Editorial Reviews

Y'all know what you're gonna get here, right? Yep. Recorded at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, NC back on December 21, 2000, it's Warren Haynes and his pals from the strange to the legendary and everywhere in between. This Benefit Concert, Vol. 2 is a double disc that features Haynes playing solo acoustic, and with two of his own bands -- the Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule -- as well as John Popper, Kevn Kinney, the Bottle Rockets, Edwin McCain, Chris Duarte, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and cats like Audley Freed, Dr. Dan Matrazzo, and Dave Schools pitching in wherever needed. Haynes is a dynamite performer even when playing acoustic. When he's playing with anybody else he's simply a monster of a musician. For those who dig the jam band scene, this set and its first companion volume are among the hardcore treasures. The performances are all dynamite: check the Allmans playing "Born Under a Bad Sign," and Gregg Allman with Haynes on "Come and Go Blues," or Haynes, Kinney, Popper and McCain playing Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," just for starters. There's some ebb and flow here, too: Duarte's and Hampton's performances are over the top, and the Bottle Rockets are just plain crazy (and delightful). The sound is pristine, without losing any of the grit and grease of the moment. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

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