Watch: Taj Mahal And Greg Allman Perform A Rollicking Version Of ‘Statesboro Blues’

The late Gregg Allman had so many fantastic friends, including the one-and-only Taj Mahal. As part of 2014’s All My Friends concert, the pair performed this scorching, Grammy-nominated version of “Statesboro Blues.”

Taj, sporting a welcoming island shirt and jovial sensibility, brought the blues along with him for this extended interview and performance segment. “These guys managed to weather every storm and every pitch that was thrown to them,” Taj says when asked about the legacy of The Allman Brothers.

“‘Statesboro Blues’ was something I picked up from Blind Willie McTell,” the singer continued. “It was kind of a country/blues song. I took it to the guys I was playing with from Oklahoma. Jesse Davis was a slide player, so he played this open introduction on the slide guitar. And, eventually, I think Gregg brought that to Duane [Allman]. And Duane was just blown away by it so he started to focus on slide guitar.”

Watch the incredible performance on “Statesboro Blues” below.