Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970 [Digipak]

Performer: The Allman Brothers Band
Artist: Johnny Winter
Engineer: Harry Zerler; Mike Callahan; Ray Colcord; Russ Payne; Tim Geelan
Producer: Kirk West; Jerry Rappaport
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Allman Brothers Band: Gregg Allman (vocals, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards); Berry Oakley (vocals, bass); Duane Allman, Dickie Betts (guitar); Thom Doucette (harmonica); Butch Trucks, J. Johnny Johnson (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Johnny Winter (guitar). Recorded live at the Atlanta Internation Pop Festival, Atlanta, Georgia, July 3 & 4, 1970. Includes liner notes by Kirk West. Personnel: Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards); Berry Oakley (vocals, bass guitar); Duane Allman (guitar, slide guitar); Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter (guitar); Thom Doucette (harmonica); Butch Trucks (drums, timpani). Audio Mixer: Thom Cadley. Recording information: Atlanta International Pop Festival (07/03/1970-07/05/1970). Photographers: Carter Tomassi; Twiggs Lyndon; Joe Sia. The 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival was one of the first big rock festivals of the decade, beating out the Isle of Wight by over a month. It was also home turf for the Allman Brothers, who were invited to play the opening and closing sets of the three-day event. In retrospect, it's interesting to note how--despite their penchant for extended jams--the Allmans were somewhat at odds with the flower-child ethic of the day; after the MC delivers a classic hippie/stoner intro, the tough, raw opening strains of "Statesboro Blues" come off as delightfully incongruous. Nevertheless, the band's improvisational blues-rock majesty made them a crowd-pleaser. It's easy to see why; the level of energy (and musicianship) here equals, if not surpasses their legendary live Fillmore East recordings from the following year, which showcase much of the same material. Dickey Betts and Duane Allman's guitars play ably against Greg Allman's thick organ voicings and the percolating polyrhythms of drummers Butch Trucks and J. Johnny Johnson. Between-song announcements of a rain delay and the opening of the gates to non-paying fans reinforce the Woodstock-era vibe, making this two-disc set effective as both a musical and historical document.

Mojo (Publisher) (11/03, p.141) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Well-recorded performances, which alternate between pioneering quasi-psychedelic rock-jazz-blues jams and the tastiest Southern blues rock..."

They're known as the founding fathers of Southern rock, but the Allman Brothers were actually much more progressive than the musical school they inspired. They reclaimed the US-influenced blues-rock of Cream et al. and brought it back to America, adding country and jazz touches. They were noted for their improvisatory skills, particularly the inspired dual-guitar work of Dickey Betts and the late Duane Allman. Even after the deaths of Duane and original bassist Berry Oakey and the departure of Betts, the band soldiered on strongly into the 21st century, led by founding singer/organist Gregg Allman.

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