In a recent interview with Alan Paul of the Wall Street Journal, Gregg Allman discusses life after the Allman Brothers with his revitalized solo career, his desire to jam with Dickey Betts and just what else music has to offer him these days. Here are a few of the highlights:

About his perception of falling in the lineage of the great soul singers of the past:

I don’t know. I never was one much to make notches. I’m grateful for every gold record, good review and award I’ve ever received, but I’m just so into what I’m doing and that’s where my focus is. I would certainly be honored if they put me there with my heroes like Ray [Charles], [Bobby “Blue”] Bland, Stevie Wonder, Muddy and [Howlin’] Wolf after I die. But if they don’t, I’ve had a ball anyway.

When asked about the difference with the Gregg Allman Band no longer being the “other band”:

There’s one large difference between my band and the Allman Brothers. The Allman Brothers never had a leader or focal point after my brother died. One who says, “Guys, get on your instruments, we’re rehearsing now.” I won’t do anything for more than five hours anymore because I get tired and don’t trust my brain, but in that time my band can learn eight songs. With the Brothers, we’d sit around, shoot the s—, eat a little food, smoke a doobie, talk about our families…I want to play when we get together!

Asked why he mentions Dicky Betts everytime Allman plays “Southbound”:

Because he should be credited for writing a very good song! Like they say, time heals. I haven’t seen him in a very long time and would be very open to it. In fact, I would love to play with him again.

With a leading and inevitable follow up question of “So you’re saying that…?,” Gregg responds with:

…just to jam! I love my band and I’m pretty set for guitar players, but I’d love to see Betts. We had our ups and down and all our demons. We had our problems, our ins and outs and our public embarrassments on both sides. But that’s all way behind us now. There’s nothing at all wrong with forgive and forget.

About whether Allman’s role changes in the band when he takes up the guitar:

Not really. The way I play both is all about helping make it good and funky. There are eight people backing one soloist, who might be piano, guitar or a horn, and I concentrate on making sure all the parts fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. That’s what creates a groove—along with the tempo. I’ve found that often if you slow down just a hair, the pocket will appear and all of a sudden everyone in the audience is shaking their body and man, you are there. 

In regards to Allman’s continued touring:

I love the travel and I love the music. Now I would like to go to every place that the Allman Brothers missed and that’s plenty. We only went to Europe three times in 45 years. The booking agent knew we could make a certain amount if we played anywhere between Atlanta and New York and even if we went to the West Coast we’d only get half of that. They just opened a B.B. King restaurant in Moscow and I’m dying to go. And I get a lot of fan mail from Brazil and Argentina. I’d like to go say hello myself.

To read the interview in its entirety, you can visit the WSJ article here.

[H/T Jambands.com]