The Allman Brothers Band: Brothers and Sisters

THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND's magic has always existed mainly on the concert stage, where it can engage its audience casually and cumulatively. The band's image, simply reflected on the double-fold cover of the new album, is of an earnest, hard-working, lovingly interacting community. It is further enhanced through their concentration in performance on extended collective instrumental elaborations, and while I usually have a low tolerance for that type of thing, every time I've seen the Brothers I've been completely transfixed. They simply do things no one else can.