BY JASON SHADRICK
Warren Haynes takes us inside Man in Motion, his
first solo album in 15 years. Plus, co-producer Gordie
Johnson and bassist George Porter Jr. discuss working
with one of rock’s busiest guitar slingers.
Working-Class Hero
Above: Warren Haynes with his Cherry Red 1959 Gibson ES-345. "I always think back to B.B. King, Freddie King, and Albert King. That was the sound I
was looking for, and they played a lot of hollowbodies." Photo by Stewart O'Shields
Warren Haynes is probably the lead- ing candidate to take over the late,
great James Brown’s title of "The Hardest
Working Man in Show-Business." Haynes’
ability to morph into any musical situation
is a rare trait and one that has brought him
to the forefront of modern guitar heroes.
Combining a Southern rock attitude with
a classic rock ethos, Haynes’ main creative
outlet has been Gov’t Mule. Shortly after
he formed the group in 1994, they released
their self-titled debut album. The muscular
sound of Haynes, drummer Matt Abts,
and bassist Allen Woody forged one of the
strongest power trios in recent memory.
After Woody’s death in 2000, Haynes and
Abts expanded the group to include keyboardist Danny Louis and current bassist
Jorgen Carlsson.
In 1993, Haynes released his first solo
album, Tales of Ordinary Madness, to
critical acclaim. Produced by legendary
session keyboardist Chuck Leavell, this
album foreshadowed the sound and mate-
rial that Haynes would later develop fur-
ther with Gov’t Mule. Since then, he has
released two live solo albums, (2003’s The
Lone EP and 2004’s Live at Bonnaroo), and
released 16 live and studio albums with
the Mule. It is easy to see why his latest
album, Man in Motion, was a long time in
the making.
