3 Classic Tunes That Satisfy the Jam Band Urge of Country Music Fans

In recent years, jam band music, born from jazz bands, bluegrass bands, and rock bands, has made an astounding reentry into the realm of country music. That is primarily thanks to artists and bands such as Billy Strings, The Red Clay Strays, and Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson), as well as several others. While those acts have certainly rekindled the torch, jam band country music has, in fact, been around for quite some time. That being said, here are three classics that satisfy the jam band urge of country music fans.

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“Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers Band

Is “Midnight Rider” a country music song? No, but we didn’t say these selections were strictly going to be country. Rather, we simply said they would satisfy the urge of country music fans, and what country music fan doesn’t like The Allman Brothers Band? Nevertheless, this staple track released by The Allman Brothers Band in 1970 is one that bridges the gap between Dead Heads and Merle Haggard fans.

There are a plethora of beauties when it comes to the song, but the premier one, in our opinion, is the somewhat musical grey area it resides in. What we are trying to say is that this song doesn’t belong to one certain kind of fanbase. Instead, it simply belongs to everybody who loves pure and unadulterated musicianship.

“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band

The Charlie Daniels Band‘s “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” is arguably one of the most ambitious country songs of all time. We say that because, like songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody, there are several songs packed into this one song. It is sprawling, diverse, and has an ever-changing musical through line that controls the energy like an owner who has their dog on a leash.

Now, this isn’t a jam band track in the same sense as say the music of the Grateful Dead, Phish, and Billy Strings. However, and for the reasons we mentioned above, it certainly has a jam-band-esque quality to it, and when it comes to mainstream classic country music, this song is about as jam band as it gets.

“Heard It In A Love Song” by The Marshall Tucker Band

The Marshall Tucker Band is certainly one of the greatest country rock/southern rock bands of all time. Their flavor, taste, and general style strike the hearts of people who like The Grateful Dead, people who like George Strait, and people who like Van Halen. Like The Allman Brothers, these guys were musicians, musicians, and that is one of their biggest appeals, and it shows on their 1977 track, “Heard It In A Love Song”.

We could go on and on about the musical elements that make this a jam band type of song, but the most important factor that makes it so is the feeling. When it comes to this feeling, it is a bit unexplainable, but if you are a country music fan with an affection for jam band music, then you know this song scratches both of those places.

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