Gregg AllmanReview and Photo by Rob Grabowski
Making his way back through Chicago for his fifth consecutive January appearance Gregg Allman brought an army of finely tuned musicians along with him, which included a smoking horn section that alone was worth the price of admission. The rocking Allman made his first impact on the music scene roughly 30 years ago, performing raw southern-fried blues rock along with his brother Duane as part of The Allman Brothers band. Greg later had a viable run as a solo artist through the '80s and, as he proved last Sunday, still continues to put on a show for the ages.
Upon entering the smoke filled House of Blues I was convinced that the audience would consist of an older crowd reliving their resin-stained youth but I couldn't have been more wrong. Despite a mature base there was a modest amount of late teens and twenty-somethings in the audience proving that good music can stand the test of time. With Allman opening with his signature solo hit "I'm No Angel" he gripped the audience like a bear to honey. This set the tone for the rest of an evening that was filled great soulful blues numbers. Vocalist and percussionist Floyd Miles also added to the energy of the performance with his great bluesy vocal rasp on songs such as "Going Back To Daytona." When Allman and company later broke into "Midnight Rider" the horn section helped to inject a fresh new life into this well-worn classic.
As Allman proved, you don't have to be an ancient fan of southern blues rock to enjoy an evening with this talented entertainer.
