In support of his upcoming album, Million Voices Whisper, Warren Haynes and his Band performed at the Crouse Hinds Theatre in Syracuse, New York on October 10. The evening spotlighted a career spanning two set performance. Haynes is lauded as one of the finest guitar players in the world. He has manned the lead guitar chair for the Allman Brothers Band, The Dead,  and his own band Gov’t Mule. He has also put together a substantial and critically acclaimed solo career. When a lead man is required, Warren Haynes gets the call. A master of both guitar and vocals, he is a high craft musical disseminator.

This line up of the Warren Haynes Band is comprised of a different makeup than his usual touring group. The five piece is made up of Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott, Grammy award winning drummer Terence Higgins, Greg Osby on saxophone, and Matt Slocum on keyboards. The band proved flexible and willing to experiment throughout the evening. The saxophone of Greg Osby providing Haynes a different palette and welcome foil for his multiple improvisations.

While the concert illustrated Haynes distinctive and expected guitar stylings, the evening was in no way a solo concert. The band played updated takes on both old and new Haynes solo tracks as well as referencing fresh approaches to their favorite influences throughout the night. Additionally, bassist Scott paid tribute to Haynes dearly departed Gov’t Mule bandmate and friend Allen Woody with crushing and original bass runs while donning a Allen Woody “Wanted” t- shirt.

The evening began with a patient sonic wash that slowly became a syncopated jam then dissolved into the contemplative drift of Haynes new single, “This Life as We Know It,” Armed with his Les Paul and slide piece, Haynes eased the breezy opener through a series of inviting musical moments.

The jumpy funk of “Man in Motion,” followed, the title track of Haynes 2011 album. The song included plentiful wah-wah soaked solos and the chest rattling bass and drums attack of Scott and Higgins.

The set increased in intensity with the relentless jamming of “Sick of My Shadow,” the second song to be featured from Haynes 2011 solo record. Flashy Hammond splays and soul-soaked saxophone got folks assess out of their seats and dancing. The cut slowly morphed into the solo segment of the Allman Brothers Band classic, “Blue Sky” which  elevated resplendently into the stratosphere with layers of celebratory soloing by Haynes.

The first set was packed full of fist clenching jams that caused the crowd to raise their drinks in respect to the sounds emanating from the stage. Haynes snuck in a new song from his yet to be released record, before blowing away this reviewer with a version of the Band’s “Stage Fright,” off their 1970 album of the same name.

The first set culminated with a feverish reading of the Allman Brothers 2003 song, “Instrumental Illness,” a track cowritten by Haynes and bassist Oteil Burbridge. The skittering jazz of “Instrumental Illness,” cruised through several movements of tight jamming and virtuosic collaborations.

A maelstrom of melodic expressions flashed before Haynes directed the band into a hard driving and funky dance interlude. The band disseminated a feeling of pure musical joy and I was unable to tell if they were in the midst’s of a improv or knew exactly where they were going. Haynes peeled off plump filigrees of sound, never once playing over the top of the group’s churn, but enveloping his playing into the whole of the ensemble.

The jamming soon fell into the shady one drop of “Blue Radio,” from Haynes first 1993 record. The band left the framework behind and turned the dial as far as it would go, entering a jam segment where Haynes fliped through an encyclopedia of histrionic licks. The rhythm section pulsed in hard time while Osby and Slocam lended groovy asides. Absolutely jaw dropping playing by Haynes threatened to blow the top off of the theatre.

Unable to stop the hip shaking the band slipped into the crushing “Tear Me Down,” from the album The Deep End Volume 1 where Bootsy Collins was a guest musician. The thick rhythmic carpet pinned to the floor by Scott and Higgins brought the song and set to a substantial conclusion. While the opening set featured extended jamming and diverse takes on a multitude of tracks from Haynes extensive catalog, it would prove only to be a warmup for the expansive and jam riddled second half of the show.

Following a 20-minute break the band returned with what was essentially an extended rock and roll clinic. Opening with “Power and the Glory,” from Haynes solo first record, the band then debuted another new track with “From Here on Out.” A song that elicited a road worthy summertime highway run, while Haynes Gibson 335 guitar made a welcome appearance on the song.

The Les Paul returned for a hallucinatory jam on Jimi Hendrix’s “Third Stone from the Sun,” that soon fell into a lumbering and heavy Warren Haynes Band take on Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic.”  Haynes steered the band through an ever-changing musical landscape, with each member taking a spot at the wheel. Playing outside the lines, the instrumental portion started to blur into a spacy drift, then a crosscut saw of blues changes and then a funk segment. Haynes playing as crisp as a clean sheet, every phrase a building block toward a stunning cathartic peak. One such summit coagulated into “Lies, Lies, Lies,” a powerful song from Haynes new record, which featured spongy keyboard work and a relentlessly squishy groove perfect for extended Haynes soloing.

Bringing the crowd in for a gentle landing, a spectral reading of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” was given a thoughtful reading by Warren, always the master interpreter, and provided an emotional a highlight of the evening.

The crowd responded in kind for the penultimate song of the night, Gov’t Mule’s “Thorazine Shuffle.” Played as a spotlight piece for the band, each member got a moment to share their wares. A refreshing remake of a road worn song, the band really kicked their feet into the dirt for this extended reading with each member offering alternative plays on the song’s central theme. The final extended mantra detonated into a proper conclusion.

After a quick introduction of the group, Haynes directed the band into a monster rendition of “Invisible,” from his debut which got an extended workout. The band cracked it open like an egg, as the song surpassed double digits and included waves of cresting jam segments. Playful soloing was plentiful between Osby and Haynes while Slocum deftly moved around his keyboard world.

A flashing electro pulse initiated a meltdown at the song’s heart where Haynes scrubbed out disorienting chucks of stringed sound to match his bandmates atonal attack. The band weaved their way back into the song proper with acidic show ending exclamations from Haynes putting the finishing touches on a breathless second set.

The band returned for a gospel-tinged singalong version of “Soulshine,” which sent everyone home into the brisk Central New York night smiling.

Warren Haynes encapsulates everything that’s right in music. He’s well respected by his peers, loved by his fans, and composes and performs original music without compromise. He’s in the sweet spot of recognition but not over exposure. Somehow, he operates on the fringes of the industry, which is exactly how it should be. I feel lucky that his talent is still able to be enjoyed in intimate settings, like he’s a secret, even after a stellar forty plus year career.