Warren Haynes has been almost ubiquitous since he joined the
Allman Brothers Band, and formed
Gov't Mule with
Allen Woody and
Matt Abts. He's played and collaborated with everyone from the
Grateful Dead and
Bob Dylan to
Little Milton and
Taj Mahal. Fans might be surprised to learn that Southern soul was an early love. But they shouldn't be.
Man in Motion is
Haynes' first conscious effort and to fully indulge his love for this music, and his first solo record with backing musicians since 1993. Co-produced with
Gordie Johnson,
Man in Motion boasts a stellar cast:
George Porter, Jr. on bass,
Ivan Neville on organ, clavinet, and backing vocals,
Ian McLagan on Wurlitzer and piano, drummer
Raymond Weber, tenor saxophonist
Ron Holloway, and backing vocalist
Ruthie Foster. Two surprises do occur on the title track that opens this set: how much
Haynes has grown as a songwriter and as a singer. (He may argue, but it sounds like he's been influenced by
Gregg Allman's phrasing and delivery; here he moves toward the groove in his lyrics, he doesn't try to shout them above it.) The track is tight; rhythmically pulsed lines in the verses give way to fills and swells by the band that resolve in the choruses. They funk it greasy a la
the MG's, backed by a horn section (courtesy of the
Grooveline Horns).
Haynes lets his guitar talk, too, adding an edgy, raw heat in his solo to close it. The blues are evident in everything
Haynes plays here, and he plays plenty. On
"River's Gonna Rise," a gospel vamp leads into an easy, dark-tinged funkiness.
Haynes' singing is as emotive as it is tough; he lets his guitar engage freely with both keyboardists, trading fills.
Foster and
Neville are excellent backing foils. This is only the beginning of the many delights here. Check the nasty, tightrope-walking
Meters-like funk on
"Sick of My Shadow"; the blues-drenched strut in
"On a Real Lonely Night" (with its killer keyboard interplay); the soaring emotion of
Holloway's sax dueling for dominance with
Haynes' vocal on
"In Your Wildest Dreams" and
"A Friend to You"; and
Haynes' greasy urgency in the
Wilson Pickett-flavored
"Take a Bullet." Man in Motion's lone cover, a reading of
William Bell's and
Booker T. Jones' ballad,
"Everyday Will Be a Holiday," showcases
Haynes' voice and guitar as the foundations of a deeply emotional palette the band paints upon.
Man in Motion is a record that adds a new subtitle to
Haynes' musical portrait: that of a soul man. ~ Thom Jurek
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