POP MUSIC REVIEW : Dickie Betts Hits Highs and Lows in Palace Show

For a few shining moments in the early-to-middle ‘70s, Dickey Betts was the American guitar hero, and never more deservedly so than when the light, lyrical twin-lead guitar lines of the Allman Brothers Band’s instrumental “Jessica” were embedding themselves into the public rock consciousness. Betts was and is at his finest when he walks on the sunny side of the street with that original, upbeat and peculiarly Southern style of riffing.

This formidable talent still uses “Jessica” to conclude his live set, and has some less ancient numbers as well that are not too far off from that sprightly style. But Betts also insists--at length--on getting bogged down in sub-par blues, an overworked genre that is hardly uniquely his. The Dickey Betts Band’s show Thursday at the Palace alternated between these highs and lows, hitting bottom with its banal blues jams but still reaching exquisite peaks when the guitarist perked up and moved in a more fusionary direction--i.e., he did what he does best.

Last fall, Betts released “Pattern Disruptive,” his first recording since the last Allman Brothers reunion attempt back in 1981. Both album and tour have Betts sharing much of the guitar spotlight with capable hotshot Warren Haynes, whose speciality (like that of Betts’ one-time partner, the late Duane Allman) is slide work. Haynes only sang one lead vocal on the album, but in this concert inherited nearly all the singing duties--possibly because Betts grew visibly displeased early on with what he was hearing out of his vocal monitors.

The crowd of a few hundred ax fiends relished most every moment--especially the Allman Brothers tunes, with anticipation of a 20th-anniversary boxed set and possible reunion this year no doubt setting fans’ juices flowing double-time. Curiously, an eight-minute encore call failed to bring the Betts Band back on stage for more after the 65-minute set.