Gravesite String Quartet Performance Of The Allman Brothers Band ‘Little Martha’

Late guitarist Duane Allman was given sole writing credits to just a single song in The Allman Brothers Band catalog – the instrumental “Little Martha.” Recorded shortly before his untimely death from a motorcycle crash and released as the final track on the band’s seminal 1972 LP Eat A Peach, it would go on to become a cornerstone of Duane’s contributions to the ABB.

As legend has it, Skydog penned the instrumental “Little Martha” in honor of his then girlfriend Dixie Meadows. Legend also has it that the song was titled after a Martha Ellis who was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia, where Duane later was also laid to rest. A fitting Valentine’s Day tune, this beautifully delicate instrumental ode to love has been played countless times in honor of Allman.

For this Valentine’s Day edition of Sunday Cinema, below is a reverent performance of the song at the gravesite of Martha Ellis performed by a string quartet. Featuring Leah Latorraca, Jessica Pickersgill, Cara Schlecker and Taylor Yasui of Mercer University’s McDuffie Center for Strings, watch their interpretation of the Allman’s classic:

Here’s a version of “Little Martha” and “Blue Sky” featuring Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks from The Allman Brothers Band show on March 23, 2009 at the Beacon Theatre captured by PostMan1107: