In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Song by The Allman Brothers Band | ||
| from the album Idlewild South | ||
| Released | September 1970 | |
| Recorded | ? | |
| Genre | Jazz fusion Improvisational |
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| Length | 6:54 | |
| Label | Capricorn Records | |
| Writer(s) | Dickey Betts | |
| Producer(s) | Tom Dowd | |
| Idlewild South track listing | ||
| Midnight Rider (3) |
"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" (4) |
Hoochie Coochie Man (5) |
"In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is the fourth song on 1970 album Idlewild South by The Allman Brothers Band. It is an instrumental song written by guitarist Dickey Betts, the first of several Allmans instrumentals to be written by him. The song holds the distinction of being the first original instrumental song written by a member of the band.[1]
The song is named after a headstone Betts saw at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. Coincidentally, both Duane Allman and Berry Oakley are buried in the same cemetery as Elizabeth Reed.[1]
It has appeared on numerous Allman Brothers live albums, most notably At Fillmore East, which many fans and critics believe is the definitive rendition.
In this performance, Betts opens the song with ethereal volume swells on his guitar, giving the impression of violins. Slowly the evocative, lilting first theme begins to emerge, and Duane Allman's guitar joins Betts in a dual lead. The next section has the tempo pick up to a Santana-like, quasi-Latin beat, with a strong second-theme melody being driven by unison playing.
Betts now takes a solo, featuring his usual metallic-toned guitar playing. This leads into a thoughtful organ solo from Gregg Allman, with the two guitars churning rhythm figures in the background.
Now it is Duane Allman's turn, and he starts out quietly rephrasing the first theme in his more wood-toned guitar style. He then gradually builds to a high-pitched climax, with Berry Oakley's bass guitar playing a powerful counterpoint lead underneath him against the band's trademark percussive backing. Allman cools off into a reverie, then starts up again, finding an even more furious peak. It was this long, masterful solo that drew comparisons of Duane to jazz immortal John Coltrane.
Spent, the band drops off and a relatively brief but to-the-point percussion break is taken by Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson. The full band then enters to recap the mid-tempo second theme, and the song is smartly finished off. Clearly kept in rapt attention, a couple of silent beats pass before the Fillmore audience erupts in applause.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" by The Allman Brothers Band Songfacts (php). Retrieved on 2006-08-12.
