribing to one of the podcast platforms here or search your favorite podcast platform for “The Sound Podcast”; Itunes: http://bit.ly/sndpodi TuneIn: http://bit.ly/sndti Stitcher: http://bit.ly/sndsti GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/sndplay Get The Sound Podcast App: http://bit.ly/TSPAPPS  

Though they aren’t a household name yet, I predict big things for Southern Avenue, a Memphis based Blues, R&B, Gospel, Soul quintet, who have burst on the scene virtually out of nowhere. While their sound is tried and true, their story is a little less conventional.I sat down with Ori Naftaly to get the goods on Southern Avenue and their quick rise……

Given his lineage, prowess and ability, it’s no surprise that teaming with his equally gifted wife Susan Tedeschi was bound to create an extremely rewarding project for Derek Trucks. 7 years in The Tedeschi Trucks Band has proven to be a musical tour de force (pun intended) and is now his sole focus. So when we sat down to talk about the Tedeschi Trucks upcoming live release Live from Oakland at The Fox which is also a must see film, I wasn’t surprised that he’s excited about where things are at….

When blues musician Susan Tedeschi joined forces with her ace guitar playing husband Derek Trucks to create the Tedeschi Trucks Band 7 years ago, it was a matched made in musical heaven all over again. With the Tedeschi Trucks Band set to release their second live album and first concert film Live from Oakland at The Fox, I had the opportunity to catch up with Susan and asked if things 7 years are going as expected….

Scott Sharrard isn’t a household name, and thats definitely a mistake. Being the music director and lead guitar player for the Gregg Allman Band is in fact only the tip of the iceberg for this very talented musician. This guy has learnt his craft with some of the great bluesman like Pinetop Perkins, Buddy Miles, Luther Alison to name just a few. When you hear Scott talk about his passion for the music he has become a servant of, you will get more than just the tip of that iceberg. 

A friend of mine, who's opinion I trust implicitly when it comes to music, encouraged me to give The Marcus King Band a spin. What came out of my speakers almost immediately was a sound all too familiar, raging guitar, pleasing horn lines and the sweet sound of the Hammond b. I got up, I danced and I put the first track on repeat for hours. If you're a fan of Warren Haynes and Gov't Mule, Derek Trucks, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and other great R&B, Blues, and southern rock acts, you will be up and dancing too.....