[REVIEW] Allman Brothers Band Nov. 15 @ Palace Theater, Albany, NY

It was strictly business on Monday night when the Allman Brothers Band took to the ornate confines of the Palace Theater in Albany -- as intimate a venue as an ABB show will get.

After recovering from a liver transplant earlier in the year, a healthy Greg Allman was at the helm and Warren and Derek were back to their epic guitar battles, trading solos on Allmans' classics like Statesboro Blues, Dreams, Trouble No More, Nobody Left To Run With Anymore, Hot 'Lanta and Southbound (encore).

The peaks of the night, however, came when they laid into the blues numbers. As is customary with Allmans shows these days, the boys payed homage to their blues heritage. With scenes of blues legends flashing on the screen behind them, the boys scorched their way through covers of Freddie King's Woman Across The River, Robert Johnson's Come Into My Kitchen, and the highlight of the night, a soaring version of Elmore James' oft-covered The Sky Is Crying.

The veteran jammers displayed their mastery at its highest level, all while steering the energy higher and higher and never letting it come down.

Sure, I'm a little disappointed we didn't get Clapton's Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? But most wishes came true Monday night.

Allman Bros. return this fall!

With a lot of help from road warrior Warren Haynes and young gun Derek Trucks, The Allman Brothers Band have done a great job of keeping their sound fresh for a new generation of fans. However, for the past decade, Gregg Allman's health has dictated the Allman Brothers' touring schedule. Updates on the band's site keep fans like me informed on his stints in and out of the hospital.
I knew the recent hiatus was due to his health, but I've learned that he had a liver transplant, pulled through it well, and the band will be returning to the road in November with a three-night stint at the Orpheum Theater in Boston.

I've had the priveledge of seeing the Allmans more than any other band -- even way back when the Ramblin' Man himself, Dickey Betts, was still in the band -- and I look forward to the opportunity to see them again soon. Stay well Gregg.