This double CD recorded in Austin, Texas takes Warren Haynes away from his day job(s), yet only extends his comfort zone.
Occasionally his rich vocals are counterpointed by those of Alecia Chakour, and there are solo slots for saxophone (by occasional sidekick Ron Holloway) and organ, but almost always the guitar’s the star.
Nine songs were on 2011’s Man In Motion, but there are two from Gov’t Mule, and he closes with his Allmans staple Soulshine. On disc two the band – including the superb Ron Johnson on bass – take a remarkable run through Steely Dan’s Pretzel Logic, Warren’s own up-tempo Fire In The Kitchen, Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come and the Hendrix classic Spanish Castle Magic.
A third disc (a whole-show DVD) suggests the one song they couldn’t fit on the CDs was better than the Ziggy Marley cover that did, but it’s all about pushing the envelope… in style.
