Ambient Without Synths
Upon hearing of Gregg Allman's passing I had to go back and listen to the recordings from the early 70s, specifically Eat a Peach and various live recordings 1970-1972.
There's a je ne sais quoi of a sound in the early 70s that started popping up on records. It was ambient music without synths, yet had the same vibe: e.g. the Hammond B3 with Leslie on "Dreams", the flanged Rhodes on "Midnight Rider", and the impeccable slide playing of Duane Allman which I still find very haunting in that "southern" way. Other recordings with that vibe were Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe", and even Elton John's "Madman Across the Water" (both incidentally with "cinematic" orchestral arrangements). But at the real root of it is the jazz-blues, such as "Stormy Monday", with the harmonic twists, a borrowing from the sophistication of jazz and classical.
If you haven't explored the Allmans, it's highly recommended. It inspired my playing and writing.
There's a je ne sais quoi of a sound in the early 70s that started popping up on records. It was ambient music without synths, yet had the same vibe: e.g. the Hammond B3 with Leslie on "Dreams", the flanged Rhodes on "Midnight Rider", and the impeccable slide playing of Duane Allman which I still find very haunting in that "southern" way. Other recordings with that vibe were Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe", and even Elton John's "Madman Across the Water" (both incidentally with "cinematic" orchestral arrangements). But at the real root of it is the jazz-blues, such as "Stormy Monday", with the harmonic twists, a borrowing from the sophistication of jazz and classical.
If you haven't explored the Allmans, it's highly recommended. It inspired my playing and writing.
Comments