A founding member of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman has led a successful solo career ever since the death of his brother Duane in 1971.

Low Country Blues is his 11th solo album and was recorded before the 63-year old artist received a liver transplant, brought on by many years of suffering from Hepatitis C.

Medical issues aside, the album finds the veteran bluesman in mighty fine spirits, doing what he does best in delivering a heartfelt collection of vintage blues from the 1940s, 50s and 60s while instilling a renewed energy into the songs.

The record kicks off with an upbeat reading of Sleepy John Estes’ Floating Bridge, the result an emphatically rhythmic track that is followed up by a solid ramble through Junior Wells’ Little by Little, the latter one of the standout tracks on the album.

Elsewhere Allman, abetted by Dr John on piano and Doyle Bramhall III on guitar and with T Bone Burnett behind the production, applies a dash of the Delta to his interpretations, but the best results are those where he allows rock and folk elements to mingle with the blues.

It’s taken him 14 years to come up with a new album, and even if the result is essentially a collection of revisited old gems, there’s a sense of wonderment here thanks to the way Allman has immersed himself in the songs and given them his unique timbre.

CD reviewed by courtesy of www.exotique.com.mt