"You don't go in the studio until you've got stuff, especially if you've already taken it on the road and what we call 'road tested' it," Allman said. "My theory is that the energy from the audience somehow gets into you and makes you play that song right. Scares you into playing it right, how's that? I swear it does. It works."

So far, Allman and keyboardist Neil Larson have written four songs, and Allman alone has 80 unfinished numbers.

When asked if he writes with all of his band members, Allman replied, "No, the keyboard players, guitar players and the bass players usually wind up being the writers. You don't find too many drummers who are writers, but the ones you do find are incredible."

Love songs were the tunes of choice for Allman during a recent performance in Phoenix on his 59th birthday with his band: guitarist Val McCallum, saxophonist Jay Collins, bassist Jerry Jemmott, keyboardist Larson, percussionist/singer Floyd Miles and drummer Steve Potts. Allman performed some of his well-known originals,, including "Melissa" and "I'm No Angel," as well as covers of material from favorites including The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan.

"Songs are songs. They're beautiful," Allman said about playing covers. "You go in there and do your version of it, then a classic song kind of turns into your song. It changes the arrangement. It changes the whole feel."

Besides his birthday, Allman had another reason to celebrate. On Sept. 16, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, he performed "Melissa" and was joined by fellow Georgians Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry of R.E.M. on "Midnight Rider."

"It really was an honor," Allman said. "It's one thing to get in there with your whole gang, your whole band and what have you. But to get inducted in there by yourself ... that's probably the first songwriting award that I've ever been presented with. It felt so good."

Although The Allman Brothers recently announced that they're going to continue their New York tradition and perform a two-week residency at New York's Beacon Theatre, Allman said, for right now, the band is essentially on an extended break.

"We have a lot of people who have their own bands, including myself. They want to go and spend some time with those bands. Some of them are leaders, some of them are in different parts, in different bands. Derek [Trucks] has his own band. Oteil [Burbridge] has his own band," Allman said.
The Allman Brothers' line-up for the Beacon Theatre shows, which begin in late March, will include Allman (vocals, keyboards), Butch Trucks (drums, tympani), Jaimoe (drums), Warren Haynes, (vocals, lead and slide guitar), Trucks (slide and lead guitar), Burbridge (bass) and Marc Quinones (congas, percussion).
For now, Allman is touring with his band, as well as openers Honeytribe, which features his son Devon.

"Oh, it's great touring with Devon," Allman said. "It is great. It is so wonderful. This last leg, we're working on at least two or three songs together."