As the countdown continues toward Jon Lampley’s sophomore solo album, Notes To Self—arriving Friday, June 26—the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader is offering listeners another glimpse into the heart of the project with his latest release: “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” It’s a fresh interpretation of Otis Redding’s iconic 1968 soul classic, originally co-written with Steve Cropper, and it lands not as a simple cover, but as a carefully reimagined tribute—rooted in reverence, shaped by community, and carried by deep personal meaning.
Featuring Lawrence and Louis Cato, Lampley’s version is rebuilt with a rich, soulful-inflected arrangement developed by Lampley, Cato, and Clyde Lawrence. The result feels warm and lived-in—honouring the original’s emotional gravity while giving it new colour, new breath, and a contemporary sense of movement. It’s the kind of rendition that doesn’t compete with a classic—it converses with it.
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Behind the scenes, the track is crafted with equal intention. “Dock of the Bay” is produced by Jon Lampley, The Diner (Clyde Lawrence, Jordan Cohen, Jonny Koh), and Louis Cato, with mixing by Jack Deboe at The Office and mastering by Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Studio. Recording took place at The Lighthouse and Bistro 586 in Brooklyn, New York, grounding the song’s timeless soul in a very present-day creative home.
But the most powerful element of this release is the reason it exists.
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Released in honour of his father’s birthday, Lampley shares that the song has long carried a special weight in his life. “‘Dock of the Bay’ was my dad’s favourite song,” he explains. “Over time, I’ve grown to love it just as much, and my version is both a tribute to him and to Otis Redding and the legacy of soul music he helped shape.”
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That legacy—of soul as memory, soul as inheritance, soul as something passed down—runs through every note of Lampley’s rendition. And for an artist whose work consistently balances technical brilliance with emotional truth, this release feels like a natural extension of who he is: a musician unafraid to honour the past while speaking in his own voice.
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Recording the track alongside Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, as well as ‘Late Show’ bandleader Louis Cato, added another layer of meaning. “Recording this rendition… was truly a dream come true,” Lampley says. “While it’s always an honour to collaborate with artists I deeply admire, the greatest joy is being able to call them close friends.”
With Notes To Self on the horizon, “Dock of the Bay” arrives as more than a single—it’s a moment of reflection. A bridge between generations. A reminder that sometimes the most powerful music isn’t just what you play—it’s who you’re playing it for. Check it out!
Stream “Dock of The Bay” Here.
For further information on the artist, please visit the following links:
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Jon Lampley Credit: Clay Rodriguez, courtesy of Milestone Collective
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