While Eric Clapton jammed with the Allman Brothers Band at MSG for last month’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, it was not the first time the acts met up in recent years. Back in 2009 Clapton sat in with the Allman Brothers Band as part of their 40th Anniversary March Madness Run at the Beacon Theatre. Slowhand guested with the Allmans on March 19 and 20 for each show’s entire second sets.

Japanese company Mid Valley Records issued professionally-shot video of EC’s March 19 performance with the ABB on DVD and YouTuber Mal Barker has liberated the bootleg. Watch as Slowhand gets busy on such tunes as Dreams, Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? and, of course, Layla.

1. Key To The Highway – Allman Brothers Band with guest Eric Clapton (lead vocal / guitar)
2. Dreams – Allman Brothers Band with guest Eric Clapton (guitar)
3. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad – Allman Brothers Band with guest Eric Clapton (lead vocal / guitar)
4. Little Wing – Allman Brothers Band with guest Eric Clapton (lead vocal / guitar)
5. Anyday – Allman Brothers Band with guests Eric Clapton (vocals / guitar) and Susan Tedeschi (vocals)
6. Layla – Allman Brothers Band with guests Eric Clapton (lead vocal / guitar) and Danny Louis (piano)

[Hat Tip - Couch Tour]

We weren’t planning on posting anything for a while as we’re still in shock over the tragic events that took place in Boston this afternoon. That said, music heals and songs like I Shall Be Released have gotten us through terrible times. So we wanted to share a performance from Saturday night.

On Saturday night Robbie Robertson made a rare appearance on stage as part of Eric Clapton’s final set of the Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden. As rare as performances by Robbie Robertson are, it’s even more unusual to hear him play a song by The Band. I Shall Be Released was written by Bob Dylan, but was used by The Band as a track on the group’s debut album – Music From Big Pink. After dedicating the song to some dear old friends, Robbie handled vocals on I Shall Be Released as he performed with Eric Clapton and his band at MSG on Saturday.

We urge our readers to donate money to the American Red Cross.

The second night of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival [Photos, Setlist and Videos From Night One HERE] already had a jam-packed lineup of six-stringers ready to go, but that didn’t stop EC from bringing out a surprise guest during his show-closing set. Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones emerged with Clapton for Key To The Highway and Sweet Little Rock and Roller.

Later in Clapton’s set, he brought out Robbie Robertson and Andy Fairweather-Low before welcoming most of the weekend’s guests for a finale. Here’s video of Keith Richards’ guest spot…

Performance Order – Crossroads Night Two: Clapton/Akroyd Intro > Sonny Landreth w/ Derek Trucks > Doyle Brahmhall (solo acoustic) W/ John Mayer > Jimmie Vaughan > Blake Mills w/ Derek Trucks > Los Lobos w/ Susan Tedeschi, Robert Cray and Clapton > Warren Haynes (acoustic) w/ Derek Trucks and Greg Allman > Vince Gill w/ Albert Lee and Keith Urban > Keb Mo & Taj Mahal (double dobro) > Gary Clark Jr. > Jeff Beck > Buddy Guy (acoustic) > Eric Clapton w/ Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Andy Fairweather-Low and Grand Finale

Here’s another angle with creeper footage of Roger Waters watching the show…

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Every three years since 2004 Eric Clapton has called upon his famous guitarist friends and those young axeslingers he admires for a benefit called the Crossroads Guitar Festival to raise funds for Clapton’s Crossroads Centre drug treatment center in Antigua. Following the 2004 edition in Dallas and 2007 and 2010 editions near Chicago, this year’s Crossroads Fest takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Last night was the first of the event’s two nights at the “World’s Greatest Arena.”

[Photos by @languagestrange]

Clapton took the stage as the evening’s first act for a five-song acoustic set and returned at points in the night to sit in with many of the performers on the bill. Booker T was up next and was joined by Steve Cropper, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Keb Mo for a set of MGs classics. A summit of guitar gods followed, which saw Clapton team up with B.B. King, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan. Sonny Landreth delivered a song while the stage was set for Doyle Bramhall II, who welcomed Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr. during his five-song performance. From there, Philip Sayce, Earl Klugh and Al Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel each took turns leading the proceedings with Clapton joining Rosenwinkel for If I Should Lose You and Way Down That Lonesome Road. Gary Clark Jr. returned for a quick solo interlude which was followed a John Mayer set. Country star Keith Urban helped out Mayer and his band for a cover of Don’t Let Me Down By The Beatles. For Buddy Guy’s set the Chicago legend was joined by Robert Randolph and his protege – Quinn Sullivan. The evening’s MC Dan Aykroyd paired up with Keb Mo for a few tunes before he introduced the Allman Brothers Band to close out the show. The Allmans finished off the evening with a five-song set that included sit-ins from David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Taj Mahal and Clapton himself for Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?

We’ve compiled photos, videos and the setlist from last night’s show…

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One of the many highlights of the Allman Brothers Band’s 40th Anniversary celebration at the Beacon Theatre in 2009 were a pair of performances featuring legendary guitarist Eric Clapton. Clapton and the band will reprise those stellar performances next week at the first of two Crossroads Guitar Festival shows that are planned for Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 12 and 13 according to a Rolling Stone report.

Rolling Stone says Clapton will kickoff the Crossroads fest with an acoustic set on the 12th and then later that night will join the Allman Brothers Band during their headlining set. Eric will headline the second night, but will prepare by sitting in with a few of the acts set to play on the 12th. Top tier tickets are still available for the fest, which features a slew of talented musicians such as Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Booker T. Jones, Citizen Cope and John Mayer.

Here’s a performance of Layla from those 2009 shows…

Today’s video highlights the underrated husband and wife soul revue perhaps best known for being the first white group to sign with Stax, encouraging Eric Clapton to sing and teaching George Harrison to play slide. While the band was not a large success on Stax, their influence on a wide range of more famous musicians has been well documented, and seem to be undergoing a resurgence in popularity of late with their unique blend of harmonic vocals, soulful backing music, and classic ’60s sound.

Here’s a look at the band performing their Robert Johnson tribute song, Poor Elijah, with Clapton, on the BBC’s Price of Fame television program in 1969.

HT faves Barika, the Vermont-based band who blend Craig Myers’ Kamel N’Goni work with Western influences, are currently working on their second album. The group has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the rest of the recording process, mixing and mastering. Funders who back the project can receive t-shirts, albums and even a N’Goni lesson from Myers depending on how much they contribute. Barika hopes to release the album in early May.

Here’s six links to help you get over the hump this work week…

• The New York Times examines musician royalties gained from streaming
• There was a message behind The Lumineers’ performance on SNL
• Petty Fest is coming to San Francisco’s Fillmore at the end of February
• Check out Lowell George tracks from before Zappa and Little Feat
• The Strokes have announced a new album which is due out in March
• Charlie Hunter, Skerik and Steven Bernstein have put together a band

Finally, Eric Clapton has revealed details of new album, entitled “Old Sock,” which is due out March 12th. Old Sock features two new originals and a collection of covers that Clapton loves such as Further On Down The Road, Goodnight Irene and Peter Tosh’s Till Your Well Runs Dry. Special guests include Paul McCartney, J.J. Cale, Chaka Khan and Steve Winwood. CoS has more details.

The months in the planning 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief benefit concert is finally here. We’ll update this post with a setlist, photos, videos and our thoughts as the night goes along. The expected order of performances is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band > Roger Waters > Bon Jovi > Eric Clapton > Rolling Stones > Alicia Keys > The Who > Kanye West > Billy Joel > Chris Martin > Paul McCartnirvana.

Setlist:

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Land of Hope and Dreams, Wrecking Ball, My City of Ruins, Born To Run (w/ Jon Bon Jovi), Living On A Prayer

Roger Waters: In The Flesh, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2, The Ballad Of Jean Charles de Menezes, Money, Us and Them, Comfortably Numb (w/ Eddie Vedder)

Adam Sandler: Hallelujah (w/ Paul Shaffer)

Bon Jovi: It’s My Life, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Who Says You Can’t Go Home (w/ Bruce Springsteen), Living On A Prayer

Eric Clapton: Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, Got To Get Better In A Little While, Crossroads

Rolling Stones: You Get Me Rocking, Jumping Jack Flash

Alicia Keys: Brand New Me, No One

The Who: Who Are You, Bell Boy, Pinball Wizard, See Me Feel Me/Listening To You, Baba O’Riley, Love Reign O’er Me, Tea and Theatre

Kanye West: Clique > Mercy > Power > Jesus Walks > All Of The Lights > Run This Town > Diamonds From Sierra Leone > Diamonds > Touch The Sky, Gold Digger, Good Life, Runaway, Stronger

Billy Joel: Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway), Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song), Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas > New York State Of Mind, River Of Dreams, You May Be Right, Only The Good Die Young

Chris Martin: Viva La Vida, Losing My Religion (w/ Michael Stipe), Us Against The World

Paul McCartney: Helter Skelter, Let Me Roll It, 1985, My Valentine (w/ Diana Krall), Blackbird, Cut Me Some Slack (w/ Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic), I’ve Got A Feeling, Live and Let Die

Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind Pt. 2

All proceeds from tonight’s concert benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund and will be used to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Please head to the organization’s website to donate to the cause.

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Tickets for 12-12-12 – The Concert For Sandy Relief went on sale earlier today and sold out with a quickness. Thankfully, as we reported earlier, the concert will be broadcast live on a number of cable networks and websites. Following the on-sale, 12-12-12 organizers have announced that guitar legend Eric Clapton and Coldplay front man Chris Martin have been added to the bill.

12-12-12 – The Concert For Sandy Relief will take place on December 12th at Madison Square Garden boasting a lineup that includes Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Alicia Keys, The Who, Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney.

The Rolling Stones are pulling out all the stops for their five-show 50th Anniversary Run. Following up on Sunday’s show where guests included Mary J. Blige and Jeff Beck, Rolling Stone has revealed that Eric Clapton and Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine will join the band onstage at London’s 02 Arena tomorrow night. Head here to watch ALL of Sunday’s show.

We can’t wait to see what they have in store for not only tomorrow’s performance but also for the three December shows taking place on this side of the Atlantic in Brooklyn and Newark.

[Hat Tip - @subtle_sounds]

In March, guitar god Eric Clapton will hit the road for a month-long, cross-country U.S. Tour that will culminate with the fourth edition of Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. Crossroads IV will take place at Madison Square Garden on April 12 – 13 with a bevy of axeslingers aboard including Jeff Beck, John Scofield, Sonny Landreth, Jonny Lang, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Robbie Robertson and BB King as well as performances from Los Lobos, the Allman Brothers Band and more.

The tour kicks off on March 14th in Phoenix and hits over a dozen American cities with Clapton backed by Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Steve Jordan (drums), Chris Stainton (piano and keyboards), and Willie Weeks (bass), along with newcomers Paul Carrack (organ and keyboards) and Greg Leisz (pedal steel guitar) as well as Michelle John and Sharon White on backing vocals.

The Crossroads Guitar Festival will take over MSG for the first time on April 12 – 13. “The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” said Clapton in a press release. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.” Besides the music, MSG will host the “Guitar Center Road to Crossroads Exhibition” which will feature some of the most historic guitars of all-time. Tickets for the fest go on sale Friday, November 30th at 12pm EST.

Here’s more details about the tour and the Crossroads Guitar Festival…

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Sorry President Obama, I think last night’s tribute to the blues, in the form of a memorial concert for late bluesman Hubert Sumlin, might have your recent event at The White House beat. A who’s who of legendary musicians including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Jody Williams, Henry Gray, Eddie Shaw and James Cotton came together with younger stalwarts Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Todd Mohr, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Gary Clark Jr., Quinn Sullivan and Susan Tedeschi to pay their respects to Sumlin at the Apollo Theatre.

[The Encore via LadyMusic777]

The show – billed as Howlin’ For Hubert – started with a video tribute to Sumlin, who passed away in December. Clapton delivered an acoustic Key To The Highway with James Cotton to kick off the actual performances. Next, Cotton welcomed Todd Mohr out and then the Big Head Todd singer played a song with improvised lyrics about Hubert. This was followed by a segment featuring Jimmy Vaughan singing Six Strings Down and then Kenny Wayne Shepherd took the stage with Chicago bluesman Jody Williams for a version of Williams’ Lucky Lou. Second generation bluesman Ronnie Baker Brooks and Louisiana native Lonnie Brooks combined powers for Sweet Home Chicago before Chicago blues tenor saxophonist Eddie Shaw and piano player Henry Gray tackled Sittin’ On Top of The World. Gray and Shaw stayed out and brought on Elvis Costello for a take on Howlin Wolf’s Hidden Charms. Up next was HT fave Warren Haynes, who teamed up with harmonica player Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds for You’ll Be Mine. For the grand finale of the first set, Haynes was joined by Gibbons and Wilson on Wolf’s I Asked For Water and Mister Highway Man.

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[Originally Published: April 12]

Pattie Boyd man. How could one woman be the inspiration for so many epic rock songs? We’re talking Bell Bottom Blues (Cover Wars), Wonderful Tonight, Something, and believe it or not – a few others as well. Layla was released in 1970 by Derek & The Dominos on their incredible LP Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. In 1992, Clapton rearranged the tune for MTV Unplugged and took home the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. And it keeps going from there, one of Clapton’s arrangements is just a couple of days old, at the bottom of this Cover Wars you’ll see some videos from April 9th’s performance at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis. And, if you haven’t seen Goodfellas, well. . .

The Contestants:

Duane Allman died less than a year after he lent his legendary slide guitar skills to the original Derek & The Dominos studio take. Thirty-three years after its release, The Allman Brothers Band started covering the song, a nod that some attributed as a tribute to both Duane and the producer of the original record Tom Dowd, who died months before the Allman’s debuted it. Guitarist Warren Haynes handles the vocals. Audio Source: 9-25-2004

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Video from 2003:

READ ON for more covers of Layla from the likes of The Charlie Daniels Band, Derek Trucks, Phish, Umphrey’s McGee and Herbie Mann…

We can’t help but feel like a little kid waking up on Christmas morning about to open their presents as tonight marks the start of the Allman Brothers Band’s March Madness run at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. If you can’t make it to the Beacon tonight, you can watch all the action unfold on Moogis.com. For today’s video, we look back on one of the best moments of the ABB’s near 200 shows at the venue – Eric Clapton dueling with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes on Little Wing from March 19, 2009…

Allman Brothers Band w/ Eric Clapton – Little Wing

This year’s batch of live concert DVD releases was more about quality than quantity. While there weren’t dozens of releases from the bands we love like last year, the DVDs that did come out make up for the lack of numbers. For this week’s B List, I continue a long-standing tradition of detailing my favorite concert DVDs of the year. I’ve included a taste of these releases, except the Avett’s DVD, so you can get a feel for these outstanding videos.

10. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – London Calling

If 2009 was indeed the last year for the E Street Band, what a year it was. One of the highlights of ’09 for The Boss and his long-time backing band was a headlining set at London’s Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park. London Calling contains 26 tracks from throughout Springsteen’s career as well as a few cool bonuses such as a memorizing version of The River from Glastonbury. As you’ve probably inferred from the title,  the DVD contains a scorching cover of London Calling by The Clash that starts this release out right.

READ ON for my Top Nine Concert DVDs of 2010…