Justin Lofton Staff Writer
Ada Evening News
Ada — Jessey Thompson has a reputation as an exceptional musician among those who have heard him play in the Ada area. The first time I saw him, he was nonchalantly picking out some ridiculously precise solos with local red dirt/rock band Jagg. A member of his sixth grade school band, Thompson said he traded in his trumpet for an electric guitar.
“My mom and my uncle kind of got me into it. My mom plays guitar and my uncle taught me a bunch of stuff,” he said.
Thompson said he first learned of his passion for music through the classic rockers of the 70s and 80s.
“When I first started, it was AC/DC...stuff like that,” he said. “I grew into more accoustic stuff like Ryan Adams and Bob Dylan.”
Currently, Thompson’s listening list includes a fairly diverse range of artists such as Tom Petty, Foo Fighters and Ada’s own Mike McClure—whom he opened for on Feb. 6 in Ardmore.
He is now working to release a solo album and his influences are definitely audible, mingling with his own obvious musical talent and Jim Croce-like vocals. There’s a rural and personal feel with his accoustic-heavy music but Thompson hesitates to hedge in his style with a label.
“I really don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “It’s more mellow. It’s not country but it’s not really red dirt either. It’s somewhere between.”
Thompson’s tight musical ability has lent itself handily to his appreciation of lyrics and vocals. Whether singing about doomed attempts to force love in “Counterfeit Sensation” or misconceptions of maturity in “Stupid Kid,” Thompson’s messages tend to be subtle but biting. He said his solo album would be released this summer.
To hear more from Thompson, visit www.myspace.com/jgtband or listen to him play at Ada’s Vintage 22 on March 27.
