Tedeschi Trucks Band

The project began when husband-and-wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi set aside their own successful groups to join forces and put together something special. Clearly, it was a risk worth taking. With Grammy Awards and praise from luminaries including B.B. King and Eric Clapton behind them, Tedeschi Trucks Band are writing their own chapter in the history book of blues traditions.

Prior to forming the group, slide guitarist Derek Trucks had been playing with American rock legends The Allman Brothers Band for 15 years. As much as he loved that band, he yearned to create new music, to push the boundaries of what people expected from him. In vocalist Tedeschi’s words, Trucks wanted a “supergroup”.

“I think it was sort of a dream for him to have a band that actually wanted to be on the road together,” says Tedeschi. “He’s one of those people that doesn’t like to sit still. He likes to continue to learn and continue to grow. Some of these bands, they’re great and everything, but they’ve played the same song for 40 years. Derek is like most of the guys in our band, where they like to keep moving.”

Indeed, this lively and dynamic essence radiates through the entire outfit, continuing to fuel the creative fire. As the stars began to align in 2010, with Tedeschi and Trucks handpicking their favourite session players, musical accomplices and personalities, it was clear they were onto something worth pursuing.

“It’s a very special group,” says Tedeschi. “I was blown away. I didn’t at the time want to leave my band – I loved my band, I was having a great time, and we were making great music – but I wasn’t going to miss that opportunity. Really, Derek is one of the finest musicians I’ve ever heard and to have the opportunity to be in a band with him is amazing. Not just because he’s my husband, but because I really respect him as an artist.”

A watershed moment for the band was pulling together both J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell to create the unusual but ultimately successful dual-drummer lineup. “Those two actually met on the drums,” says Tedeschi. “They had instant chemistry and an instant connection. I think that was really the birth of the band right there, because it’s so unique and they’re both so gifted.”

As time progressed, the lineup went through numerous changes until the group solidified and the chemistry was perfected. The band became a melting pot of influences, all filtered through the cohesive vision of Trucks and Tedeschi. “They’re so eclectic,” says Tedeschi on the collection of musicians who have now joined her travelling family. “They’re really intelligent musicians. They almost have ESP and can read each other’s minds. It’s kind of mind-blowing.”

Indeed, at any given moment, a Tedeschi Trucks Band song can explode into spontaneous improvisations, moving from ambient Eastern-inspired ragas to searing, climactic solos. With 12 members on board, it is astounding that each individual player can attune themselves to a collective musical wavelength, following it into uncharted terrain that’s unique to each performance and exists in a space of constant musical flux.

“It’s about mutual respect for each other. Not just listening, but wanting to listen,” Tedeschi says. “There’s an interesting difference there. It’s one thing to pay attention, but it’s another to want to be part of what’s happening. To be in the moment together, to be creating together and giving each other a little bit of leeway. Not just trying to control the situation, but trying to be a part of the situation. That’s something that’s amazing about this group. Off the stage, we go and we walk together, we do laundry, we eat together, we get in trouble together. But it’s a beautiful thing, because we’re best friends. Not many bands can say that. There’s a lot of bands that hate each other and don’t even hang out, [just] go to the hotel room and show up at the gig. We’ve seen that, and that’s not fun. That’s not what it’s about.”

Still glowing from the success of their last album, 2013’s Made Up Mind, Tedeschi Trucks Band are not waiting around for a follow-up. Trucks has taken on the role of producer and their forthcoming album is all but a few finishing touches away from completion.

“We tried a lot of new things,” says Tedeschi. “Some of it, I don’t actually know if we can actually recreate it live, like it is on the record. Which is good, because that makes it a record. You know, you think about The Beatles or you think about Hendrix, they can perform some of those songs live but they’re not the same. We’ve put a lot of heart and soul into this record, and I think that’s something that people are going to hear right away.”