Hey, Bruce, glad to see you back; I noticed your absence in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan, and this is the first I've seen of you since. Hope all is well.

"Mountain Jam" is indeed a worthy nominee for this title, although *any* cut from the Allmans' "Live at Fillmore East" could probably qualify, too -- e.g., "Whipping Post" and "Statesboro Blues." I assume that, as a serious student of Southern Rock, you're aware of the "extended" version of that classic album that came out on 2 CDs a few years back, which gave us new and longer jam versions of practically every cut.

Your message also reminded me of another notable guitar duet featuring Duane Allman: "Layla." If nobody's mentioned THAT memorable number yet, I'd be surprised. I'm sure a lot of folks consider it the best rock song ever. Eric Clapton certainly didn't play with Duane as regularly as Dicky Betts, and the symbiosis may not have been quite as deep, but "Layla," and indeed that whole album, is quite an achievement.

Eric does seem to know a thing or two about playing *together* with other great guitar players -- he's not just a viruoso soloist. His great collaborations with George Harrison (most notably "While My Guitar Gently Weeps") deserve a mention, too.

But hey -- I don't mean to argue against what you're saying. "Mountain Jam" is really something, indeed -- arguably superior to all the other stuff I just mentioned. Especially considering its humble origins in that cute little Donovan ditty!