A ramblin' band forms on the South Shore

Allman Brothers tribute group makes Jones Beach home

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Like many of their generation, John Laguzzi of Wantagh and Phil Franco of Seaford grew up listening to the rock ’n’ roll of the 1970s. They each have fond memories of seeing bands live on Long Island.

“I remember riding my bike seven miles [up] Bellmore Avenue to [Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum] for Charlie Daniels tickets,” Franco laughed. He and Laguzzi reminisced about the days when the Coliseum hosted great acts such as Daniels and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Laguzzi also recalled going to the Jones Beach boardwalk bandshell and seeing a Marine rock band, thinking, “That’s just amazing.” He was young and had just started playing music.

Now the two men find themselves on the other side: not audience members, but band members themselves. Laguzzi and Franco are the lead singer and drummer, respectively, of Mountain Jam Orchestra, a largely South Shore-based Allman Brothers tribute band that will play local venues, including Jones Beach, this summer. 

The band will kick off the season on July 9 at KJ Farrell’s Bar and Grill in Bellmore. They will play the Jones Beach bandshell on Aug. 19.

“We’re having a lot of fun doing this,” said Laguzzi. “It’s what we love.”

The band formed in 2014. The main goal? To give audiences as authentic an Allman Brothers Band experience as possible.

“We try to get as close to the recordings as we can,” Franco said. “That’s what the audience wants.”

For at least 20 years, Laguzzi played in a cover band called Catfish John. They covered a range of classic acts from the ’70s: Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Neil Young and Eric Clapton, among others. In the band’s last four years, Franco joined the group, and their set list grew to at least half Allman Brothers songs. 

“When we played the Allman Brothers, there was just an unspoken commitment to nailing it,” Laguzzi said.

He knew that the time had come to form an all-out Allman Brothers tribute band. The idea was rolling through his head for some time. He wanted the group to be a serious venture, and the name was a “biggie.” One night he was at a Dead Star Orchestra concert, when the perfect name came to him: Mountain Jam Orchestra.

All Laguzzi needed was a band. He recruited five members from Catfish John: bassist Jim Leach of Bellmore, guitarist Steve Killian of Medford, guitarist Dan Damania of Atlantic Beach and Franco. To create an authentic Allman Brothers Band experience, they still needed keyboards, harmonica, harp and another drummer. He asked friends with whom he’d played in the past, keyboardist James Sotis of Massapequa and drummer Steve Farella of East Rockaway, to join.

“Everyone I reached out to jumped at the chance to do this,” Laguzzi said.

Mountain Jam Orchestra played its first show in February 2015 at The Nutty Irishman in Farmingdale. Since then, it has played about 25 shows at bars and outdoor venues across Long Island. They have been well received, its members said, because their audiences grew up with the music.

“We’re up on stage and they’re out there, but we’re all in it together,” Laguzzi said. “The crowd loves it as much as we love playing it.”

As a tribute band, the group of seven stick to every note. They have such a deep appreciation for how the Allman Brothers fused blues, jazz, country and rock that they wouldn’t want to play it any other way. Still, the Allman Brothers are a jam band, so there are times when they riff off one another. Franco said this is one of his favorite parts of the band.

“We do all that stuff, but we keep it in character with what the Allman Brothers would do,” said Laguzzi.

It’s all about reaching the sound, and they seem to have gotten close to mastering it. They said they have been playing these songs for so long that it “just comes naturally.” They have a minimum of 30 Allman Brother songs under their belt, ranging from the band’s albums released from 1969 to the late ’90s. Concert-goers often say that they have never heard certain songs played before, and that the sound is exactly that of the original Allman Brothers Band.

“It’s high praise,” Laguzzi said, “but that is the dream.”

To achieve Gregg Allman’s distinct vocals, Franco said, he listens to certain songs hundreds of times on repeat. “I’m still learning,” he said. When they first started the band, the group got together to listen to the records over and over again to hone this unique music. 

Laguzzi and Franco agreed that a highlight of the band’s early career was Mountain Jam Orchestra’s first show at the Jones Beach bandshell, where Laguzzi had been inspired all those years ago. There were hundreds, even thousands, of people out that night, stretching from the mini-golf course to the concession stand and up and down the boardwalk. Many in the audience wore Allman Brothers shirts.  Band members knew a number of them.

Between the boardwalk scene and the countless familiar faces, Franco said, Jones Beach is always a special place to perform. “It’s home base,” Laguzzi said. “It’s our beach and our people.”