By Brent Thompson

When Gregg Allman and his band took the stage of Washington D.C.’s venue The Bayou in 1984, the Allman Brothers Band was at a crossroads. Allman’s stalwart, namesake band had seen its third straight disappointing release and its future was uncertain. Fortunately, Allman had a parallel solo career alongside the ABB and provided the vocals of many of the band’s hits. Backed by a crack band – including brothers Dan and Frankie Toler – One Night in D.C. May 15, 1984 (Sawrite Records) finds Allman in strong voice. In addition to well-traveled classics including “Dreams,” “Melissa,” “Midnight Rider” and “Trouble No More,” the set includes two songs from the yet-to-be-released I’m No Angel album, “Yours for the Asking” and “Faces Without Names.” The only track that may grow tiresome to the casual fan (and consumes over 17 minutes of the album’s space) is “Matthew’s Arrival,” but Allman completists will appreciate its inclusion. Let’s hope that other posthumous vault recordings will continue to be released by this legendary artist.