This ALLMAN has been on the road for quite some time, but his musical career has remained rather confidential. Michael is Gregg's first son (whom he had with a bar dancer). His parents separated shortly after his birth, and he barely knew his father. He had to wait until 1985 for Gregg Allman to recognize him as his son. Pictures reveal a resemblance between Michael and his renowned father (similar features, long hair, beard, tattoos). However, the voice of the son does not sound at all the same (contrary to Devon Allman). Clear, relatively sharp, and pleasant, it is perfectly settled on the tracks of this nice album. The "southern country-rock" "Blues travels fast" gives the tone with a good guitar solo in clear sound. We are definitely in southern territory. The "southern boogie-blues" "Goin' back to Daytona" comes close to the Allman Brothers Band's "Statesboro blues". Played in minor mode at a fairly fast tempo, "Midnight blues" provides an excellent and delicately saturated six-string solo, backed by an Atlanta Rhythm Section-style electric piano. "Brown liquor blues" (a country-blues with a lively, bouncy tempo) is performed the old-fashioned way (rhythm section, piano and slide) and would remind a bit of Dickey Betts' "Pony boy" on the ABB's "Brothers and sisters" album. Tinged with soul and decorated with a saxophone solo, the splendid slow song "Feeling so bad" is the ideal song to make the girls fall in love at the end of the evening. Michael also delivers a good "delta blues", accompanied only by a dobro ("Sun don't shine"). This "Blues travels fast" reveals itself as a very good record of southern music. Even if he didn't meet him much, and probably without wanting to, Gregg Allman has nevertheless given a part of his talent to this forgotten son. You can't fight heredity.

Olivier Aubry