Goldflies Music

Florida based composer David Ott, currently serving as the music director and Maestro with the Panama City POPS (in Panama City, Fl) reached out to composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist David Goldflies a few months ago to see if there was any interest in the Allman Goldflies Band performing songs from its first album release, Second Chance with the POPS.

That one question resulted in the upcoming performance of music by Gary Allman and David Goldflies (one of the former bassists of the Allman Brothers Band) along with rich orchestrations penned by composer David Ott.

The music of the Allman Goldflies Band can be heard on Spotify, Youtube, Itunes, and other digital music outlets. The performance on Oct. 13, 2018, at Sweetbay in Panama City, Fl. will result in high def video and audio recordings.

The group (AGB and the PC Pops) will also perform two Allman Brothers classics – Whipping Post and Midnight Rider. We felt that the typical classical music fans of today are made up of many of those that knew and loved the music of the 70’s and would enjoy hearing the rich sound of the orchestra with the rockin’ sound of the AGB. And for those more traditional listeners, this concert will give them the opportunity to expand their listening zeitgeist and perhaps discover a whole new way to listen to an orchestra.

A long time friend in Bloomington, Indiana, Rich Reardon, has a PRX program, Beyond a Song. Rich conducted an interview with me where we discussed my early bass playing career. Topics include joining the Allman Brothers Band in the late ’70s, recording the bass on the hit single Black Betty, and more. I also recall my time playing with drummer, Butch Trucks.

The show, Beyond a Song is now available online. Rich Reardin did a great job putting this together. Enjoy!

http://beyondasong.com/this-weeks-show/

Or

https://beta.prx.org/stories/199934

A few days ago I heard the Butch Trucks had taken his own life. I couldn’t believe it yet there it was. I’ll never understand. I was fortunate to spend time with Butch while playing bass in his group, the Allman Brothers Band.

Butch once told me…

(I paraphrase) – Good time (in music) is important. Better not to rush or drag time in a song. But if your going to do it, it’s better to rush. When you drag you just kill all the energy in the song.

But what Butch said wasn’t half as important as to how he played and what I learned from him. In particular the different way to play (and feel) a shuffle. Most drummers play a decent shuffle. Butch was able to change not only the swing in a shuffle (moving the third eighth note in the triplet closer to a sixteenth note) but would simultaneously vary the gate time (note length) of the notes. The effect was a dramatic change in feel say behind a vocal (verse)  and a solo that followed. I miss playing with a drummer that is that nuanced with a shuffle.

And powerful, my god. A freight train is a great description. Solid is an understatement. Yet always musical.

Timpani and Bass. TIMPANI and BASS! Brilliant! Exciting! Unique! His whole body played the timpani and it was a dance of technique, song, and rhythm.

Bass and Timpani improvisation.

His death is really quite saddening but I celebrate the gift he gave me in allowing me to directly experience his huge talent. He will be missed and remembered.

All photos by Bruce Goldflies.