Saturday Morning Soundtrack -- "Just Like A Woman" performed by Widespread Panic with Gregg Allman

This week in the Saturday Morning Soundtrack series we're taking a break from our count down to share guest blogger Dan Joyce's thoughts on an excellent cover of an old Dylan favorite. Enjoy!

---

Saturday Morning Soundtrack @ Youtube

---

"Just Like A Woman" -- Widespread Panic with Gregg Allman (2009)

Georgia-based jam band veterans, Widespread Panic joined the iconic Allman Brothers to celebrate the legendary band’s 40th anniversary in the summer of 2009. For me, nothing says summer like listening to Widespread Panic. Their sound drips with bluesy abandon, like the sweat on your brow on a hot and humid August afternoon. On one such day, I watched Widespread Panic and the Allman Brothers play a show outside of Boston. Each band played a full set and traded players on a few songs throughout the concert. During one of the Chicago shows of the same tour, Gregg Allman joined Widespread Panic for a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman.”

Few can play an organ like Gregg Allman and the back-and-forth singing with ‘Panic frontman, John Bell, is fantastic. Trading phrases between the two singers creates a masterful conversation supported by Allman’s soulful fingers on the Hammond organ and John Herman’s honky-tonk-esque piano prowess. Guitarist Jimmy Herring weaves his signature electric twang throughout the performance, binding together the melody and harmony. The song hovers in the summer air, each musician takes their turn hanging bits of their own style onto Dylan’s handiwork. Herring’s guitar solo, subtle and gritty, carries the tone from Allman’s graveled vocals. Smooth and bluesy on a Chicago summer night, these musicians, and friends, breathe dense magical life into a classic tune.

---

If you would like to write a Guest Entry for the "Saturday Morning Soundtrack" series where you creatively respond to one of your favorite rock songs, don't hesitate to contact me with queries.