NEWS
NEW ALBUM AND TOUR AS ‘THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND’
The Allman Betts Band will kick off 2019 with their debut album, along with a worldwide tour that will feature “new music, songs from their solo projects and classic Allman Brothers and Gregg Allman tunes in honor of the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers Band”. According to the press release, the new album is due out in Spring of 2019, and will be produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley).
The Allman Betts Band, which the press release refers to as “the new ABB”, will include Devon Allman and Duane Betts, along with Berry Oakley Jr. (son of original Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley), slide guitarist Johnny Stachela, and DAP percussionists R. Scott Bryan (Sheryl Crow) and John Lum.
The forthcoming record will feature Chuck Leavell (former ABB keyboardist and current musical director of the Rolling Stones) and Peter Levin (Gregg Allman Band Hammond B3 player).
BILLBOARD PREMIERES VIDEO FOR “DOWNTOWN RUNAROUND”
Duane Betts wanted to show a different side of Florida than the sunshine and palm trees in the new video for “Downtown Runaround,” premiering exclusively from his debut EP Sketches of American Music. Full story on Billboard.com
THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT WITH DUANE BETTS ANNOUNCES 40+ DATE WORLD TOUR
The club/theater shows will feature a 30-minute opening set with Duane Betts using his go-to guitar player, Johnny Stachela, and Devon Allman’s rhythm section. After a 15-minute break, the Devon Allman Project will play a one-hour set which will include songs from Honeytribe, Royal Southern Brotherhood, The Devon Allman Band, and a few covers. The night will culminate with 30-minute plus an encore featuring all eight musicians playing Allman Brothers Band tunes and other classics. Festival dates will be a straight 90-minute set.
SHOWS
ABOUT
In 2018, Johnny Stachela and Duane Betts partnered with the Devon Allman Project as guests, supporting and sitting-in on a nine-month Allman/Betts World Tour, with stops at such iconic venues as NYC’s Beacon Theater and Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater. The European leg took Stachela to Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, UK and Germany. Additionally, he performed on the second single, “Downtown Runaround,” and subsequent video from Betts’ debut EP, Sketches of American Music.
Stachela joined The Allman Betts Band as a charter member- recording at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound studio- for their 2019 debut LP, Down to the River, and their 2020 follow-up, Bless Your Heart, touring internationally with the group, including dates in Europe and multiple summer festival stops. Subsequent tours with the ABB and the Allman Betts Family Revival have included appearances at New Orleans’ famed Jazz Festival, as well as overseas dates in Australia and Japan- at Byron Bay and Fuji Rock, respectively.
Among the myriad guest spots Stachela has made include jams with Little Feat, Gov’t Mule, and North Mississippi Allstars. With Betts, he’s also welcomed Derek Trucks and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty) for notable onstage collaborations. As a solo artist, Stachela joined the legendary Wet Willie on the band’s 2020 Rock Legends cruise. As well, in the spring of 2023, Stachela released the single, “County Farm Blues”, a cover of the 1930s Son House folk blues, across all digital platforms. He is slated to record further solo material estimated for release in 2025.
Additionally, Stachela contributed writing, performing, and production work for Betts’ second solo project. Recording sessions for the new effort commenced in Spring 2022 at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville, Florida. The resulting album, “Wild & Precious Life,” issued by Royal Potato Family records, arrived in the summer of 2023 to much critical acclaim, making several year-end “Best of” lists.
Stachela joined Betts as a founding member of his new band, Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, embarking on an extensive U.S. tour including festival dates and headlining appearances, and a noteworthy night at the Grand Ole Opry. Touring in support of the LP continued throughout 2024. A follow-up LP produced by Dave Cobb is slated for 2025.
With his well-crafted style of bottleneck slide evoking favorable comparisons to his heroes- influenced and inspired, never imitating- Johnny Stachela has become one of the more highly respected guitarists in modern blues and rock.
MEDIA
County Farm Blues
by Johnny Stachela
Digital Album Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high quality download in MP3, FLAC, & more. Buy Now $10 USD
1. County Farm Blues
2. Firefly
3. Hard Rain
4. Handle It
released March 21, 2023