Allman’s son sets own path

Although he possesses one of the most famous surnames in rock history, Devon Allman’s music isn’t defined by the legacy of his family.

He’s the son of legendary blues rocker Greg Allman, though Devon Allman wasn’t really influenced by his dad’s music. In fact, he didn’t meet his father until he was a teenager, long after he’d decided to pick up a guitar.

“I love the Allman Brothers Band, and I’m proud of what my family’s accomplished in that genre of music,” Allman said. “I hold them in the same esteem that I hold the Santanas and the Rolling Stones of the world. They’re among the Jedi Council.

“But I can’t just go, ‘I’m going to write songs this way because my dad does.’ That’s just cheeseball. I’m not along for that; there’s no gravy train here.”

It might be appropriate, though, to invoke the Allman Brothers Band when discussing Devon Allman’s career, because he truly is a ramblin’ man. He’s almost always on the road, and he hits Spokane tonight as part of the Red Lion Hotel’s free summer concert series.

Allman’s latest solo album, “Ragged and Dirty,” offers up 12 tracks of gritty, no-nonsense barroom rock. Listening to the record, you can hear the influences of such dexterous, bluesy guitarists as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.

“I’m not one of those writers that can write every day,” Allman said. “I have to spend six months living life and filling that well, and then I realize I have an album deadline in six months. And I actually like that.”

But while he’s traveling, Allman says he’s always coming up with riffs and melodies, which he records on his iPhone as voice memos.

“It always comes in different ways; you just have to catch it,” he said. “The next phase is sitting down with the iPhone and going through 200 to 300 little snippets, and I tend to pick out the best 10 or 12.

“It’s a real joy to hit that point, because then I know I just picked the 12 seedlings that I think are going to bear the dopest fruit.”

Tonight’s show marks the second time an Allman has rolled through town this summer, after Gregg Allman performed at the Fox in June. Devon Allman says he still tries to play shows with his father, sometimes as often as 10 concerts a year.

“I’ll go and open for him, or we’ll do a little father-son thing,” Allman said. “It’s always a blast. He’s marching toward 70 years old, and it’s such an inspiration because I want to be playing music until I’m 75.”