Last Friday night I braved a rather chilly autumn evening to head into town to see blues guitarist Derek Trucks and his wife Susan Tedeschi perform at the Palace. I have wanted to see these guys perform for a long time so I was really anticipating this gig, and I certainly wasn't let down. Trucks has impeccable credentials having fronted his own band for a number of years he has also spent a number of years with the The Allman Brothers Band and has also having toured as a part of Eric Claptons band. Susan Tedeschi has recorded a number of great albums and worked with legends like B.B King. Friday nights gig ranks as one of the best I have seen, Tedeschi not only possesses a fiery soulful voice but is also a great guitar player in her own right. The show was incredibly tight, the band was made up mostly of members from Dereks' band and they kept the groove tight and precise. You could see the influence of some of the early 70's rock and soul style of acts like Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and The Dominoes etc. The band performed a rocking version of Delaney and Bonnies I'm Comin Home and they did an equally stirring version of the Derek and the Dominoes song Anyway. Bass player Oteil Burridge stepped up to the mike for a funky version of Manic Depression. What really struck me though was the restraint in Derek Trucks' playing, he doesn't drown out the other players, he is an ensemble player and his solos are not ego trips where he plays for 10 minutes. In his playing you see the deep roots of the blues in his slide playing, his expressive style and his admiration for the principles of jazz playing showcased in his improvisation. The band have a new album coming out in June called Revelator, it's a must purchase.
No comments:
Post a Comment