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MAY 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MAY 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM
“MUSIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE
medicinal,” says Derek Trucks. “It should be
uplifting and it should be a tool for relief.
That’s the point of a band like this.” The group
he’s talking about is the Tedeschi Trucks
Band, the 11-member ensemble (including
two drummers, background vocalists and
a horn section) he leads with his wife and
fellow master guitarist Susan Tedeschi. The
idea, according to Trucks, is to have “a big,
crazy army that writes together and bleeds
together and allows everyone to shine.”
Trucks and Tedeschi have long
envisioned forming such an act together.
Married since 1999, the two often shared
the same stage, played on each other’s
albums and even vied for Grammy honors in
the same category. But other commitments—
Trucks had his own Derek Trucks Band and
a steady gig with the Allman Brothers Band;
Tedeschi had her solo career—kept them
from uniting for a record. “We were both
charging ahead with our individual careers,”
Trucks says. “Now, we’re ready.”
The band’s debut album, Revelator,
offers up a simmering mix of fi ery blues
rockers, gospel-tinged ballads and soulful
R&B. Trucks’ stinging slide work and
Tedeschi’s smoldering rhythm chops
are duly showcased, but the emphasis
is less on solos than on songcraft and
Tedeschi’s bluesy vocals. Trucks and
Tedeschi talked to us about their goals for
the band from their home in Jacksonville,
Fla., where the couple recorded Revelator
in their own studio.
‘We’ve been through the fi re, musically and personally. It was now or never.’ –Derek Trucks
DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHITwo guitar aces making beautiful music together—onstage and off
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Q&AQ&A
M mag 11.indd 66 5/31/11 8:34:02 PM
Why do this now?
TRUCKS: It was a multitude of things. Our
kids are a bit older, the Allman Brothers are
doing fewer dates, and it was time to take a
break after 16 years being on the road with
my band. Plus our relationship is at a more
mature point. We’ve been through the fi re,
musically and personally, and we’re more
adult now. It was now or never.
TEDESCHI: We’ve always had an
understanding that someday we would put
our other projects aside and make an album
together. It’s something I’ve been anticipating
the whole 12 years we’ve been together.
Why emphasize the vocals?
TEDESCHI: Having our own studio allowed
me the time to try various microphones. In the
past I haven’t had that luxury. We found a mic
that I really felt comfortable with. Jim Scott
[who co-produced with Trucks] and [engineer]
Bobby Tis have a beautiful gift. They hear
things in a pure way, and they know how to
capture that on tape. This is a revolutionary
album for me. We did some daring things,
like recording my vocals very dry without
much reverb. A lot of producers would
never do that.
TRUCKS: I’ve heard Susan sing in many
different situations, and I know how powerful,
beautiful and nuanced her voice can be. That
had never been represented properly.
What microphone did you use?
TEDESCHI: A Neumann U 47. It was bought
specifi cally for me, but this album is the fi rst
instance I’ve gotten to use it. I tried other
microphones as well and a lot of them have
great qualities, but they missed various parts
of my range. The U 47 captures all parts of
my vocal range.
How did you fi nd your songwriting
collaborators for the album?
TEDESCHI: I felt certain that Gary Louris
from the Jayhawks was someone Derek
would click with—and sure enough they hit
it off right away. The three of us wrote a
song in 10 minutes. And then there was
John Leventhal, who I had written with,
and David Ryan Harris, who Derek
brought in. I didn’t know David, but I fell in
love with a lot of the melodies he came up
with. His approach is like Stevie Wonder’s
in a way—very soulful.
Why double drummers?
TRUCKS: Part of that idea came from
listening to some of the great James Brown
recordings. There’s that low sizzle you
get with two drummers, a simmering sort
of thing that feels like an army approaching.
Plus I knew from playing with the Allman
Brothers all these years that when that train
gets going there’s nothing like it. Any time
I’ve been in a situation with two drummers
it’s always felt epic. Our drummers, Tyler
Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, have such a
special connection that sometimes you
can’t even tell both are playing. They
complement one other in a way that sounds
like super-stereo.
How did you approach the guitar?
TRUCKS: I was more conscious of making
every sound that came out of the guitar serve
the song, especially when it came to solos.
There are one or two songs where I just
air it out, but for the most part it was about
playing in the spirit of the song. I wanted the
guitar solo to complement the mood, if not an
outright extension. The beauty of the album
is that from song to song it feels like
a scene shift, like theatrical changes.
The moods are strong and different
from song to song, and I didn’t want
to disrupt that illusion.
TEDESCHI: Playing guitar is as
important to me as ever. Part of
the reason is that there aren’t a lot
of women who do it. I can’t tell you
how many little girls—actually women of all
ages—have said to me how I’ve inspired
them to pick up the guitar. That’s important,
because it still is such a male-dominated
industry. It’s important that women know they
can play electric guitar, too. Most women
play acoustics and play chords, but they’re
not really improvising or creating melodies
based in the moment. Bonnie Raitt is a rare
exception, but she’s really a slide player.
You don’t hear her ripping leads very often.
Derek understands all this, and he’s been
very supportive in that way. He’s a big fan
of my guitar playing. That means a lot to me,
because I think he’s the best living guitar
player in the world.
Why the title Revelator?
TRUCKS: It refers to the revealing of simple
truths. Music is supposed to help you
navigate through life. It’s supposed to make
you feel better and express things you can’t
in any other way. That’s our goal. You show
up in a town and try to make things better for
a few hours. When I set aside time to listen
to an album, that’s what music does for me.
And it asks something of you, too. You have
to participate in order to get the most out
of it. This band has a unique opportunity
to touch on many different things. The
musicianship is strong enough that it can
go in any direction. I don’t see a ceiling for
what this band can do. This album is the tip
of the iceberg.
–Russell Hall
‘It’s important women
know they can play
electric guitar too.’
–Susan Tedeschi
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