‘Simple Twist’ Of Harmonica: Mickey Raphael Joins Bob Dylan At Outlaw Music Festival Tour Stops

Bob Dylan was joined by Willie Nelson‘s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, at each of the last three nights during the latest stops of the traveling Outlaw Music Festival tour. Raphael came out towards the end of Dylan’s sets to add to “Simple Twist Of Fate.”

The Outlaw Music Festival tour pulled into Syracuse on Friday, Wantagh (New York) on Saturday and Holmdel (New Jersey) on Sunday. While headliner Willie Nelson missed all three shows, he’s been cleared by doctors to return in time for tomorrow’s (July 2) concert in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Willie’s son Lukas Nelson performed with members of his father’s Family Band including Raphael at each 2024 Outlaw Festival show for a set heavy on numbers from his dad’s catalog.

Lukas Nelson, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Celisse each performed sets at the Outlaw Music Festival shows over the past three nights. Dylan shook up his setlist for the Outlaw Music Festival now that his Rough & Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 2021 – 2024 is over. The legendary musician has settled in on the same sequence of 15 songs for his last four sets after some changes between the first night and third night of the tour.

Originally released by Bob Dylan on his 1975 album, Blood On The Tracks, “Simple Twist Of Fate” has found a home as penultimate song of Dylan’s set on the Outlaw Music Festival tour. Raphael emerged to blow harp on the tune in Syracuse, Wantagh and Holmdel. Mickey wasn’t the only musician to play harmonica as Bob Dylan used harp on “Shooting Star,” “Early Roman Kings,” “Under The Red Sky,” “Soon After Midnight” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.” Mickey Raphael is one of only a few harmonica players to have sat-in with Bob Dylan.

Watch Mickey Raphael and Bob Dylan perform “Simple Twist Of Fate” last night in Holmdel: