Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Members: Susan Tedeschi- Guitar, vocals Derek Trucks- Lead guitar Mike Mattison- Harmony vocals, guitar Mark Rivers- Harmony vocals Tyler Greenwell- Drums, percussion JJ Johnson- Drums, percussion Tim Lefebvre- Bass Kofi Burbridge- Keyboards, flute Kebbi Williams- Saxophone Maurice Brown- Trumpet Saunders Sermons- Trombone
Biography
The Tedeschi Trucks Band gets its name from bandleaders Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, two veteran blues musicians with deep roots in the music world. The band features the talents of these two guitarists as well as a large backing band, including dual drummers and a three piece horn section. All in all, TTB is made up of 10 regular band members and a rotating cast of bassists. The band was formed in 2009, when Trucks and Tedeschi put their own bands on hold to pursue a joint musical endeavor. Based out of Jacksonville, FL, the Tedeschi Trucks Band has already established itself as a dynamic music act. The natural result of having so many musicians in the band is that a very diverse brand of music is being made. Along with Tedeschi's powerful, soulful voice and the signature slide guitar that defines Trucks, TTB delivers a smorgasbord of sounds ranging from blues and southern rock to gospel and even funk.
Tedeschi Trucks Band has garnered a few major awards for their albums. Their debut album, "Revelator", scored the Grammy for Best Blues Album as well as a Blues Music Award for Album of the Year. Their follow up, the live album "Everybody's Talkin'" picked up another Blues Music Award the next year in the Best Rock Blues Album category. More importantly, the album established the band as one of the premiere live shows on the touring circuit.
With their 2013 release, "Made Up Mind", the Tedeschi Trucks Band are continuing to pioneer into new territory with their hybrid blues sound. They will tour North America in support of the new album, including a stop at the great and wonderful Bonnaroo in 2014.
*I have also posted the bios for Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, but they are a little long so you can find them behind the spoiler.*
Born in 1979 in Jacksonville, Florida, and named after a much-loved Eric Clapton album, he was on stage at 9 years of age and touring as a headliner by 11. When his fingers were too small to hold down the strings of his guitar, he took up the slide, which soon became a primary element in his approach. At 15, he had formed the core of his longtime road band. Before reaching 20, he had already jammed with many of his heroes, including Bob Dylan, John Lee Hooker, and Buddy Guy. He is the youngest musician named in Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time, being recently selected by a wide range of musicians and journalists to #16 in that hallowed hierarchy.
Trucks spent his teen years touring, growing physically and musically, and developing his group, The Derek Trucks Band. He averaged over 200 shows a year even as he completed most of his high school studies with on the road schooling. By his late teens, he broke away from the child prodigy novelty aspect of his appearances and diligently built a reputation for walk-in, crawl-out shows that featured extended solos and summoned an intoxicating collision of musical influences, from electric blues and Jamaican reggae, to modern jazz and Indian ragas.
Trucks reached adulthood, and one-night encounters turned into ongoing relationships. In 1999, while still leading the DTB, Trucks was asked to join The Allman Brothers Band as a permanent member, an offer he accepted on the condition that he’d be able to concurrently pursue his work as a leader of his own band. In 2006, he was offered the chance to perform on Eric Clapton’s world tour as a featured soloist. It was an honor he could not refuse, even as it led to a year-long juggle of commitments to the DTB, the Allmans, and Clapton, with barely a day at home.
Trucks has never been one to limit his musical focus – he’s an avid jazz fan and lover of classical Indian music – and he’s always been one to follow his muse. He made pilgrimages to the school of sarod master Ali Akbar Khan and recorded with jazz legend McCoy Tyner. In 2001, his musical passion having converged with the personal, he married the blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi, whom he met when she opened for the Allman Brothers in 1999.
Until recently, Trucks’s recordings have measured his progress with the DTB. Their recorded debut, The Derek Trucks Band was released in 1997. Out of Madness followed a year later, and in 2002, Joyful Noise marked their major label jump to Columbia Records and significant stylistic expansion in the band’s repertoire. Soul Serenade (2003) followed suit, and Live at Georgia Theatre (2004) caught the band’s growing reputation for high-energy shows. Songlines (2006) found the DTB settling into a stylistic identity with Mattison handling lead vocals, and the live Roadsongs (2009) caught the DTB in top form with a horn section, just before the group went on indefinite hiatus.
Susan Tedeschi
Tedeschi was born in 1970 and grew up in the Boston suburb of Norwell, Massachusetts in a family that was not particularly musical -- though later discovered an aunt whose vocal talent had earned her an offer to join La Scala’s famed opera company. Tedeschi’s first inspirations were the old blues albums in her father’s record collection. Her musical inclinations were apparent by age 6, when she made her debut public performance as an understudy in a Broadway musical. She began singing with local bands at the age of 13, took up the guitar and by 18 had formed her first group focusing on original music, The Smokin’ Section.
Though raised Catholic, Tedeschi was drawn more to the emotive singing and upbeat rhythms typical of African-American gospel churches. She joined a gospel choir while studying at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Graduating at the age of 20 with a bachelors in music composition, she continued to sing gospel while immersing herself in Boston’s fertile blues scene and had soon established herself as one of New England's top-drawing live acts.
In 1994, she formed the Susan Tedeschi Band and, inspired by electric blues legends like Otis Rush, Buddy Guy and Magic Sam, began to focus more on her guitar playing. Her growing reputation as both a powerful and gritty singer, and talented guitarist led to her debut album Better Days a year later. In 1998, she recorded the critically acclaimed, national breakthrough Just Won't Burn, impressively garnering Gold sales status and earning Tedeschi a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (along with such unlikely company as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Macy Gray and Kid Rock.) In 2002, her follow up release Wait for Me was produced by the legendary Tom Dowd and was nominated for a Grammy.
Tedeschi was on her way. Through the 2000s she opened for such headlining acts as John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones; as well as personal heroes like B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal. After releasing Live from Austin, TX in 2004, she signed her first major label deal with Verve/Forecast, recording Hope and Desire in 2005, and Back to the River in 2008. Both revealed Tedeschi ably handling an expanded canvas of rich R&B flavors and soul material, and both earned her Grammy nominations; her Grammy win in 2012 for Revelator as co-leader of the Tedeschi Trucks Band came at the close of an incredible year that included a world tour, an all-star blues tribute at the Apollo Theater, and an invitation to perform with her husband at the White House.
Trucks and Tedeschi have been married since 2001, and have two children.
Sounds Like Genre: Blues Rock Similar Artists: (Per Spotify) Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Gov't Mule, JJ Grey and Mofro Related Artists: Derek Trucks Band, Susan Tedeschi Band, Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes, Scrapomatic Similar Bonnaroo Artists: The closest you'll get are bands like Vintage Trouble and Lake Street Dive.
Suggested Listening I prefer to post mostly live videos, since you'll be getting a live show on the farm. I will also post some recordings from Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi's non-TTB albums that I like.
Uptight (Live from Gathering of the Vibes)
Midnight in Harlem (Live from Atlanta)
Part of Me (Acoustic)
Made Up Mind (Live from Conan)
Derek Trucks Band- Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni
Susan Tedeschi Band- Back to the River
Interesting Facts/Trivia - Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks were married in 2001, several years before they tried to tour together. They have two children. - Derek Trucks was named the #16 Greatest Guitarist by Rolling Stone. - The original name for the Tedeschi/Trucks collaboration was known as the "Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks Soul Stew Revival", but the name was shortened prior to the release of Revelator. - Mike Mattison, who provides harmony vocals for TTB, was the lead singer of the Derek Trucks Band. He sometimes performs with his band Scrapomatic as the opening act for Tedeschi Trucks Band shows. - For all the Dizzy fans out there, trombone player Saunders Sermons sports a bent bell on his horn.
Personal Notes - Every one of the players in this group is so good, and the band really makes it a point to capitalize on every little strength they have. This goes way beyond Tedeschi or Trucks, though they're obviously the focal point of the band. For example, the trombone player not only plays in the group and plays solos, but also has singing parts. The two backup singers will likely get their own sets of songs to be the lead vocal part. All the instrumentalists will have improvised solos during a show. The spotlight might be on Derek and Susan, but this band wouldn't be nearly as good if they didn't have such a skilled group with them able to lend their musicianship to the songs.
- None of that last part mentions the drummers, because they deserve their own bullet point. One of my favorite parts of seeing TTB live was getting to watch and be entranced by the two drummers. They set the two kits side by side so the drummers can communicate and watch each other, which means it's easy to watch the sticks flying over the skins together. The synchronization of those two musicians is mesmerizing.
- I got to go and see the band play at a local auditorium in my hometown. The house was full of enthusiasm the whole time, with plenty of body shaking/head bobbing going on during the songs and a skosh of good-natured heckling when given the opportunity. Vibez!
- Some concert reviews posted more recently have indicated that TTB has had up to 14 players on stage at once, so it is possible that the show at Roo will feature some extra guest performers.
- Conflicts: Cake, First Aid Kit, Typhoon, Bobby Womack.
There are so many reasons to go to the show, so don't miss it! If you like good guitar playing, hearing a great ensemble play together, strong singing, solos galore, covers of classic songs, or a chance to just jam out a bit, this is probably the show for you.
***UPDATE*** Derek Trucks will lead the Friday night superjam and Susan Tedeschi will be a featured guest during the set! Even if you're dead set on seeing Cake, you'll still have a chance to catch these amazing musicians perform.
Last Edit: May 7, 2014 14:26:53 GMT -5 by Deleted: Added a few things - Back to Top
I agree, great write up. I'm not even a fan but your write up makes me want to catch the set.
A band like TTB is one that I have a hard time understand why anyone wouldn't like them. So, while I can't say for certain that you would like them, I can't imagine you watching their set and not being blown away.
I would argue they're the most talented group of musicians on the farm this year.
I agree, great write up. I'm not even a fan but your write up makes me want to catch the set.
A band like TTB is one that I have a hard time understand why anyone wouldn't like them. So, while I can't say for certain that you would like them, I can't imagine you watching their set and not being blown away.
I would argue they're the most talented group of musicians on the farm this year.
i love derek, but i don't like susan's music. I love Susan as a person, I love her and Derek's marriage, I think they are indescribably sweet as a couple, but contemporary blues does nothing for me.
I completely accept this is a defect in my own musical appreciation, and nothing wrong with the music.
But look, if there are no serious conflicts, I will absolutely go to the TTB set and give it a shot.
Thanks for the write up. This was one of the first bands I added to my line up. I have never seen them, but my son has and said they were a not-to-miss addition.
Thanks for the write up. This was one of the first bands I added to my line up. I have never seen them, but my son has and said they were a not-to-miss addition.
He's right. This link should help convince anyone who is on the fence about how TTB handles business:
They go from Muscle Shoals to the swamps of Florida to Motown ... and the groove, my god the groove. You will not be able to stand still when watching this set. They are one of the best bands touring, mostly because each member is a monster on their instrument.
They are conflict-proof for me unless DBT is at the same time. In which case, it will be an unprecedented conflict the likes of which I cannot comprehend.
Thanks for the write up. This was one of the first bands I added to my line up. I have never seen them, but my son has and said they were a not-to-miss addition.
He's right. This link should help convince anyone who is on the fence about how TTB handles business:
They go from Muscle Shoals to the swamps of Florida to Motown ... and the groove, my god the groove. You will not be able to stand still when watching this set. They are one of the best bands touring, mostly because each member is a monster on their instrument.
They are conflict-proof for me unless DBT is at the same time. In which case, it will be an unprecedented conflict the likes of which I cannot comprehend.
Hahah. Literally... last night was the first time I listened to these guys. I watched this entire set... just wow. Really... If you need any convincing at all for this band, watch this set. It is so stellar
