Devon Allman: Miami Moon Review

Living in the shadow of a legendary blues rocker might intimidate or hinder many artists, but Devon Allman has found a way to create a synergy between the legacy of dad Greg Allman and his own considerable talent.

Allman’s newest solo offering, Miami Moon, marks his third partnership with producer and four-time Grammy winner, Tom Hambridge. They had previously collaborated on Ride or Die and Ragged and Dirty.

Recently, Allman has been touring and recording with Duane Betts, son of Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts. Together, they invoke a strong connection to the music of their illustrious fathers. And that connection plays a role in Miami Moon.

Hambridge told Blues Rock Review that Devon always has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve and in this case, the idea was to go to Criteria Studio in Miami and produce a record where The Allman Brothers recorded the historic Eat a Peach album, and where Uncle Duane and Eric Clapton recorded “Layla.” There was a definite goal of paying homage to those recordings, including going as far as recording on two-inch tape to help capture the vintage feel.

“But this is a bit different, a little deeper, kind of jazz, soul, rock, – not Miles Davis jazz, but more like like Steely Dan meets Curtis Mayfield,” Hambridge explained.

The record includes musicians, collectively known as the Devon Allman Project, George Porter Jr. (The Meters) on bass, Ivan Neville (Keith Richards, Dumpstaphunk) on keyboards, Adam Deitch (Lettuce) on drums, Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones) on saxophone and Jackson Stokes on guitar, as well as Hambridge on drums on a few tracks. There’s little doubt the strong soulful feel of the album directly correlates to the strong musical talent Allman recruited for this offering.

Two instrumental songs, “Sahara,” and “Take Time to Taste It,” have a distinctive Allman Brothers flavor and are, no doubt, influenced by the birthright of a famous father and as well as Devon’s recent work with Duane Betts.

Allman penned “Body Electric,” “White Horse,” and the instrumentals, while Jackson also contributed to the writing. Hambridge composed two very heartfelt tracks; “Incredible,” and “You.”

In a clear tribute to the Allman Brothers, tracks “Sahara,” You’ve Got to Make it Through the World,” and “Miami Moon,” all featured two drummers, Deitch and Hambridge. “We wanted the Allman brothers’ percussive,” Hambridge verified.

The album features the acclaimed deep, rich and powerful Devon Allman vocals throughout. It includes nine tracks and it was meant to be consumed as a whole. Hambridge confirmed that was intentional. “I’m old school,” he said, “so sequencing is important,” as it was for classics like Abbey Road and Dark Side of the Moon.

The album, while serving as an homage to the Allman Brothers, leaves no doubt the younger Allman knows exactly who he is and what he wants to achieve.

The first single released was “White Horse.” The dominant Allman vocals are anchored by harmonious backup singers, strong production, sharp, prominent guitar and brilliant drums from Deitch. It punctuates the expert musicianship needed to complement Allman’s voice, which could easily dominate.

“Incredible” is an upbeat offering that’s bound to move any listener in need of positive affirmation and the need to express thanks and love to a significant other before it’s too late. “You” is a mid-tempo song with a mellow feel. It’s drenched in keyboards and guitar with the jazzy-soul feel mentioned earlier.

Two drummers, enthralling guitar and solid keyboards from Neville, and some captivating work by Denson on saxophone augment Allman’s vocals, which draw the listener in from the opening phrase on “Miami Moon.” Hambridge called it “a masterpiece.”

Some great guitar work gives way to the double-drummers through an exciting tempo change before morphing into keyboards and saxophone, making “Sahara” a tremendous instrumental. “Climb Aboard” opens with a great bass line and flows into a fun, buoyant tune with very catchy lyrics.

With the funky-rock “Body Electric,” Allman is able to share his enthusiasm for the music and performing possibly captured best by the lyric, “Can’t wait to feel great.”

The second instrumental, “Take Time to Taste It,” is a funky one featuring drums, keyboards and guitar, all backed by a tenacious bassline.

“You Gotta Make it Through the World” is the only cover tune on the album. Allman brings a compelling, fresh and completely different vibe and arrangement to the Van Morrison song, whose version leans heavily on a jazzy-big band approach.

Overall, Miami Moon is a welcome and joyful experience, especially for those of us who have been waiting for the next Devon Allman solo effort. And as a bonus, it gets better with each listen.

The Review 9/10 

Can’t Miss Tracks

– White Horse
– Incredible
– Body Electric
– Sahara

The Big Hit

– Miami Moon