Really? Do we really need a return to the musically traveling revues of “Delaney & Bonnie with Friends” or “Joe Cocker with the Mad Dogs and Englishman”??? Fuck ya! And here is why.
Derek Trucks is a gifted slide guitarist who’s influences include John Coltrane, Albert King, Lightening Hopkins, Elmore James and Ali Akbar Khan. He plays a Gibson SG and can make it sound like a sarod (and he does play a sarod as well) He is comfortable playing country blues, free jazz, motown or ragas, and he isn’t even 35 years old.
His wife, Susan Tedeschi is aBonnie Raitt incarnate. She has a powerful voice that Janis Joplin would have applauded between swigs of her Jack Daniels. Susan growls, howls and bleeds when she sings. This 11-piece ensemble is the ultimate big band for lovers of rock and Delta blues that also pays homage to the far-ranging influences of funk, gospel, jazz and world music.
This ensemble plays a wide range of soulful forebears, including Stevie Wonder "Uptight", Muddy Waters "Rollin' And Tumblin'" not a very good version, Bill Withers "Kissin' My Love”, Joe Cocker "Darlin' Be Home Soon", Bobby Bland "That Did It", Harry Nilsson "Everybody's Talkin'" and the Staple Singers "Wade In The Water”.
My favorite moment is Derek guitar intro into "Midnight In Harlem" the second cut on the double”. He starts softly making his guitar sound like a sarod slowly gliding seamlessly in to Duane Allman’s classic “Martha” and then it slips sweetly into sotto voce of his wife Susan Tedeschi….
What is hard for this band for me is that while Susan T is a wonderful talent and performer her husband, Derek T. is a huge talent who takes a back seat to balance the act. When you see them perform all you want is for Derek T. to dominate the show. But he doesn’t, won't. Its like foreplay without the happy ending.
The disc shows the band evolving similar to Miles Davis “Live at the Plugged Nickel”. So far the journey has been joyous with great potential for the future. But who knows? Let’s return to the traveling revues of the past. Joe Cocker’s and Delaney and Bonnie where great moments in Rock history were made. TTB are far better and lesser known. Hope that changes, It should.
