Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
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Here are a couple of snippets rounding up this weekend’s Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. The jambands.com story notes that this year was the first since the mid 1990s that Gov’t Mule – Haynes’ band – did not play the jam. This year’s jam unveiled Haynes’ new band, the Warren Haynes Band. jambands.com says that Haynes plans to spend most of 2011 supporting a new “soul-leaning album” featuring a version of the Haynes’ band similar to the one that played the jam.
Later in the night, two of the jamband scenes most well known frontman offered unique sets. John Bell opened his segment by performing a medley of Christmas songs accompanied only by a dobro. He also offered solo takes on Widespread Panic’s “Papa’s Home” and “May Your Glass Be Filled.” After Bell’s set, Gregg Allman played seven songs with a special group that consisted of several Christmas Jam regulars: Warren Haynes, former Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed, Wallflowers drummer Fred Eltringham and Ivan Neville. Though his first solo album in over 13 years is due out in less than a month, the only number Allman played from his new record Low Country Blues is a collaboration with Haynes called “Just Another Rider.” Both The Dirty Dozen Band Horns and saxophonist Ron Holloway helped the group through the tune, which is the only original song featured on Low Country Blues. The rest of Allman’s set consisted of Allman Brothers classics like “Midnight Rider,” “Dreams” and “Melissa” and covers such as Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman” and Dr. John’s “Walk on Guilded Splinters” (the latter two songs featured Bell on vocals). Allman’s set closed with a take on “Lost Highway” that included an encore appearance by Steve Miller.
Last night’s marathon show concluded with a set from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band that contained plenty of guests throughout. Warren Haynes came out for Papa Was a Rolling Stone and stayed out for covers of That’s What Love Will Make You Do with Ron Johnson and Spanish Moon with Johnson, Ivan Neville and Artimus Pyle. John Bell added vocals to Superstitious, which also featured Ron Holloway on sax. Haynes returned for the show-closing Use Me that also saw Bell and Holloway stay out.
