The Allman Brothers Band has released a new live recording, Manley Field House, Syracuse University, April 7, 1972.
The album was recorded shortly after the sudden passing of band leader Duane Allman in October 1971, during the band’s short-lived “Five-Man Band” period, with original members Gregg Allman on vocals and keyboard, Dickey Betts on guitar, Berry Oakley on bass, and drummers Butch Trucks and Jaimoe. It is the first official release of the original radio simulcast, which aired live on Syracuse University’s WAER college radio on the night of the show. Bootleg versions of the broadcast have circulated among fans for years, but this is the first complete and remastered recording, with the highest audio quality preserved from the direct source.
“This was the Five Man Band, as Brother Duane had passed just over five months prior,” Jeff Chard, SU concert coordinator in 1971-72, writes in the album package’s liner notes. “The quintet had pushed on, playing some 41 shows in 22 weeks. This night saw Gregg singing and playing his heart out, while Dickey Betts is doing phenomenal double duty on guitar, switching seamlessly between the necessary slide parts and his own soaring leads. But the real revelation of the night is that Berry is the glue, and the second lead player as well. His thunderous bass holds the quintet together – you’ll hear it, and we could see it that night. Then there is the way Butch Trucks and Jaimoe lock in on the drums, the way the whole unit responds, five playing as one.
Related: The Tragedy Of Berry Oakley: Remembering The Allman Brothers Band Bassist [Videos]
“It was a memorable but brief time for the band. Six months later, keyboardist Chuck Leavell was added to the group, making the ABB six players strong again, only to lose Berry in another motorcycle accident on November 11, 1972. Shortly thereafter, Lamar Williams took over bass duties, and the Allman Brothers Band started a new musical chapter. But for that one year, with the five original men still standing – and especially on that magical April night in Syracuse – we surely felt the spirit. Best damn band we’re ever gonna hear indeed! We were all believers, and this CD is a testament to those words.”
The 11-track collection includes classic songs like “Statesboro Blues”, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, “Midnight Rider”, and “Whipping Post”, plus “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”, off ABB’s then-newly released album Eat a Peach, and “Syracuse Jam”, a never-before-released example of the band’s signature one-time melody jamming. Check out the full setlist below.
Manley Field House, Syracuse University, April 7, 1972 is available now on CD and digitally. For more information, visit the band’s website.
Allman Brothers Band – Manley Field House Syracuse University, April 7, 1972
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