Gregg Allman- Low Country Blues

In the liner notes for "Low country blues", Robert Gordon writes "A river runs through the blues, and Gregg Allman continues to navigate it. This album deposits Gregg at a fresh place on the bank. He's a traveler, sometimes riding with the current, swimming upstream when he prefers".
This new release is proof of the success of Gregg's journey. When I received my copy of "Low country", I sat uninterrupted through all twelve tracks. Twice. Some musical projects are memorable for well written songs, thoughtful sequencing and great instrumentation. Others are so complete, so satisfying that you just don't want to listen to anything else for a while. "Low country" falls into the latter category.
Ace producer T-bone Burnett is also responsible for B.B. King's latest, the wonderful "One kind favor".That disc kicks off with a very dark version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See that my grave is kept clean". The opener for this disc, Sleepy John Estes' "Floating Bridge" is a song similar in format, but where "Favor" is a plea, "Bridge" is a bitter recollection. Both songs, and on both cds, the presence of Dr. John's masterful piano is as important as that of the stars.
"Little by little" is a Junior Wells staple that starts off with a funky B-3 intro by Gregg, then features more of the good Doctor with great guitar fills by Doyle Bramhall II. "Devil got my woman" shows Burnett's greatest strength as a roots music producer- the ability to take a Skip James song from the 1930's and remake it in 2011-without sacrificing any integrity. Gregg's vocals are almost ethereal, with dual guitar interplay between Bramhall and Colin Linden on Dobro.
"I can't be satisfied" is one of Muddy Waters' most beloved compositions, and Gregg and company do this song justice while showcasing the groove created by drummer Jay Belrose and bassist Dennis Crouch.
"Blind man" is the first appearance on the disc of trumpeter Darrell Leonard's horn section. Leonard has been recording for years with tenor sax player Joe Sublett as the Texacali Horns. Here they're augmented by Lester Lovitt and Daniel Fornero on trumpet with Thomas Peterson and Jim Thompson on baritone and tenor sax. The horns appear on five other tracks giving the disc a powerful classic r&b punch, especially on B.B. King's "Please accept my love".
The sole original on the disc, "Just another rider" was co-written with Gregg's partner in the Allman Brothers, guitar master Warren Haynes. Very reminiscent of another Allman/Haynes collaboration, "The high cost of low living"(from the Brothers' 2003 "Hittin' the note"), the song seems to address the same protagonist as the earlier track. On "High cost", Gregg admonishes "using up all your good friends" and on "Rider", you can almost see him shake his head as he sighs "seems like a long time- since you had any peace of mind".
"I believe I'll go back home" is an old public domain number with Mike Compton adding mandolin to the mix, while Magic Sam's "My love is your love"is enhanced by the beautiful female chorus arranged by Bill Maxwell. The closing traditional, "Rolling Stone" is one of the many highlights, again featuring Colin Linden's Dobro in a soft acoustic jam.
This fine recording belongs to T-bone as much as it does to Gregg. Production is excellent and choice of musicians couldn't be better. Gregg set out to make a recording he could be proud of. With "Low country blues", he just may have made the album of his life.