Released in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Allman Brothers Band’s debut album, A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band (released November 22, 2019 via New West Records) is a wonderful, and highly inventive 10-song set of jazz interpretations of Allman Brothers Band favorites.

Featuring Marc Broussard and Ruthie Foster on vocals on two songs each, the Big Band of Brothers also features Jack Pearson on guitar (who performed as a member of the Allman Brothers Band from 1997 to 1999) along with the celebrated trombonist Wycliffe Gordon of Jazz at Lincoln Center fame (here as a featured soloist on 'Don’t Want You No More,' and who actually wrote the arrangement for 'Statesboro Blues.')

1. 'Statesboro Blues' (feat. Marc Broussard)
2. 'Don't Want You No More' (feat. Wycliffe Gordon)
3. 'It's Not My Cross to Bear' (feat. Ruthie Foster)
4. 'Hot 'Lanta'
5. 'Whipping Post' (feat. Marc Broussard)
6. 'Stand Back' (feat. Jack Pearson)
7. 'Dreams'
8. 'In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed'
9. 'Don't Keep Me Wonderin'' (feat. Ruthie Foster)
10. 'Les Brers In A Minor'

This quite mesmerizing, dazzling even album kicks off in some fine smooth jazz style with Marc Broussard bringing his usual brand of Bayou Soul to 'Statesboro Blues,' which is backed seamlessly by the sterner Ravenscroft Jazz Resident Wycliffe Gordon incredible trombone work on 'Don't Want You No More,' and then a passionate 'It's Not My Cross to Bear' (featuring blues and folk singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster).

The perky, '70s-infused vibrancy of 'Hot 'Lanta' is followed one of my own personal favorites on the album, the gloriously embodied 'Whipping Post' (again featuring Marc Broussard) and that's backed by 'Stand Back,' featuring the soulful slide guitarist Jack Pearson).

The mood is brought back down for a moment on the soft shoe shuffle vibe for 'Dreams' and then on the lo-fi, '70s soft psych soundtrack of 'In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed,' with the album then rounding out with the pulsating 'Don't Keep Me Wonderin'' (again featuring Ruthie Foster), and the finally a 12 minute version of 'Les Brers In A Minor.'

French for 'The Brothers In A Minor,' the song is an instrumental written by Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts and was one of the first songs the band recorded without Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle accident about four months before.

Berry Oakley's bass line is prominent in the Allman Brothers original, but sadly, Oakley himself died later that year in a motorcycle accident similar to the one that killed Duane Allman.

The 15-piece Big Band of Brothers was produced by Mark Lanter, Charles Driebe and John Harvey and was recorded and mixed by Eric Bates at Bates Brothers Recording in Hueytown, AL.

Amazon CD Purchase Link

www.BigBandOfBrothers.com