DEVON ALLMAN & DONOVAN FRAKENREITER: Rollers (2023)

Like his friend Duane Betts, Devon Allman does not remain inactive after the Allman Betts Band. To announce a fifty-date
tour across the USA, he offers us a gleaming six-track EP called Rollers, hyper-worked with the Californian Donavon
Frankenreiter, a great professional surfer, also a guitarist, singer and "song writer" in a register Country Folk Rock. The
latter already has a substantial discography to his credit, which includes a real live gem with the Californian group
SUNCHILD and its essential eleven-track album which is worth hunting down: "Barefoot & Live" with its truly stunning
feeling and technique in guitar playing very close to southern rock. Moreover, they cover "Melissa" by the Allman Bros
and a grandiose version of "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band. A second studio album, "California Honey",
followed in 2000.
Let's return to the duo Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter who will not make you indifferent from the start with
"Calling All You Riders", Western Country-Rock with hints of "Green Grass & High Tides" from the Outlaws in a more
rooted way, the titles "See it All " and "We Wehong" will remind you of the Royal Southern Brotherhood, then sounds and
voices that slide like a dream on "Electric Lady" and "Where ya gonna run to", a sublime instrumental, "Acapulco Gold"
with Latin charm very lyrical, completes the EP in a meticulous way. It is surprising to see that this Allman/Frankenreiter
duo works wonders both vocally and musically.
Jacques Dersigny

Translation : Y. Philippot-Degand