Back in 1981, Gregg Allman delivered a now famous television performance of “Come and Go Blues.” It was just Allman, his guitar, and his uniquely soulful voice that conveyed heartbreak, loss, and a twinge of hope. A new documentary premiering in June, Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, celebrates the life and musical impact of Allman, who died nine years ago this week at age 69.
Ahead of the doc’s theatrical release on June 17, Rolling Stone enlisted Marcus King, Dan Auerbach, and guitarist Tom Bukovac to re-create Allman’s 1981 performance live at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound Studios in Nashville. It’s a gritty rendition that both evokes and pays homage to Allman’s original.
“I’ve listened to it a million times since I was a teenager,” Auerbach tells Rolling Stone on a new episode of the Nashville Now podcast. “When Marcus texted me about this project, he said, ‘I was thinking about doing that acoustic version that Gregg did on TV,’ and I said, ‘I know exactly what you’re talking about. That’d be so fun.’ So, that’s what we did.”
Remarkably, Auerbach, who produced the recording, says King never before played “Come and Go Blues,” which originally appeared on the Allman Brothers Band’s 1973 album Brothers and Sisters. “He learned it on the spot,” Auerbach says.
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul opens June 17 on more than 200 screens across America. Tickets are available now.
A premiere event for the doc is set for June 9 at New York’s Gramercy Theater. Gregg’s son Devon Allman will be on hand for a special acoustic performance with his Allman Betts Band bandmate Duane Betts, son of the late Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts. Another screening will take place June 11 at the Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia, and feature an appearance by Allman Brothers Band/Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell. Both events are sold out.
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul was directed by James Keach, whose credits as a producer include Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, David Crosby: Remember My Name, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, and the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. The film was made in association with Rolling Stone Films and is executive produced by Rolling Stone’s Alexandra Dale.
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Earlier this week, King headlined Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium for a two-set performance that featured surprise guests like Zach Top, Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, and Willie Nelson harmonica sideman Mickey Raphael. On May 1, Auerbach and the Black Keys released their latest album Peaches!, a record of obscure blues and folk covers.
The live performance video of “Come and Go Blues” was directed and produced by Steve Jawn and the 10:10 Creative. The audio was recorded and mixed by M. Allen Parker at Easy Eye Sound Studios, and executive produced by Brian Levy.
