By “Tampa” Earl Burton

Review: Warren Haynes’ album The Whisper Sessions – Release date September 12, 2025

Proving that you can teach an “old dog” new tricks, Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes is embracing the future. Haynes has released a new, digital-only album, a collection of soulful renditions of music with a distinctly Southern rock flavor. On The Whisper Sessions, Haynes unveils a very soulful side to his musical talents that many might not have recognized from him.

The nine-track collection, a stripped-down version of Haynes’ 2024 release Million Voices Whisper, showcases Haynes’ guitar talents very well, with Haynes picking up acoustic and electric guitars, as well as dobroes, and making them all sing in ways a lesser musician could only imagine. The songs on the album come from a road-weary Haynes as he recounts the stories of the different subjects on the album. On “From Here on Out,” Haynes sings about some of the choices that he has made throughout his life, and how he’s come out on the other side – for better or for worse. “We’ve had a good run,” Haynes sings, and you can feel the joy and lament that he experienced.

Three of the tracks on the album feature Haynes and his fellow ABB guitar slinger Derek Trucks, which brings a whole other texture to The Whisper Sessions. “Real, Real Love” and “These Changes” serve as an excellent appetizer for the duo’s stirring work on the Allman classic “Melissa.” Trucks’ phenomenal guitar leads intertwine with Haynes’ whiskey-smooth voice to bring a different feel to the cover, an intimacy that you don’t get from the original.

As a longtime fan of The Allman Brothers Band, I often lament that Duane and Gregg have left this mortal plane and taken their brand of rock with them. But if such quality musicians as Warren Haynes (and Derek Trucks through their trio of songs on the album) can carry the baton, there will always be that soulful Southern rock around. Haynes has hit the road to support both versions of his work, which will keep Gov’t Mule on the road through November to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary. While people might like the full band effort, on The Whisper Sessions, Warren Haynes demonstrates well that the “old dogs” still have it, and that’s more than enough for me.

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Tampa Earl

“Tampa” Earl is a 40-year veteran of the entertainment industry, in particular rock radio and journalism. He currently has two radio shows, “Rockin’ in the USA” (focused on the history of rock) and “Crackin’ the Seal” (focused on new, independent, and unsigned artists and rock music) on Real Rock Radio, which broadcasts from Manchester, England. Earl, a former Marine, lives near Tampa, FL, where he is always on the lookout for the next great artist or band that will further the history of rock!

Warren Haynes Unveils the Soulful Southern Sounds of ‘The Whisper Sessions’

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