The Allmans, Reconstituted Once Again

For those who don’t think the Allman Brothers Band without guitarist Dickey Betts would be worth seeing, drummer Jaimoe is offering a money-back guarantee.

“I’m happily challenging anyone,” says the drummer and founding member of the band.

“A few people on the Internet said they weren’t going to see a Betts-less Allman Brothers band, and they are entitled to their opinions,” Jaimoe says by phone from Virginia Beach, Va., where the tour--on which Jimmy Herring is taking over for Betts--recently began. (It includes the Long Beach Blues Festival on Sept. 4.) “But I say to them: Anyone who doesn’t like the concert they hear, if they truly don’t like the music, bring their ticket stub, and I’ll personally give them their money back.”

Herring has had a history with the band; he has played with Derek Trucks and Butch Trucks in Frogwings. He also has played in the Aquarium Rescue Unit and was on the Phil Lesh & Friends lineup.

Betts was told last month to take the summer tour off because of “personal, business and musical differences.”

Betts, who has had a history of substance abuse, was in the news earlier this month after a domestic incident led police on a manhunt near Osprey, Fla.

“Hopefully, Dickey will straighten out the things he needs to straighten out,” Jaimoe says. “But as you know, something is always breaking down in this band.”

Founding member Duane Allman died in 1971; original bassist Barry Oakley died a year later. A number of players have been through the band; Derek, Butch’s nephew, joined the lineup last summer.

Jaimoe has been in the band long enough that he can see the Allmans as a kind of Dorsey brothers band or Count Basie Orchestra--a unit that can continue even without key members, as long as the music is there. “Hey, Duke Ellington’s not alive, but people are listening to his music; they’re listening to the Charles Mingus Big Band.”

A couple of Betts’ classics may not be in the set this year--including “Ramblin’ Man.” But other things have returned, such as a 20-minute “Mountain Jam,” which hasn’t been attempted in any length in years.

“Every time you throw a different stone in the pot, you get a different chemistry,” he says. That was clear from last summer’s new lineup when Derek Trucks, then 20, joined the band--which was older than he was.

“Derek is trying a lot of things that Warren [Haynes] didn’t play, that Jack [Pearson] didn’t play,” Jaimoe says. “As great as those guys are, they are in a completely and totally different category.

“Derek’s a genius, but he’s got to get a few things under his belt. Then you’re going to have a monster. But he’s growing every day. Now he’s adapting to playing with Jimmy in the Allman Brothers. You’ve got two ingredients in there--Gregg (Allman) and myself--otherwise you’ve got Butch’s band Frogwings, where Derek, [bassist] Oteil [Burbridge], Jimmy and Butch are all used to playing together.”