One guitar player who plays not only the blues, but seemingly all kinds of music with his own unique voice, is Derek Trucks. He’s always played with a lot of soul and has applied the jam band mentality he learned from the Allman Brothers Band to most of the projects he’s been a part of. Now he leads the powerhouse group, Tedeschi Trucks Band, with his wife Susan Tedeschi. These days, anything Derek touches seems to turn to gold and I love seeing what he comes up with.
Fortunately, we can see where this guy came from as well. He was gigging on national bandstands at the age of 13 and hanging with many of the greats. I found a live show of young Derek playing “Layla,” then I fast forwarded a few years to a more recent show from the Tedeschi Trucks Band with their song “Bound For Glory.” Enjoy!
Derek Trucks broke onto the blues scene in his early teens and showed a lot of promise from the very beginning. Check out this live version of “Layla” at .
But, of course, this is “Blues” Guitar Unleashed so check out this incredible video of Derek playing alongside the great BB King (and notice John Mayer staying out of it…)
And speaking of his wife, Susan Tedeschi, she’s no slouch on a guitar either:
And one more because I just dig this song and Derek’s playing on it:
Hope you dig it!
62 replies to "Derek Trucks: Then And Now"
Love his playing, thank you Griff!
Check out videos of him playing with Warren Haynes in the Allman Brothers Band. The entire “One Way Out” live show is at youtube. I can listen to the album 100 times in a row and never fail to smile and just be massively entertained. A DT highlight would be the solo on Desdemona, wow!!!
haha here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuadh1o0yC8
:-)))
They play at the blues festival in Tampa but I do not have away to go to it so I never go….
What a great voice! And great guitar playing too… I’d never heard of this band before, but I’ll be looking out for them from now on! Thanks for turning me on to this, Griff! G’donya mate! 😀
Great selection of videos Griff! Susan can really belt it out and Derek is great on slide! Tesdechi Trucks live cd—“Everybody’s Talkin'” is a great place to start if there are people out there who aren’t familiar with the Tedeschi Trucks Band and want more live stuff. Shows a wide variety of their songs!
Hey BGU,s. I got to sign up for tickets for to Tedsschi-Trucks About three months ago I have great seats but they’re expensive best new album is Revelatory.
Check out midnight in Harlem and bound for glory . As you know he is the nephew of butch trucks who just passed within the last year.
You can definitely hear Dwayne and Dickie inside Derek’s on riffs they are my favorite band since 1969 live at the Fillmore East .
They put on a hell of a show and Susan’s penshant for wearing dresses and skirts makes for a sexy rock ‘n’ roll performance If you get there on 29 June call my name at the box office and I’ll come up and meet you
Anthony Comi
Good luck and God bless
The first video sounds like a cat being run over….dreadful wailing. There’s better slide guitar sounds than that…really there is.
Hey Rusty
When you tried on a new BB glove as a kid, you had to break it in. Soak it in Olive Oil over the winter. TT can be like that. They are elite musicians 13 of them in all. and all equal in immense talent. They play as unit. Give yourself a chance to like them.
Best of luck Anthony
Rustie are you deaf or just plain ole jealous ?
I would really love to see a Tedeschi Trucks Band and Bonnie Raitt out on a little venue tour. But that would be amazing… Bonnie and Susan with their throaty voices and Derek and Bonnie with a little jaw dropping slide.
Very cool, Griff! Thanks for putting together some great listening. Nad I really liked the solo with BB. I think I can actually play JM’s part!
Great guitarist!
I’ve seen the Tedeschi Trucks Band at least a dozen times. If they are not the best live act in America I’d sure like to see who is. These folks change up the set list every night with their own material and covers from B.B. to Harrison to Cocker and Jerry and many more. They never mail it in. I highly recommend seeing them live if you have the chance. Peace.
100% Agree. They are so damn good it’s scary, and that’s not just Derek and Susan, that’s the rest of the band too. Caught them in Amsterdam, and let’s just say that the phenomenon that is TTB is no longer an American exclusive. Treat yourself and go.
Listening pleasure for sometime now, God given talent, I’m sure he’s worked hard at . Very fortunate man, artistically, and I have to say , domestically. Proud for him. Thanks Griff, always a pleasure
Thanks Griff. I loved that… I needed that. I want to say thanks. You are a great and inspirational teacher. Keep up the great work!!
What a great pair of blues artists, full of feeling and awesome talent. Thanks Griff. Cheers, Tony
yes I dig it also…and steven said he does too
Some of the best, Thanks Griff
Here’s the good stuff. Enjoy
Good listening.
https://youtu.be/ZAA1tssUoR0
Hi Griff,
Thanks for sharing two of America’s talents. I’d not heard of Derek and Susan before here in the UK but, I do now! ‘am a fan. Extraordinary guitar and vocal from the pair. I wish you success in Memphis. Wishing all BGU members great playing in all you do.
Tedeschi Trucks and my all time favorite: “Do I Look Worried to You?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s54i4st_f9E
Griff–
You are a mentor extraordinaire, Griff. I first saw the Allman Brothers when I was 18, in early September, 1970. If you’d told me then all that would happen in the next 46 years with these guys and their extended families, well I might have believed you, but probably not. Thanks for the introduction to Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, two great talents. “Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin’…”
What can you say? He’s one of the best alive today and so much more to give us…..
Thanks for this that is the best slide guitar since Duane Allman and his wife is one of best female singer and picker around
nice to be a prodigy, about 90% of guitar players won’t reach that level
of playing god bless him, makes you want to throw your guitar away
nice to be a prodigy, about 90% of guitar players won’t reach that level
of playing god bless him, makes you want to throw your guitar away
I forgot – is that BB’s autograph on the top bout of Susan’s tele? She certainly deserves it.
What a blast. Imagine being up with a 13-year-old genius and he just OWNZ the stage !!!!
I first saw Derek in Sydney at the Clapton tour 2007 in the band that also had Doyle Bramhall II. Eric, Derek and Doyle – we were just having eargasms all night. Since then Derek has been on continuous rotation in our house.
Susan is a powerhouse – What a voice. Others have compared Bonnie Raitt, but I’m hearing Janis. Imagine if Janis had been able to play guitar like that, as well as the voice? The planet would never have recovered!
Readers, check out the Crossroads 2013 set. Derek plays all over it. The set with Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes is special – you can almost hear Duane….
I recommend the TTB 2-CD set “Let Me Get By”.
ChrisG from the land of OZ.
Thanks, Griff!
If you liked this, you owe it to yourself to check out Duane Allman. The “Skydog” on Derek’s shirt refers to Duane.
In my opinion, no one, past or present has come up to his standard on slide guitar.
Hearing Derek or anyone else’s playing slide makes me miss Duane’s playing all the more.
Thanks Griff ,
Saw then at the Byron Bay Blues Festival here in Australia and I thought they stole the show . Was hangin for them to play Midnight in Harlem and they did not dissapoint . Just had to laugh watching 13 year old Dereck , how could he be that good at 13 !!! Boggles the mind . Thanks for the nod to a great couple .
Thanks Griff,
I was living in Atlanta in 1997 and went to this show specifically to hear Derek, just 17 at the time. It was an amazing show. Fire code max of 300 of us in Smith’s Olde Bar. Great atmosphere and Derek totally stole the show. Wikipedia doesn’t even mention this band. I think they did about a 6-9 month tour of the Southeast and then Derek formed the Derek Trucks band, or they had already been formed and he went back to that group of musicians to carry on what has been a great career. Hard to belive he’s still only 37 now. You’ll notice Butch Trucks on the drums. I could have sworn they described Derek as his son, I later found out he is actually Butch’s nephew. Found the below set list on some “All things Allman Brothers” type website.
Here`s FROGWINGS:
May 24, 1997, ATLANTA, GA
Smith`s Olde Bar
1. Kickin` Bach
2. Blow èm Away
3. Wind Before The Rain
4. Cut Mullet
5. Sign On The Door
6. Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat
7. Loomis
8. Catchin`Up
9. Hot `lanta
It`s outstanding percussion & guitar :
The musicians are :
JIMMY HERRING – guitar
DEREK TRUCKS – guitar
JONA HERBERT – keyboards
EDWIN McCAIN – vocals
OTEIL BURBRIDGE – bass
BUTCH TRUCKS – drums
MARC QUINONES – percussion
Thanks Mr. Griff., your contributions to my Guitar life can not be emphasised enough.
You are a mentor. I use most of techniques that I learnt from you and Marty S. in my Church as lead Guitarist, the result has been amazing from the joyous look on faces of people in the congregation.
I never have regret for buying any of your Guitar lessons.
God bless you as you have positively impart my life and turn me to a big Christian star, here in Bristol city, England. Cheers
These guys are truly great. I love her baudy, throaty, sexy voice (like Bonnie Raitt) and his slide is just incredible. Made Up my Mind has a great song Do I Look Worried. @BradW you are right!!
He is a master. When BB King looks you in the eye and puts his hand on your shoulder and says, “That’s about as good as I’ve ever heard it,” you know you’ve arrived.
Thanks for the videos. I agree on both counts – he’s awesome & she ain’t no slouch either.
Truly awesome work from both Susan and Derek; hopefully this will provide further incentive to Griff to put together that slide course many of us have been hoping for!
I first heard Derek Trucks play at the Crossroads Concert(s). Until then I had staple diet of most of the other greats. I have Derek now mentioned along with the greats. Someone above mentioned he appears motionless in his playing. I do not think someone could play like he does without having come across a few bumps in the road of life. Someone more famous I can attest to definitely appearing singularly interest in his playing, often to the isolation of his backing band is Eric Clapton. He tends to not relate to his backing band or the audience too much. I have mentioned another British blues player, not so popular in the States, I believe, but equally productive and, my view equal to Clapton in skill – that is Chris Rea. Chris’s concerts are a joy to behold. His audiences tends to dance at his concerts, something I can say I never saw at any of the Eric Clapton concerts I managed to attend. Derek and his band feature on the same stage as Eric Clapton, which is good for them, of course. He deserve recognition for his contribution to the genre of music. It was nice to see him so young getting stuck into that number.
Right. Been listening to him for several years. Check out Midnight In Harlem from Crossroads Guitar Fest, 2010. The MOST inspired guitar I’ve ever heard!
Best two hours I’ve ever spent following links,lets do next week to.
Duane Allman would have loved Derek. Thanks for sharing Griff. Got to see the Almann Bros in the 70’s with Barry Oakley. Unfortunately Duane was not there.
One of my favourites too Griff. It won’t burn is not on any of the CDs I have so thanks. I love Susan’s voice, didn’t know she plays so well. They came to Canada last year but only in Toronto and the west. Would love to see them live.
WOW! What a way to start my Sunday!!! THANK YOU!
Beautiful extension of his blues talent: https://youtu.be/Jec1FTF40Ow
Jeez Louise Griff! Love the Sunday Morning Intergalactic listening party! What a concept.
I had not heard of this fellow and his band but they are really good.
One of the best performances by this great band can be seen at the Albert hall in London, Derek shows plenty of emotion during this performance of sky is crying with Susan smoking up the guitar with her blistering solos, do yourselves a favour and check it out, link below,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPntKAWvHs
Tedeschi/Trucks – Truly a match made in heaven!
One of the best performances by this great band can be seen at
We’ve seen TTB a bunch of times since they combined bands, including the second time they played in public at Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads in Chicago and Crossroads 2013 at MSG. Always awesome. Saw them twice this year on their Wheels of Sour tour with Los Lobos and North Missisppi Allstars. Killer shows. Derek played in Clapton’s touring band in 2009/10 along with Doyle Bhramhall II. that was quite the experience. TTB is keeping the blues-rock tradition alive. Go see them if you have a chance. I’ll personally refund York money if not satisfied. 😉
Seen Derek & Eric Clapton in New York, in concert at a jam season and it was the best Ive ever seen. He Derek & Clapton are the best of the best two me. Even bb King was there as well another one of the best of the best. if you want a real treat and get the the chance to see these great blues players do it ,its the best treat you can give your self. Gary.
I got to see Mr trucks with the allman brothers a couple times in Hartford Ct; I really like his slide work with the duel guitar sound their great together.
I love susans vocals . She really plays guitar well guess shes got a great teacher .
Saw Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Minnesota Zoo outdoor stage last summer. Everything the band did was extremely good, starting with the dual drummers who were spot on to the horn section and of course Trucks on guitar. I most enjoy watching accomplished guitar players like Clapton, Bonamassa and Trucks do what they do best and that is play the guitar without having to engage in distracting.antics such as running and jumping around on stage. I do not call that “emotionless” but rather truly engaged in and sharing the gift they have.
I would agree that any one who listens to Derek could not call him emotionless. I love his playing on “Midnight up in Harlem” from the Crossroads Festival
Wow!!!
What a Bonnie Raitt deja vu!!!
Perfect joy and communication among the band members.
Derek Trucks doesn’t NEED emotion on his face — it’s all in his fingers — right where it belongs!!!
Thanks for exposing this to me, Griff.
Good stuff need more young people really command of instruments ..
Awesome player but he’s very emotionless hard to tell if he’s enjoying it or really into it or not.
Long lose it solos like in “Bound for Glory here.
Amen, He’s a hero in this house. Now with Susan we have another angelic voice. I do however wish Derek would turn out more long “get lost in it” solos with the new band. Checking out the new LP Made Up Mind… Great album.