Much of the appeal of Dolly Parton‘s biggest hit, “Jolene,” is its lyrics. The fear that someone “better” will come along and lure away the person we love is a pretty universal fear, regardless of the gender roles in the song. The universality of the insecurity is likely one reason it remains her biggest song 50 years after she first recorded it. Well, there’s also her vocal performance.
The idea of an instrumental cover of “Jolene” – one that takes away both the lyrics and the chance to hear someone bring a new level of pathos to those lyrics – is probably not appealing to everyone. But Parlor Greens are here to convince you otherwise. Operating in the tradition of Booker T and the MGs, Parlor Greens play soulful instrumental music dominated by organ and Jimmy James’ Cropper-esque guitar. They are based in Ohio but the vibe is Memphis.
Adam Scone’s right hand on the organ takes the vocal line and his left hand takes the bass. As with any good instrumental cover, he plays around with the melody and solos away. James’ guitar provides brief fills at the beginning, but sticks to providing funky rhythm along with drummer Tim Carman.
Whether Scone is able to wring enough emotion out of that organ might be the question – can he compare with Dolly Parton or even Jack White? But the funk would likely undercut the lyric if there were vocals. Instead, it’s a funky spin on a melody we all know.
