Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel and Cordovas

By the time Duane Betts began working on Wild& Precious Life — his triumphant debut solo album — he'dalready spent two decades creating his own version of guitar-slinging,story-driven American rock & roll.

"It felt like the right time to make something that wasentirely my own vision," he says. "This is a record that guitarplayers will love, but at its core, it's really a song record. It's an albumabout who I am, where I come from, and what I believe in."

The years leading up to Wild & PreciousLife's creation were a whirlwind. Duane cut his teeth with thebands Backbone69 and Whitestarr, then spent the better part of ten yearsplaying guitar alongside his father — legendary Allman Brothers co-founderDickey Betts — as a member of Dickey Betts & Great Southern. He’d alsotravel the world as a touring member of Dawes before releasing an EP of his ownsongs, Sketches of American Music, in 2018. As thedecade drew to a close, Duane co-founded The Allman Betts Band, releasing tworecords in 2019 and 2020.

Even so, the need to create a full-length solo album — onethat nodded to his musical roots while simultaneously pushing ahead into newterritory — continued to gnaw at him. “I wanted to make a record which wouldreally capture that old school Florida vibe," says the Sarasota native.Following his instincts, Duane assembled his dream team of musicians —including guitarist Johnny Stachela, bassist Berry Duane Oakley, keyboardistJohn Ginty, and drummer Tyler Greenwell — and took up his old friends SusanTedeschi and Derek Trucks on an offer to record at their own Swamp Raga Studioin Jacksonville. Wild & Precious Life wasrecorded to two-inch analog tape during a series oflive-in-the-recording-studio performances in 2022.

"We set up as a band, tracked everything live, and keptwhichever takes had the magic," says Duane, who co-produced the album withStachela and Ginty. The band welcomed a number of guests into the fold too,finding room for Marcus King (who swaps guitar solos with Duane on "ColdDark World"), Nicki Bluhm (whose haunting harmonies run throughout thecountry-flavored "Colors Fade"), and Derek Trucks (who contributessearing guitar leads to the album highlight "Stare at the Sun").Bobby Tis handled the album's engineering duties, while seven-time Grammywinner Jim Scott mixed.

Wild & Precious Life offers up a timelessversion of American music — a mix of blues, rock, folk, and country thatcould've blanketed the FM radio airwaves during any number of decades. It's amodern album inspired by some of the best parts of the past, full of sharply crafted songswritten in a state of deep reflection and Duane's journey toward sobriety."Waiting ona Song" is a timeless tribute to patience, faith, and the muse itself,laced with fiery fretwork from Duane's Les Paul Gold Top.  "Circles in the Stars" is equalparts cowboy campfire song and folk ballad, with Duane singing a love letter tohis wife over the earthy resonance of a vintage, post-WWII Martin D28acoustic guitar that once belonged to his father. The twin guitar harmoniesthat define "Stare at the Sun" breathe fresh life into southern rock."I was inspired by a conversation I'd had with Derek, where he was talkingabout my father's guitar playing," Duane explains. "He told me, 'Yourdad is one of those players who's not afraid to stare directly into the sun,'and I loved that line. I was already working on a new song, and Derek's sentimentgave the song a center." Even the album's instrumental track, "Underthe Bali Moon," seems to conjure up its own storyline, thanks to acombination of evocative slide guitar and non-western twinkles of piano.

Wild & Precious Life captures the emotionalrelease of overcoming struggle, appreciating the fleeting nature of life, andcelebrating the joy of being present.

Wild and precious, indeed.

A band with one foot in the present and another in the past, Cordovas embrace the sound of classicAmericana and country-rock, with The Band, Grateful Dead, and The Allman Brothers as key influences.The group is led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Joe Firstman, who recorded as a solo artist forAtlantic Records and led the house band on NBC Late Night before forming Cordovas in 2011, and leadguitarist Lucca Soria who joined the band in 2016.Cordovas’ new full-length record, produced by Cory Hanson (Wand), will be released in summer 2023 onATO Record