MAY 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MAY 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM

“MUSIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE

medicinal,” says Derek Trucks. “It should be

uplifting and it should be a tool for relief.

That’s the point of a band like this.” The group

he’s talking about is the Tedeschi Trucks

Band, the 11-member ensemble (including

two drummers, background vocalists and

a horn section) he leads with his wife and

fellow master guitarist Susan Tedeschi. The

idea, according to Trucks, is to have “a big,

crazy army that writes together and bleeds

together and allows everyone to shine.”

Trucks and Tedeschi have long

envisioned forming such an act together.

Married since 1999, the two often shared

the same stage, played on each other’s

albums and even vied for Grammy honors in

the same category. But other commitments—

Trucks had his own Derek Trucks Band and

a steady gig with the Allman Brothers Band;

Tedeschi had her solo career—kept them

from uniting for a record. “We were both

charging ahead with our individual careers,”

Trucks says. “Now, we’re ready.”

The band’s debut album, Revelator,

offers up a simmering mix of fi ery blues

rockers, gospel-tinged ballads and soulful

R&B. Trucks’ stinging slide work and

Tedeschi’s smoldering rhythm chops

are duly showcased, but the emphasis

is less on solos than on songcraft and

Tedeschi’s bluesy vocals. Trucks and

Tedeschi talked to us about their goals for

the band from their home in Jacksonville,

Fla., where the couple recorded Revelator

in their own studio.

‘We’ve been through the fi re, musically and personally. It was now or never.’ –Derek Trucks

DEREK TRUCKS & SUSAN TEDESCHITwo guitar aces making beautiful music together—onstage and off

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Q&AQ&A

M mag 11.indd 66 5/31/11 8:34:02 PM

Why do this now?

TRUCKS: It was a multitude of things. Our

kids are a bit older, the Allman Brothers are

doing fewer dates, and it was time to take a

break after 16 years being on the road with

my band. Plus our relationship is at a more

mature point. We’ve been through the fi re,

musically and personally, and we’re more

adult now. It was now or never.

TEDESCHI: We’ve always had an

understanding that someday we would put

our other projects aside and make an album

together. It’s something I’ve been anticipating

the whole 12 years we’ve been together.

Why emphasize the vocals?

TEDESCHI: Having our own studio allowed

me the time to try various microphones. In the

past I haven’t had that luxury. We found a mic

that I really felt comfortable with. Jim Scott

[who co-produced with Trucks] and [engineer]

Bobby Tis have a beautiful gift. They hear

things in a pure way, and they know how to

capture that on tape. This is a revolutionary

album for me. We did some daring things,

like recording my vocals very dry without

much reverb. A lot of producers would

never do that.

TRUCKS: I’ve heard Susan sing in many

different situations, and I know how powerful,

beautiful and nuanced her voice can be. That

had never been represented properly.

What microphone did you use?

TEDESCHI: A Neumann U 47. It was bought

specifi cally for me, but this album is the fi rst

instance I’ve gotten to use it. I tried other

microphones as well and a lot of them have

great qualities, but they missed various parts

of my range. The U 47 captures all parts of

my vocal range.

How did you fi nd your songwriting

collaborators for the album?

TEDESCHI: I felt certain that Gary Louris

from the Jayhawks was someone Derek

would click with—and sure enough they hit

it off right away. The three of us wrote a

song in 10 minutes. And then there was

John Leventhal, who I had written with,

and David Ryan Harris, who Derek

brought in. I didn’t know David, but I fell in

love with a lot of the melodies he came up

with. His approach is like Stevie Wonder’s

in a way—very soulful.

Why double drummers?

TRUCKS: Part of that idea came from

listening to some of the great James Brown

recordings. There’s that low sizzle you

get with two drummers, a simmering sort

of thing that feels like an army approaching.

Plus I knew from playing with the Allman

Brothers all these years that when that train

gets going there’s nothing like it. Any time

I’ve been in a situation with two drummers

it’s always felt epic. Our drummers, Tyler

Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, have such a

special connection that sometimes you

can’t even tell both are playing. They

complement one other in a way that sounds

like super-stereo.

How did you approach the guitar?

TRUCKS: I was more conscious of making

every sound that came out of the guitar serve

the song, especially when it came to solos.

There are one or two songs where I just

air it out, but for the most part it was about

playing in the spirit of the song. I wanted the

guitar solo to complement the mood, if not an

outright extension. The beauty of the album

is that from song to song it feels like

a scene shift, like theatrical changes.

The moods are strong and different

from song to song, and I didn’t want

to disrupt that illusion.

TEDESCHI: Playing guitar is as

important to me as ever. Part of

the reason is that there aren’t a lot

of women who do it. I can’t tell you

how many little girls—actually women of all

ages—have said to me how I’ve inspired

them to pick up the guitar. That’s important,

because it still is such a male-dominated

industry. It’s important that women know they

can play electric guitar, too. Most women

play acoustics and play chords, but they’re

not really improvising or creating melodies

based in the moment. Bonnie Raitt is a rare

exception, but she’s really a slide player.

You don’t hear her ripping leads very often.

Derek understands all this, and he’s been

very supportive in that way. He’s a big fan

of my guitar playing. That means a lot to me,

because I think he’s the best living guitar

player in the world.

Why the title Revelator?

TRUCKS: It refers to the revealing of simple

truths. Music is supposed to help you

navigate through life. It’s supposed to make

you feel better and express things you can’t

in any other way. That’s our goal. You show

up in a town and try to make things better for

a few hours. When I set aside time to listen

to an album, that’s what music does for me.

And it asks something of you, too. You have

to participate in order to get the most out

of it. This band has a unique opportunity

to touch on many different things. The

musicianship is strong enough that it can

go in any direction. I don’t see a ceiling for

what this band can do. This album is the tip

of the iceberg.

–Russell Hall

‘It’s important women

know they can play

electric guitar too.’

–Susan Tedeschi

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