Guest Book

Nice Derek interview: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=31943 Here's my favorite exchange: AAJ: There's that story that Tom Dowd told of being at an Allman Brothers show with Eric, and Duane opened his eyes during a solo and saw Eric and stopped playing. DT: I've heard that same story, and that's when the "Layla" thing happened. Eric came out to see The Allman Brothers and Eric actually mentioned that show and Tom Dowd taking him to see Duane and the band somewhere in South Florida. Eric talked about how impressive it was, those guys -scraggly haired (laughing)—just playin' their asses off with something to prove. AAJ: I was really moved by the way you and Eric communicated when you started doing "Why Does Love Got to be so Sad" as the tour progressed. DT: Yeah, yeah, those were some of my favorite moments of the tour. AAJ: You could just see it, in those moments there was no age difference, no question of fame or icon status, you guys were just so intimate and in the moment. Even as someone in the audience, you could just feel the spirits talking. I'm curious what that's like for the musician, do you get the sense your talking soul to soul in those moments, and does something like that forge a special bond between you? DT: I think so, definitely, when you're communicating on that level it's total trust. And all of your senses are full on in those moments, you're in a heightened sense of awareness and you're being really sensitive to the other player. You're trying to do your own thing and head down a certain path while also reacting. There were two or three nights when we played that and I felt it really happened. I felt good [laughing], it felt great! AAJ: I think Brian Wilson once said it was the language of God. DT: Yes, that's pretty much on the mark.