During the video of the band performing their song “Everybody’s Talkin’”, there’s a furious three minutes where the gradually insistent rhythm radiating from Derek Trucks’ guitar visibly gets the other 11 band members moving. Susan Tedeschi takes a step back and gives the stage to her husband — named by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Zen with focus, he runs with it.
Tedeschi Trucks Band is arguably one of the best live shows on the road the past decade. The band is composed of some the most experienced and skilled musicians in the industry. Leading the band are two seasoned artists — Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. The couple have been married since 2001.
Trucks began playing at the age of nine, performing at the Red Lion Pub on Walton Way in Augusta. He began touring with the Allman Brothers when he was just 12 years old.
It’s hard to visualize such a young person playing with the famous musicians, but evidence exists on YouTube where there’s a video of Trucks at age 13 playing a 7-minute “Layla” solo/jam session with the Allman Brothers live. It’s an incredible performance. Even as a kid his talent was undeniable and astounding.
“My dad traveled with me. He made sure I was aware of what was going on around me. He shielded me from some stuff, but just enough to let me get an understanding. Usually when parents are supporting their kids in that way they are trying to extract something. My dad made it clear we could stop at any point. He wasn’t living his music career through me. I was lucky. We have a very close family that way,” Trucks said.
It all came together for Trucks — a fluid slide guitarist — when he worked with Eric Clapton on the 2006 studio collaboration, “The Road to Escondido.” In the year that followed, Trucks played with three different bands in 17 countries. Trucks then toured for a year with Eric Clapton as part of his band, which he said was “quite an experience.”
In the years since, Susan sang in her first band at the age of 13. She has had great success as a rock and blues singer and guitarist in her own right, earning several Grammy nominations and winning a Grammy with Tedeschi Trucks. After recording a few critically-acclaimed albums, Susan began opening for many big acts including The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy and The Allman Brothers. It was while opening for The Allman Brothers that Tedeschi and Trucks first met.
Back in 2017 Trucks told the Metro Spirit, “In some ways you always want to be progressing, you always want to be moving forward, but you always want to keep that direct connection with why you are doing it in the first place and why you started playing when you were 9 or 10 and there are some things you do when you first step on stage that should really never leave you. There is a sound and a purity and an intention that, if you have that, if you can somehow keep a direct line to that, I think that keeps you sane and keeps you doing it.”
Tedeschi Trucks Band, w/ Marcus King Band
Bell Auditorium
Friday, March 1st
8 p.m.h
$19.50-$129.50
