Jessica (feat. Mickey Raphael)

This groovy, mellow interpretation of The Allman Brother's instrumental "Jessica" features special guest Mickey Raphael of Willie Nelson and Family on Harmonica, as well as Stephen Campbell and Jack Ryan of Marcus King Band on bass and drums respectively.

(4:54)
Track credits:
Guitars: Jacob Johnson
Harmonica: Mickey Raphael
Drums: Jack Ryan
Bass: Stephen Campbell
Keyboards: Aaron Bowen
Produced by Jacob Johnson
Recorded by Shane Nelson at Asaph Studios
and Mike McCarthy in Jack Ryan’s Garage
Mixed by Shane Nelson at Asaph Studios
Mastered by Anna Frick at Airshow Mastering
Artwork: Zach and Emily Landrum

Track notes:

It's an unwritten rule for musicians that if your darlin' (that's how we say "significant other" or "partner" in the south) is named after a famous song, you must learn the song, and you must use it to serenade them.

Unfortunately, my wife was named after a 7-minute Allman Brothers jam.

Eventually, I got serious and put together a solo/acoustic version of Jessica that I later played as she danced with her dad at our wedding reception on May 31, 2019.It's been knocking around in my head since then, and earlier this year I decided it was time to flesh out the arrangement with some collaborators.

Jack Ryan and Stephen Campbell from the dangerously hot Marcus King Band laid down a groovy, breathing foundation on drums and bass respectively, and Aaron Bowen supplied tasty keyboard lines throughout. In addition to the main melody, I played the second solo on my trusty Takamine acoustic guitar, but I knew I wanted to feature another special guest for the first solo section. I was completely blown away when my first choice, Mickey Raphael, legendary harmonica player for Willie Nelson and Family, agreed to participate. Mickey has played on some of my favorite albums of all time, and his lyrical, melodic style was just what the track was asking for. Having part of his magic on one of my tracks has been on my musical bucket list for many years.

Of course, this entire project was created with lots of love and respect for its composer, the great Dickey Betts, who we lost not long after production was completed. If you know southern music, you know he was one of the greats. Though I never had the opportunity to meet the man, I hope that my arrangement and attention to the details of this composition can honor his legacy in some small way.