Left alone on stage with two acoustic guitars, Gregg Allman and “Dangerous” Dan Toler performed “Melissa” and “Midnight Rider”—the former dedicated from Allman to Dickey Betts, “wherever he is.” 

It was Jan. 11, 1986, in Philadelphia and Allman and Toler had temporarily stepped away from their Gregg Allman Band-mates to perform these Allman Brothers Band tunes in a quieter setting. With Allman on rhythm and in strong voice on lead vocals, Toler shines on lead guitar, letting his own personality take over as he is freed from full-band arrangements that required him to recapture the ABB sound. 

These tracks and 11 others appear on Great As Ever: Live In Philadelphia ’86 – the title comes from Allman’s salute to the audience prior to the opening “Don’t Want You No More”—a previously unreleased complete concert that gives unique insight to Allman’s onstage doings during the Brothers’ final hiatus. 

With his former ABB bandmates Dan Toler and drummer Frankie Toler, Allman plays organ and guitar and sings alongside bassist Bruce Waibel, keyboardist Tim Heding and percussionist Chaz Trippy for a set that leans heavily on classic ABB material, plus solo numbers like “Queen of Hearts,” the Enlightened Rogues standout “Just Ain’t Easy” and the then-unreleased “I’m No Angel.” 

With a single guitar and electric piano and synths bringing them into the 1980s, “Ain’t My Cross to Bear” and “Hot ’Lanta” take on new aural personas. And while the ABB treatment may be superior, the GAB treatment is supremely interesting, making for a long-overdue souvenir for those lucky enough to have witnessed the Brother-less Gregg on the forever road.