The band incorporated elements of Southern rock, blues, jazz, and country music, and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals.

Following the motorcycle death of bassist Berry Oakley later that year, the group recruited keyboardist Chuck Leavell and bassist Lamar Williams for 1973's Brothers and Sisters, which, combined with the hit single "Ramblin' Man", placed the group at the forefront of 1970s rock music.

The group found stability during the 2000s with bassist Oteil Burbridge and guitarists Warren Haynes (in his second stint with the band) and Derek Trucks (the nephew of their drummer) and became renowned for their month-long string of shows at New York City's Beacon Theatre each spring.

The band has been awarded seven gold and four platinum albums,[2] and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

Retrospective live albums are concert recordings "from the vault" that were released on CD or LP years after the actual performances.