A summit meeting for Devon Allman

With The Blues Summit, Devon Allman – leader of the Allman Betts Band and a key figure in Southern Rock – brings together several pillars of American blues on a collective album simply titled The Blues Summit. Surrounded by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray, and Sierra Green, he expresses his unwavering attachment to traditional blues while infusing it with a touch of modernity. A must-hear record this summer!

A passing of the torch between generations

Devon Allman reconnects, with this project, with the label Ruf Records, with which he released a series of albums over the past decade, notably his first solo album Turquoise in 2013. What strikes you when listening to The Blues Summit is Devon’s outstanding bandleader talent. He manages to surround himself with musicians who each embody, in their own way, a facet of today’s blues, making the lineup absolutely perfect. Everyone is in their place: Kingfish Ingram brings his razor-sharp, clean technique on Runners In The Night. Robert Randolph plays on Peace To The World, with precise pedal steel and a tone recognizable from the very first note. Jimmy Hall, known for his work with Wet Willie, appears on several tracks with his ever-charismatic voice, notably on Peace to the world. Larry McCray lays down guitar and vocals on more stripped-back numbers. Sierra Green, for her part, finds her place with a solid, no-frills timbre, as on the gorgeous Real Love.

“Making this album with these legends and finally having my touring band on record is a real musical achievement for me. Returning to Ruf Records while expanding my European touring is an important step. I can’t wait to play these songs on stage all over the world.” Devon Allman

The album avoids production excesses. The sound is clean and direct. The arrangements leave room for the instruments. The cover of “Wang Dang Doodle” is spot-on and avoids overplaying. Even “Little Wing,” often overused, is performed here with restraint, without trying to imitate the original—unsurpassable as it is.

From studio to stage

This release also marks the start of a U.S. tour that begins on August 1 in Illinois and wraps up in mid-September in Telluride, Colorado. Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray, and Sierra Green will join Devon Allman on the road. Several festivals are on the bill, including Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas. Europe is also being considered as the next step; with no dates set for now, we hope French promoters will be on board!

The Blues Summit is not a one-off project for Devon; on the contrary, it fits into a continuum after his excellent effort Miami Moon. From his beginnings in Honeytribe, through his years in Royal Southern Brotherhood and then the Allman Betts Band, and the legacy of his father Gregg Allman, Devon Allman continues to pass the torch without locking himself into a fixed genre or copying anyone. Better still, for several years he has succeeded in establishing his own style of blues—stripped-down and irresistibly groovy. The record stays on that clear path, centered on guitars, vocals, and a devilishly effective rhythm section.

The Blues Summit is a straightforward reminder that the blues doesn’t need to be reinvented to keep thriving, but by the same token, it doesn’t have to be reproduced identically forever… Because “Blues is a feeling,” as he sings on the album’s second track, like an anthem.

Listen to The Blues Summit on Spotify