24. JESSICA
The Allman Brothers Band
GUITARIST: DICKEY BETTS (1973)
A tribute to Django.
Though he named it for his, is pure southern rock. An Allman secret is to add the perfect 4th to the major pentatonic (in A major this is A, B, C#, D, E, F#), and that sound is here in abundance. Despite the regular appearance of the G natural in the rhythm guitar part, giving a Mixolydian sound, that note never appears in the main theme and is used sparingly in the solo. The solo itself is a masterclass in using repeated motifs to build an interesting solo. Where other guitarists fear repeating themselves, Betts creates hooks and themes by returning to two or three core ideas and making the most of them with emotive articulation.
