Gregg Allman Live Archival Release ‘Uncle Sam’s’ Features 1983 Solo Band Concert

In 2019, two years after Gregg Allman‘s death due to complications from liver cancer, manager Michael Lehman revealed “several release-worthy live tapes” from co-founder’s solo projects were tucked away in his personal archives and would be prepped for future release. Fans will finally get to hear a gem from the Gregg Allman vault on September 20 when Gregg Allman Band – Uncle Sam’s arrives via Sawrite/The Orchard.

Gregg Allman Band – Uncle Sam’s features a full-length concert performance recorded on July 1, 1983 at Uncle Sam’s in Hull, Massachusetts. In 1983, Gregg Allman was 10 years removed from the peak of The Allman Brothers Band’s glory days of performing at huge arenas and massive stadiums and was grinding it out at intimate clubs with a newly formed group.

The Gregg Allman Band lineup at the time saw Gregg joined by former ABB bandmates lead guitarist Danny Toler and drummer Frankie Toler. Allman rounded out the band with rhythm guitarist Bruce Waibel, bassist Gregg Voorhees, percussionist Chaz Trippy and a horn section consisting of brothers Donn (sax and flute) and Larry Finney (trumpet).

John Lynskey, Chief Archivist and Historian for The Allman Brothers Band, told Goldmine the following about the show and where it sat on the tour:

They had started in the spring. So they were maybe a third of the way through. The two horn players, the Finney brothers, were only on for the spring and the summer runs. He had known them from Macon, Georgia and it was his desire to have them out on the road with him. That’s one of the reasons we picked this show for release. It was a great performance to showcase the horns, his love of them and how it changed things. There weren’t horns in the Allman Brothers so what’s great about Gregg’s solo years as he put it is that there was only one cook in the kitchen. He got to do his music his way. And, the particularly important thing about this is that this is the “unknown period” of Gregg Allman’s career. The early into the mid-1980’s where music had changed and techno-pop had taken over. There was no room for classic rock as we know it now. So he would play anywhere, for anyone, at any time. He was making very little money but he did it because he loved it, and I think it allowed him to get back to his roots. Gregg went from playing in front of 200,000 people to playing in front of 200 people. He didn’t care.

Gregg and his newly-formed ensemble opened with an acoustic “Midnight Rider” at the small sold-out club on the South Shore. “Dreams,” “Hot ‘Lanta,” “Trouble No More” and “Melissa” were among other ABB classics played at Uncle Sam’s. Gregg Allman also performed solo gems “Queen Of Hearts” (originally recorded for Allman’s RIAA Gold-certified 1973 solo debut album, Laid Back) and “Sweet Feelin'” (from Gregg’s Playing Up A Storm album).

Gregg Allman Band – Uncle Sam’s will be released on CD and on streaming platforms. Lynskey also shared exciting news about future live archival releases. “Michael Lehman, the estate’s manager and Gregg’s son Devon are very interested in promoting Gregg’s solo legacy so this is going to evolve chronologically,” John Lynskey added in the Goldmine interview. “We are starting with the 1980’s. Then we will move through the various iterations of the Gregg Allman Band. We hope to do two a year. It will cast a light on the entire trajectory of his solo career.”

Stream “Midnight Rider” from Gregg Allman Band – Uncle Sam’s below:

Gregg Allman Band – Uncle Sam’s Tracklist

1. Midnight Rider
2. Dreams
3. Sweet Feelin’
4. Hot ’Lanta
5. Queen Of Hearts
6. Trouble No More
7. Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
8. Melissa
9. Statesboro Blues