Allen Woody – Bass

Douglas Allen Woody (October 3, 1955 – August 25, 2000)^[1] was best known for his eight-year tenure in The Allman Brothers Band and as a co-founder of Gov’t Mule.

After having studied at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School Of Music, Woody joined the Allman Brothers Band along with guitarist Warren Haynes upon the group’s reunion in 1989. Woody and Haynes formed side project Gov’t Mule in 1994 with former Dicky Betts drummer Matt Abts. Haynes and Woody decided to leave the Allman Brothers Band in 1997 to put a full-time effort into Gov’t Mule. Prior to that, Woody played in the 1970s jazz fusion rock band Montage, and following that with former Kiss drummer Peter Criss in the Criss Penridge Alliance in the 1980s.

Woody was found dead the morning of Saturday, August 26, 2000 at the Marriott Courtyard in Queens, New York. Woody’s death helped Haynes in his decision to return to the Allman Brothers Band. Gov’t Mule continued on after Woody’s death with Andy Hess assuming bass duties after a three-year period that saw a rotating group of bass players including Mike Gordon, Dave Schools, Oteill Burbridge (Woody’s replacement in the Allman Brothers Band), George Porter Jr. and Les Claypool.

This tune was the suggested of a Basschatter and, to quote  Albert Nimziki, the part is not ‘entirely accurate’ – the fifths he plays in bars 11 and 12 (and repeated throughout) are tough to get on paper so I suggest you think of it as a guide, a hint of the specific line Woody plays. The lower notes are accurate, I believe, but the higher one difficult to distinguish because of the grungy sound Woody uses and the other instruments clouding things out. That’s my excuse anyway. Lovely riff and not one I had heard until today. Allen Woody’s complete bass part to ‘Thorazine Shuffle’ from the 1998 Gov’t Mule album, ‘Dose’.