The guitar solos Warren Haynes plays do more than dazzle and burn. They sing. A big reason is Haynes, a legend for his playing with the Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule, was into singing before guitar.

“My first love was soul music,” Haynes says. “I was enamored with, you know, Sam and Dave, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett and all that kind of stuff before I really discovered rock and roll music.”

After getting into rock, Haynes, who grew up in Asheville, N.C., was drawn to artists like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Jeff Beck and, eventually, the Allman Brothers.

“And my whole trajectory kind of shifted at that point,” Haynes says. “I became very enamored with guitar music.”

He also started writing songs at an early age. “So for me, all three of those things have always been equally important,” he says of singing, guitar and songwriting.

Those three talents are on vivid display once again on Haynes’ 2024 solo album, “Million Voices Whisper.” The album finds him indulging his love of classic R&B, blues, jazz and funk. The 64-year-old’s music has never been more nuanced and expressive.

Haynes says, “When I joined the Allman Brothers in 1989, I was thrust into this world that cast a huge spotlight on my guitar playing, which was wonderful and incredible. It was an opportunity to join one of my favorite bands of all time.

“And I knew when I joined the band that I was going to be singing less. Although they were extremely generous to let me sing in that band from the very beginning. But it was amazing being in a band with one of my favorite singers, Greg Allman, and learning from just standing next to him every night for 25 years.”

This winter, Haynes is on the road with his solo band performing songs from throughout his career and covers of artists he admires.

The ace ensemble boasts drummer Terence Higgins (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), bassist Kevin Scott (Gov’t Mule), keyboardist Matt Slocum [from Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson’s band Magpie Salute, and saxophonist Greg Osby [The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends]. Complete tour dates at warrenhaynes.net.

On a recent afternoon, Haynes called in for a 20-minute phone interview. Edited excerpts below.

Warren, on your new album there’s a song called “Real Reall Love” which was something Gregg Allman started and after he died you finished. That had to have been a heavy experience. What was that like?

Warren Haynes: Well, let’s go back to the origin of that song. Gregg had started writing it a long time ago and never finished it. And he had showed it to me at one point, but we never did really work on it [together]. And then when I found a copy of his handwritten lyrics a few years ago after he had passed, I got inspired to finish the song. The lyric was incomplete and there was no music that I’m aware of.

So I finished the lyric and wrote music for it. And right after doing so, I called Derek Trucks [fellow Allman Brothers guitar alumnus] on the phone and told him about it and said hey, we should record this song together. And that was kind of the inspiration for this whole project.

And the way that the conversation turned to let’s get together and write some other songs, at one point I was going to go down to his studio in Florida and we were going to record a handful of material.

But when the opportunity arose his studio was under construction, so he decided to come up to where I was working for the other segment of the record, which was fantastic. We spent three days writing together and two days recording. And those songs really helped shape the direction of the record, I think.

Derek Trucks also plays guitar on three songs on the album. It’s fun to listen to you two play together because it’s more of a conversation between two guitars than getting too jammy.

When Derek and I play together, we’re kind of completing each other’s sentences. You know, it’s not a one upmanship. It’s trying to make the most beautiful, spontaneous music that we can make.

And of course, from all these years that we played together, it just continues to grow and we’re able to have these musical conversations that to me are much more satisfying than just kind of trying to outdo each other.

Over the years you’ve gotten more physically fit. Has that changed your playing at all?

Well, I think it changes everything. Starting with your outlook on life and the way you feel and that carries over to the music. I also feel like my voice has a clarity now that was missing for some time, and it’s just due to for the most part singing night after night after night and trying to keep it in shape.

The best thing any singer can do is sing constantly. I hear the way my voice sounded on record a long time ago, and in some cases I would be a little more hoarse and not as clear as I wished to be. And I’m really happy with the progress that I’ve been making in that regard as well. But a lot of it is just to continuing to do what you do and continuing hopefully to improve and get better with time.

Can you talk about finding the balance of songs on your album that bring people together and songs that call for change? “Day of Reckoning” is one that calls for change, but on others it just sounds like the point is to make something that’s joyous to listen to.

I think our approach to music in general is all about balance. Starting with the balance between song-oriented songs and songs that open themselves to improvisation and long jams. I think there has to be a balance of those two things in the live show.

But back to your original question, I think it’s important that we speak our minds and write about the things that are important. But never lose sight of the fact that it’s music and music is meant to be enjoyed. I think having grown up when I did in the ‘60s and ‘70s, all my favorite music was like that.

And especially now, I think we’re in such a troubled time and divided time that for the past probably 10 years or more I’ve been trying to focus on common ground, and the fact that we all need to pull together and pull ourselves out of this craziness. If we’re expecting politicians to do it, it’s never going to happen. It’s up to us to make the world a better place.

You’ve been a busy guy for a long time. The Allmans, Gov’t Mule, [Grateful Dead spinoff] The Dead, your solo stuff. Even going back to playing in the Dickey Betts Band and with David Allen Coe. But have you ever had an offer join another big-name artist on guitar, but the timing and logistics weren’t right?

Yeah, there are a couple of instances that I’m not really comfortable talking about. But there was a time when timing was kind of the essence and there were a couple of my favorite bands offered me positions that I wasn’t able take. But just being in a situation where you’re offered stuff like that is wonderful.

Last year was the 30th anniversary of the Allmans album “Back To Where It all Begins.” That was a great continuing of the band’s resurgence you were crucial tp. That album contained the first released version of your signature song, “Soulshine,” with Gregg Allman singing lead vocals. A couple years ago at your annual Christmas Jam all-star fundraising concert, Slash from Guns N’ Roses played that song with you. Was playing that song with Slash surreal?

Well, it was great having Slash and Myles Kennedy [singer for Slash’s solo band as well as the band Alter Bridge] come to Christmas Jam. It’s something that we had been talking about for a few years and he had expressed interest, and it was finally working out from a schedule standpoint.

We had also done quite a few shows together at that point. And [in 2024] my band did a handful of shows on Slash’s tour when he released his blues record.

There was also this wonderful experience that we had, myself and Slash and [ZZ Top’s] Billy Gibbons being the three guitar players put together for the CMT Awards to do a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, with Paul Rodgers [of the bands Bad Company and Free], one of my all-time favorite singers, joining us.

It was a really wonderful experience, the rehearsal and the hanging out and the show. And that also kind of continued that conversation of hey we should do more stuff together.

Slash is a really cool guy, really friendly and down to earth and is playing great. And those kinds of experiences always lead to something positive with musicians that enjoy playing live on stage.

A few years ago we talked about Gregg Allman after Greg passed. Last year we lost Dickey Betts. What’s something you learned from Dickey or that most people don’t know about him?

I was a huge fan of Dickey’s long before we knew each other, and we met I think in 1981. He was very encouraging to me as a young guitar player. And a few years later I wound up joining his band and writing a bunch of music with him, and making his record “Pattern Disruptive” together, which is where I met Matt Abts, the drummer in Gov’t Mule.

Dickey also went out of his way to kind of shine the spotlight on me in the beginning. When we would go do interviews together and the interviewer wouldn’t know who I was, Dickey would make a point of turning the interview to me. It wasn’t all about him. And Gregg was great that way as well.

But truthfully, Dickey Betts gave me the biggest opportunity of my career. He brought me into his band, which led to me joining the Allman Brothers, which was a once in a lifetime moment. And opened every door imaginable for me.

The Warren Haynes Band plays Mars Music Hall at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $71.50 (plus applicable fees) and available via the VBC Box Office, address 700 Monroe St., and ticketmaster.com.