The Allman Brothers Band was arguably the most iconic Southern Rock band ever. I say arguably, but it would be fun to see someone try and make a argument otherwise. Their music has permeated modern culture and media for the last fifty years. “Jessica,” the song that Jacob Johnson so elegantly and eloquently reworks here, has been covered by everyone from Hank Marvin to They Might Be Giants, and has appeared in films as diverse as Field of Dreams to Lassie. If, however, you are, like me, of the British persuasion, you will best know it as the searing blues signature sound as the theme tune to the controversial motoring show, Top Gear.
But, as familiar as you might be with the song and by whichever route you come to it, Johnson’s version still manages to bring something new to the table. A gorgeously understated spiral of ornately picked acoustic guitar replaces that electric blues adrenaline rush, the riff being more an embedded motif in the ebb and flow of the song rather than racing over the top.
And, like the original, which saw the lead parts and solos shared between writer Dickie Betts’ guitar, Chuck Leavell’s Rhodes piano and Gregg Allman’s, Hammond organ, here Johnson is joined by Aaron Bowen’s supporting keyboard lines and, perhaps most notably, Mikey Raphael’s harmonica, who similarly juggle the melody between them.
The result is an intricate yet understated take on the song, and again, like the original, it is a brilliant display of musicians understanding how to work together, how to balance and intertwine their instruments, and how to get the most out of a song.
Johnson jokes, “It’s an unwritten rule for musicians that if your darlin’ 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.” He might think it unfortunate, but in living up to such a tradition, he has added a brilliant song to the musical landscape and written a wonderful chapter in the ongoing story of that classic tune.
