(Nightwatcher) To commemorate their 40th anniversary, The Allman Brothers Band is releasing a Beacon Box live CD package, capturing all 15 sold-out shows (45 CD's) from the group's recent March stand at the venerable Beacon Theatre in New York City. This is the first time the band has made CDs available from their annual visits to New York, which date back to 1989 and includes 188 consecutive sold-out shows at the Beacon.This run was dedicated to the memory of Duane Allman, seminal guitarist and founder of the band, and to help celebrate Duane's legacy, 60 special guests shared the stage with the Allman Brothers Band. The list includes a "Who's Who" of rock, jazz and jams greats, including Levon Helm, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, Johnny Winter, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Herring, John Bell, Stanley Clarke, Kid Rock, Bonnie Bramlett, Robert Randolph, John Hammond, Billy Gibbons, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Trey Anastasio, Page McConnell, Jerry Jammott, Bernard Purdie, Jimmy Smith, Chuck Leavell, Jimmy Hall, Susan Tedeschi, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh and many others.
Also appearing for two nights with the band was the inimitable Eric Clapton, who teamed with Duane Allman to record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in 1970; considered by many critics to be the finest guitar album of all time. This marked the first time Clapton had played with the Allman Brothers Band in a public setting. - more on this story
