The Trip Continues . . . Expand Your Mind
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Oct. 2000 - Issue 13
Cover Page

MIAMI - Despite published reports to the contrary, guitar virtuoso Duane Allman will not be joining Eric Clapton's new group, Derek and the Dominos. Allman reportedly contributed significant guitar parts, including his acclaimed slide, to the forthcoming double album that was recorded in Miami. Clapton will take his new ensemble on a seven-week tour of the eastern U.S., which kicks off October 15^th at Rider College in Trenton, New Jersey. While Allman will play with the band on whatever dates possible, his allegiance remains with his blues-rock group the Allman Brothers who have just released their second album.

Allman has been a long time admirer of Eric Clapton, "I'd been a fan of Eric's a long time. Drove up from L.A. to San Francisco once, just to see him play. So when (producer) Tom Dowd mentioned that Eric was going to be cutting some stuff at the studios, I asked Tom to be sure and call me so I could come down and watch."

When asked to comment on what the sessions were like, Allman said "I went down to listen and Eric knew me, man, greeted me like an old friend! The cat is really a prince, he said, 'Come on you get to play', so I did. We'd sit down and plan it out, work out our different parts, and try it one time. Then we'd say, 'Well let's try some more of this here, and some of that there.' Everybody contributed, just sorting it out, Memphis style. Most of it was cut live, not much overdubbing, and it was all done in ten days."

How can you tell who is playing what on the album? Duane Allman explains: "Eric gets more of an open, slidy sound. But the way to really tell, is he played the Fender and I played the Gibson. The Fender is a little bit thinner and brighter, a sparkling sound, while the Gibson is just a full tilt screech."

Live At The Fillmore - continued

	Derek lets 'er rip... Clapton flanked by keyboardist Bobby Whitlock and drummer Jim Gordon at The Fillmore East.

Clapton is very familiar with his current band mates, first making their acquaintance when Delaney and Bonnie opened for Blind Faith, the guitarist's short-lived collaboration with Traffic's Steve Winwood. Whitlock, Gordon and Radle were all members of the husband and wife duo's backing band at the time. Clapton was so impressed that he invited them to play on his solo album while co-writing many of the songs with Delaney Bramlett, who also filled in as producer. The Dominos are true sidemen professionals, doing their jobs without interfering in the musical roving of their front man yet adding just enough of their respective talents to enhance and round out the overall sound. It seems that this new arrangement has given Clapton the freedom that was hard to come by in some of his previous musical partnerships.

The evening's first song, "Got To Get Better In A Little While", was introduced with a trembling, wah-wah soaked guitar while Radle and Gordon laid down a smooth and catchy rhythm that was simple yet solid and provided the bedrock for Clapton to launch into one of the evening's many guitar sorties. The new "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?", currently receiving advance radio play on selected radio stations throughout the country, turned into a fifteen-minute workout that began with Clapton and Gordon getting into a funky groove before being joined by a racing bass line that momentarily brought the musicians together before Clapton signaled the song's proper start with a blistering six string flurry that erupted into a fervent display of musicianship by all. Searing and protracted guitar solos peppered the song's duration. Lengthy yes, but never overdone. 

Twelve-bar Blues offshoots "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" and "Key To The Highway" showcased Clapton's extraordinary ability to soothe an audience with a quiet and uncomplicated guitar sequence one moment, and then surprise them with a viscous jolt of fretwork ferocity the next, bringing the audience to their feet on more than one occasion. A passionate rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing", which appears on the new album, was reportedly recorded after news of his death made its way to Criteria Studios in Miami where Clapton and his Dominos were recording with producer Tom Dowd. With tender backing vocals provided by Whitlock, Clapton, eyes shut and head tilted skyward, fired off intricate solos in succession that served as a fitting homage to Hendrix, whose passing just over a month ago left the music world stunned.

The Derek and the Dominos version of "Crossroads" couldn't have been more different than the savage, four-minute onslaught of electrified power Blues that was Cream's interpretation of the Robert Johnson classic. Last night's eight-minute re-working was a toned down, slower paced adaptation that allowed Clapton the space for more thoughtful guitar work, unimpeded by the urgency brought on by the independent soloing of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Different? Absolutely. Boring? Absolutely not. It was an evening of no frills rocking Blues and the packed auditorium enjoyed every minute of it.

Other highlights of the evening included a twenty-minute version of "Let It Rain", which recently peaked at number 48 on the Billboard singles chart, and from his Blind Faith days "Presence Of The Lord".

Clapton's various musical experimentations and his development as a musician are in direct tandem with the continuing evolution of today's Rock music, and as evidenced last night, he's far from done. His quest to be totally immersed in the Blues is only outdone by the passion displayed while in the midst of a blazing solo.

In just over five years his recording career has encompassed the various growing stages of the Rock genre. From his initial flirtations with the Blues in The Yardbirds and the education he received during his brief residency with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers to the high-energy brawn of Cream and the jazz influenced improvisations of Blind Faith, this new project seems a natural progression and a more serious enquiry into the Blues. In this short time, his following amongst fans is only equaled to the respect of his peers, with perhaps only Jimi Hendrix garnering as much praise from his fellow musicians.

While scrawled graffiti on the walls of a London building a few years ago elevated him from mere musician to revered deity, and in so doing caused a serious bout of self-examination and re-evaluation, he remains a reluctant yet crucial piece of the Rock and Roll puzzle. While he continues to struggle with the adulation and accolades showered upon him, he is one of a select few who can assist in taking Rock music to its next level. As a dedicated student of the Blues and a definite trailblazer of its powerful derivative, Clapton is arguably the best qualified to do so. Regardless of the road he chooses to travel, there will no doubt be a faithful following to accompany him.

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Born:	May 16, 1947
Died:	April 30, 1999
Age:	51 years

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Photo Gallery
Original in-concert photos contributed by Jules

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