You see, the true Power Couple is unquestionably in music. The Tedeschi Trucks Band is years of talent, amassed into a group who knows when to cut loose and get nasty, and when to play it straight. Their album, "Revelator," won the grammy this year. It's a very nicely structured album, which focuses on the song. Every musician in this 11-piece group is a master of their craft, but they don't show it off. They each get a little piece of the album to display their "wares", but it's never forced, nor does it every seem out of sync with the song itself. That kind of humility and professionalism is something to be noted.
Thanks to some folks who have their ear closer to the ground than I do, I was able to hear the album just as it came out almost a year ago. I haven't stopped listening to it, no joke. It's another cover to cover album, not a bad track on the disc. It was the first in a while that reminded me that the blues can and should be mainstream, but without sounding dumbed down. It's really well written, and just as well produced.
The album begins and ends with Derek Trucks guitar. The man is a living legend. If you haven't seen him, you've sold yourself short. The question I often ask and answer in a cyclical pattern is, "Who Is Derek Trucks?" Is he an Allman Brother? Considering he's been playing gigs with them since he was 15, and his uncle is a founding member, that'd by a resounding YES. Is he a solo artist? Well, he has 10 albums (1 live) with the Derek Trucks Band, and he's only 32. He's played with everyone (and on their albums) from Eric Clapton to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. From Buddy Guy, to Sax master David Sanborn (who oddly enough I saw at the Blue Note, just after his album "Here and Gone" came out, which Trucks played on - there was no surprise guest at that show). So yea, no shit he's a solo artist. And on top of all this, he now has a band with his gorgeous (in mind, body, and VOICE) fucking wife. Of course their debut wins a grammy. The simple answer is Derek Trucks is whoever he wants to be at any given moment. He's good enough that his sound can fit into any box you put it in, and usually in doing so, he'll blow the walls off that box and give you something totally new.
I don't have to keep slobbering over Trucks, anyone who knows me, knows I worship this guy. Just mention him next time your around me, and see if you can shut me up. So naturally, I felt a strong sense of paternity for Derek, you know, in his youth. That soft spoken, blond haired beauty was going to step out into the world like some kind of glorious, doey-eyed, bard, and get mauled by the double-x chromosomes of our great country. Of course that would be unacceptable. How would he choose his mate? How would I, a mere civilian, be able to insure that this greco-roman god of the 6-string had made the right choice? Someone to help him blossom a softer side in his playing, yet fill his fierce heart and loins with the boiling blood of love? The feat was tremendous. Naturally, I went to the most sacred place of thought to prepare. The bathroom. My concerns were soon quelled though, and I closed up shop on that endeavor quite quickly once I saw who was to be his everlasting love. The perfect match. A voice as mystical as Derek's guitar work.
Tedeschi is nearly a decade Truck's senior, but age doesn't show on women like that. With a voice like hers, you'd never even notice if she wasn't attractive. Lucky for her, she is. She's a Boston girl, which is a breed I understand. Boston girls go for the throat. They know what they want, and they're gonna take it, or kill you trying. Boston girls don't break nails, they bite them. Boston girls don't drink beer, they pound it. Get my drift? Now I'm sure Susan has a polished side, and as "lady-like" as she may be at times, she's got the heart of a fucking lion in that shell, and you best not forget it. She's my Bonnie Raitt. My Janis Joplin. I grew up on those two women, but one is dead, and though Bonnie is still a fox, she's a solid 20 years out of menopause. A bit past her prime if you get my drift. So I get to have Susan Tedeschi, and as contemptuous as this might sound, I wouldn't trade her in for any other female vocalist. She's got the style, the swagger, all the good stuff. And she's got the soul, and the emotion, the music runs deep in her and you feel it every time she sings.
But she's got something more as well. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it has something to do with that guitar she's got slung around her neck. It's the six-shooter at her side. If she can't sing you into loving her, she'll goddamn play you into the ground. The girls got chops, they all say it. She has a very comfortable sound, easy on the ears, the perfect accouterment to Trucks. Says Tedeschi, "I like a warmer sound. So, if I'm playing a Telecaster it has to be a warmer sounding Tele, not a straight-up maple fretboard model. I like maple fretboards for Strats and rosewood for Telecasters." Well I went from six to midnight after I read that. That's probably the sexiest thing I've ever heard, and I had no idea what it meant. I had to read up on fretboards and rosewood when I first read that interview, just to make sure I wasn't missing something. Have you ever noticed that guitar players talk about 6-strings like gearheads talk about American Muscle Cars? Turns out they're both crazy. Who knew.
But in short (haha), don't pass up the opportunity to hear this. If you even think you like the blues, this album will warm you inside out. And if you don't, then go fuck yourself. When I first saw this video quite some time ago, I was not only struck by the music, but I enjoyed how the video was shot in that epk/behind the scenes style. Its a nice look at the love and music Tedeschi and Trucks share.
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