"New Orleans always has a profound affect on me. It immediately brings out my creativity and desire to put forth a piece that has a gritty feel to it. This latest trip was no exception. This concept is what happens when I have a few cocktails and wander around the French Quarter with the Stones’ “Midnight Rambler” stuck in my head.
The piece started out focused on the harmonica and its prevalent association with drifters and people down on their luck. It’s almost a symbol of this transient lifestyle. It is also a prominent feature in many New Orleans establishments one frequents when in town. From there I started to think of legendary harmonica driven songs and eventually, but not surprisingly, landed on the Stones’ dark bluesy classic, “Midnight Rambler”. The song, being about a rambling serial killer, seemed to fit the image of the harmonica perfectly.
I had initially thought about featuring Mick Jagger himself as the subject playing the instrument, but quickly decided to move towards a figure with some anonymity. A drifter with a story to tell…maybe even the rambler himself." -Stickman
