RIP: Dickey Betts (Allman Bros Band)

When I first heard "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" as a young teenager, I assumed it was a jazz group. I was shocked to find out it was the Allman Brothers, and it got me into listening to more of their music. RIP.
 
Any picker that could keep up with Duane was a true stand up guitar player. RIP
 
he was a "ramblin man". great guitar player. RIP.
 
Lived life full throttle and made it to 80. Kept the Allman Brothers viable after Duane died and Greg had problems. Not that it's the right standard, but their hits had Dickey's influence-either guitar or vocals. I call that a "good run".

As to Jollystomper's observation about Elizabeth Reed and jazz, Jaimoe (one of their 2 drummers) has a jazz orientation. Listened to that song tonight, you can hear the jazz influence in the drums and bass. Thanks for the tip, hadn't noticed that before.
 
I cried a little when I read that he died today. I rarely do that when I hear of an entertainer's death, but this one hit me.

I was about 16 when I happened on the Duane Allman Anthology 1 album. Played those records, it was a double album, until I wore them out. In 1974 when I was 17 and had my license, my friends and I piled into my 1966 Chevy and drove to Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City to watch my first concert, The Allman Brothers Band. I was blown away.

When I close my eyes I can still hear them playing Jessica, which has been my favorite song for 50 years. No matter what, that song has always lifted my mood.

Rest well Dickey Betts. Thank you for the music.
 
Jessica has always been[-] one of[/-] my favorite Allman Brothers songs... So good!

-gauss

 
Last edited:
my drumming coach was a fill in many times for jamo in the allman brothers .

in fact up until his death butch trucks and my drum coach had a band together called GREAT CAESARS GHOST.

the band was together right up until butch died
 
gauss said:
Jessica has always been[-] one of[/-] my favorite Allman Brothers songs... So good!

-gauss ...
Click to expand...

And while I know that song so well, I still just had to click on that link this AM.

Man, as soon as that acoustic guitar strumming starts, a smile comes to my face. That song is just pure joy, and when I hear that intro, it infuses me with the memory of all that is to come.

Then you get Chuck Leavell’s uplifting piano line, driving the song into that lead guitar. Then, @ 1:30, you get that rising phrase that build the excitement, but... not yet! It's a tease, and they bring it back down again and return to that romping joyous motif. They let you settle into that before Leavell goes into his outstanding piano solo from 2:30 to 3:40, brilliantly turning it over to Bett's sweeping guitar note (one of the best single guitar notes on record, IMO) to begin his solo.

And Greg Allman's Hammond organ peeks in from time to time, I always have loved the close-miked throbbing Leslie speaker @ 6:58.

A masterpiece.


A good introspective of the tune:

https://www.undertheradarmag.com/in...ds_chuck_leavell_talks_jessica_50_years_later

and here:

https://www.last.fm/music/The+Allman+Brothers+Band/_/Jessica/+wiki

I did not know:

Dickey Betts wrote this instrumental piece as a tribute to Django Reinhardt, as it only uses two fingers in the guitar part. Reinhardt was a famous jazz guitarist who could only use two fingers in his playing as a result of a childhood injury.
Click to expand...
(Though, from what I've read, Django was 18 YO and married when his hand was disfigured from a fire, not a child. And, he had some limited use of his third finger).

Looking at this live version, you can see that especially in the main 'hook', Betts mainly used just 2 fingers, sometimes the third, and I think doesn't really use his pinky finger until some of the solos.


-ERD50
 
I saw Dicky and the ABB back in the early 70s. A band that truly sounded better live than on the vinyl. RIP Mr. Betts.
 
The greatest keyboard riff ever, nothing else is even close. There are multiple blogs and YouTube videos out there, including with Chuck Leavell himself describing the structure and execution.

ERD50 said:
And while I know that song so well, I still just had to click on that link this AM.

Man, as soon as that acoustic guitar strumming starts, a smile comes to my face. That song is just pure joy, and when I hear that intro, it infuses me with the memory of all that is to come.

Then you get Chuck Leavell’s uplifting piano line, driving the song into that lead guitar. Then, @ 1:30, you get that rising phrase that build the excitement, but... not yet! It's a tease, and they bring it back down again and return to that romping joyous motif. They let you settle into that before Leavell goes into his outstanding piano solo from 2:30 to 3:40, brilliantly turning it over to Bett's sweeping guitar note (one of the best single guitar notes on record, IMO) to begin his solo.

And Greg Allman's Hammond organ peeks in from time to time, I always have loved the close-miked throbbing Leslie speaker @ 6:58.

A masterpiece.


A good introspective of the tune:

https://www.undertheradarmag.com/in...ds_chuck_leavell_talks_jessica_50_years_later

and here:

https://www.last.fm/music/The+Allman+Brothers+Band/_/Jessica/+wiki

I did not know:

(Though, from what I've read, Django was 18 YO and married when his hand was disfigured from a fire, not a child. And, he had some limited use of his third finger).

Looking at this live version, you can see that especially in the main 'hook', Betts mainly used just 2 fingers, sometimes the third, and I think doesn't really use his pinky finger until some of the solos.


-ERD50
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom