There are some artists whose music is timeless. There are other artists whose music defies categorization. Warren Haynes’ music is both of these things. If you think you hear blues, soul, jazz, southern rock, jam music, country, bluegrass, gospel, and Americana, you’d be right. Haynes terrific new album, Million Voices Whisper (Fantasy Records/Concord) incorporates all of that, but more than anything it features his wonderful songwriting and singing.
Top-notch collaborators like Lukas Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Derek Trucks, John Medeski, Terrence Higgins, and Kevin Scott make meaningful contributions along the way. The album is dedicated to Haynes’ old Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts, who passed away in April. In the accompanying audio and video interview, Haynes discusses his Allman days “the greatest experience of my life, I owe the Allman Brothers my entire career.” This solo album includes a track “Real Real Love” that Gregg Allman started, but Haynes finished in Gregg’s style. Nelson and Johnson sing with Haynes on a Staple Singers-esque song of change “Day of Reckoning”. The first single “This Life as We Know It” takes a philosophical, positive, and grateful attitude toward his current life. “Lies, Lies, Lies > Monkey Dance > Lies, Lies, Lies” provides a welcome funky break mid-album.
The record features organ, horns, blues guitar licks, and tasteful drumming that echo Van Morrison and The Band. Not coincidentally, Haynes was close with Band legend Levon Helm and has played with Garth Hudson. He is also playing the star-studded Life is a Carnival event in Inglewood, California to honor Robbie Robertson and The Last Waltz.
Haynes, who has also played with Phil Lesh and Friends and The Dead, talks at length about what John Mayer/Dead & Company are doing with The Grateful Dead’s music and the band’s musical legacy, “Keeping that music alive and going into the future is a necessity and they’re doing a great job. That catalog is a phenomenon.”
Haynes’ first influences were the soul music being produced by Motown and STAX. He wanted to sing like The Temptations, Four Tops, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, and B.B. King before he picked up a guitar. When he did pick up a guitar, he became one of the most influential blues players and improvisors of his generation, creating a formidable body of live and recorded work that stand the test of time.
Million Voices Whisper is being released today (November 1, 2024). Gov’t Mule, a band Haynes co-founded 30 years ago, will play their traditional New Year’s Eve shows at the Beacon Theater on Dec. 30 and 31. Check out Dave Popkin’s full video version of the interview with Warren Haynes here.
Warren Haynes with The Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks – 9/10/24 – “Whipping Post”:
Warren Haynes “This Life as We Know It” from Million Voices Whisper:
Warren Haynes “Soulshine” (acoustic):
Warren Haynes Man In Motion (whole album):
EDITOR'S NOTE: Hurricane Helene devastated Haynes' hometown of Asheville, NC and the surrounding region after this interview was conducted. He will help organize and perform in SOULSHINE, a major benefit concert at Madison Square Garden with Dave Matthews Band and many others on November 24.
