Tag: Tedeschi Trucks Band

The LOCKN’ Report: Day 3

The Jam ‘Lympics brought out the best in bands on day 3 at LOCKN’. ‘A’ games ruled the day.

In the early going, Moon Taxi? quickly became Moon Taxi! as the Nashville band quickly won over the early afternoon crowd with their Southern rock inflected jams, with highlights being an “All Along the Watchtower” cover and set-closing “All Day All Night” and it’s soaring guitars big rock finish.

Vermont jammers Twiddle spun around the stage next, opening with a lengthy take on “Polluted Beauty” that brought out influences from many jam band mavens before them. Keller Williams came out to lend a hand on “Best Feeling” which ended with a jam on Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”. The set ended as it began, with a drawn out version of “Jamflowman” which opened groovily but ended in a flurry of explosive guitar rock (which would continue to be a theme on this day).

Stanton Moore picked up nicely on the departing sounds and brought in Galactic with a flourish of drums before the rest of the band joined in. New Orleans native Erica Falls joined the band throughout the set to pick up the vocal duties on songs like “Hey Na Na” and “There’s Something Wrong With This Picture.” The real highlights of the set came when harmonica giant, Lee Oskar, of War fame, came out to add a little more funk muscle for takes on “Slipping Into Darkness,” “Like a Rolling Stone” and nearly half the set overall.

Hard Working Americans brought their rough and tumble barroom rock attitude next. They weren’t going to win on style points, but were trying to crushing it on raw rock power alone. Dave Schools and Duane Trucks provided the engine while Neal Casal’s guitar and Jesse Aycock’s lap steel twist around each other. Lead man Todd Snider lead them through incredible versions of “Stomp and Holler,” “Dope is Dope,” and “Something Else.” With Phil Lesh’s set delayed the band extended their set, Todd Snider taking over with some spoken word ramblings while the band rocked out behind him, building yet another rocking finish. “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind. Well I listened to the wind and it didn’t tell me a fucking thing, so much for folk music,” Snider quipped, like a true rockstar.

The rotating stage and interlocking sets concept didn’t quite work so well for most of the day, including a break of over 30 minutes while Phil Lesh got his friends ready to go. It certainly was a lot of musicians to coordinate. But Phil Lesh is the ultimate coach, and what seemed to be a bizarre collection of players, Lesh knew it would work. With Page McConnell, Jon Fishman, Joe Russo, Anders Osborne and the Infamous Stringdusters it was essentially a LOCKN’ All-Stars. The set took advantage of the players, mixing some bluegrassy tunes like “Dire Wolf” and “Rosalee McFall,” with more stretched out versions of “Uncle John’s Band” and “Scarlet Begonias.” Russo kept the gangly band tight together while McConnell provided an enormous and impressive groundwork for the others to launch from. Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi joined the group for takes on “Mr. Charlie” and “Sugaree,” which saw Trucks and Jeremy Garret weave solos together that was brilliantly unexpected. Leave it to a coaching genius like Lesh to see the potential of the the fiddle and slide guitar to sound so good in that spot.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band left it all on the field for LOCKN’ with a stellar performance. The 12-strong band beat out even Lesh’s assemblance in total manpower. The set ranged from straight blues, classic rock, New Orleans jazz, fusion and soul, and they stuck the landing from every angle. Trucks assumed control of the band throughout the night, taking solo after relentless solo, showcasing his talent in all its magnificent glory. The set consisted almost entirely of covers, including “Within You Without You” (Beatles), “Keep On Growing” (Derek and the Dominos), “Had to Cry Today” (Blind Faith), and “Bitches Brew” (Miles Davis). But the highlight of the set was when all the diverse influences came together for their closing rendition of their own “Let Me Get By,” yet another big rock finish.

Many fans dread a band’s “festival set” due to their generally truncated nature and their tendency to lean heavily on the hits. My Morning Jacket operates in exactly the opposite direction. Their festival sets are something to seek out and look forward to, and their first LOCKN’ appearance was no exception.

My Morning Jacket declared victory with their set opening “Victory Dance.” The bar had been set high by what had come before them. But they set the bar higher, and then vaulted over it with relative ease. An early set “Off The Record” set the scene properly. There had been a lot of rocking on the stage during the day, but none quite as coordinated and ferocious as that. Throughout the set the band would take songs further and deeper than usual, and focused on the songs that could do so. “Steam Engine” got dragged out into a powerful sax lead jam, while “Phone Went West” found a melodic run and built it into a blistering rocker. Every single song in the set seemed to end with the aforementioned big rock finish, the energy reached a point that just could not be topped so they just kept pushing it back to the top. They played tribute to Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved”), Prince (“Purple Rain”), David Bowie (“Rebel Rebel”) and the world on the whole with a surprisingly fun and rocking “What the World Needs Now.” When “One Big Holiday” reared it’s head, it became clear the energy couldn’t be sustained any longer, and the set came to a close after over 2 hours of relentless rock genius.

Sunday’s artists will need to watch out for splinters after that stage shredding that took place on the penultimate day of LOCKN’.

August 28, 2016
Tedeschi Trucks Band “Slides” Into SPAC For One To Remember

The Tedeschi Trucks Band returned to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on July 14, bringing along the North Mississippi All Stars and Los Lobos. Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi led the show getting the crowd going right away. The band opened up strong with “Laugh It Up” and “Made Up Mind.” TTB surprised the crowd with “Swamp Raga,” a song from The Derek Trucks Band. The group followed up with “Within You Without You,” a song by The Beatles.

At the end of the show members of both North Mississippi All Stars and Los Lobos came on to play “The Sky Is Crying.” The North Mississippi All Stars also celebrated their 20th anniversary. The Tedeschi Trucks Band wraps up their Wheels of Soul Tour on August 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the Red Butte Garden.

Setlist: Laugh About it, Made Up Mind, Darlin’ Be Home Soon, Swamp Raga, Within You Without You, Just As Strange, Right On Time, Goin’ Down to Mexico, Don’t Know What It Means, Idle Wind, The Sky Is Crying, Angel From Montgomery, Jam, Let Me Get By

ENCORE: Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring, Sticks and Stones

July 21, 2016
Tedeschi Trucks Band Pulls Into Syracuse and Leaves It All On Stage

As the buses made their way down Montgomery Street towards the Crouse Hinds Theater, The Tedeschi Trucks Band began to prepare for an evening of what would become an epic night of music to a sold out venue in Syracuse.

Opening the evening to the packed crowd was Amy Helm. Amy hails from Woodstock and with music in her bloodline, from the moment she took the stage, she began to play and sing and own the crowd. With her trio of Handsome Strangers, made up of guitarist Daniel Littleton, bassist Byron Isaacs and drummer David Berger, this most talented group of musicians played and sang like a well oiled machine.

Amy’s style of music can best be described as contagious. As you watch her perform, it’s as though the music is progressing from her toes, making its way through her body and pouring out with full emotion and electricity. The versatility of sound she displays is also noteworthy. Her music fluctuates from soulful and moody to a rockabilly jive with a seamless transition, providing a tantalizing variety of tastes pleasing to everyone. As Helm’s delivery drew the audience in, the rest of the band delivered a one-two punch of a percussive background beat, a funkadelic bass line and sick guitar solos that brought the audience to their feet. Just as they finished their solos, Amy stepped back up to the mic and hit everyone with a knockout vocal punch, sealing people’s fates as fans forever. To say she is amazing doesn’t seem like quite enough.

It was the moment she dedicated “Gloryland”, a song taught to her by her father who passed in 2012, to those waiting on the other side that really moved me most. This acoustic number, in perfect harmony with her Handsome Strangers, sent chills down my spine and left not a dry eye in the audience. Levon Helm, your daughter is amazing and you taught her well.

As Helm exited the stage for the main act to appear, the audience grew with anticipation before the lights dimmed and Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB) took the stage. This large ensemble took up the whole stage and, although a large production, each member is a specific ingredient within a recipe of musical genius. With the husband and wife team of Derek Trucks on guitar and Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals out in front, they surrounded themselves with some of the most talented musicians in the business. On keyboards and flute was Kofi Burbridge, drums and percussion featured Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, bass guitar work was provided by Tim Lefebvre and on harmony vocals was the trio of Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, and Alecia Chakour. The horns rounded out the team with Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Elizabeth Lea on trombone and Ephraim Owens on trumpet. This amazing group of musicians are one in themselves talented and together they blended seamlessly, but not overpoweringly, as they accompanied Tedeschi and Trucks on their play out front.

Never having seen this amazing band before, the bar had been set high from all the hype I’ve heard. Although eager to see what all the fuss was about, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I purposely didn’t listen to any music beforehand so that my initial response was pure and in the moment. As they began to play, I was mesmerized by Susan’s voice. Her no nonsense approach to attacking each note was confident and strong. She was a woman that knew what she wanted to sing and play and that she did. As her husband Derek accompanied her on his guitar, the strings would sing. Together they melded into one sound.

I would classify TTB as a multi-genre act. They were funky, bluesy, rocking, and soulful. They encompassed sounds and transitioned from one sound to the next without effort or pause. I found Susan Tedeschi’s vocals real and raw. She has the ability to reach in and grab your soul while she sings and plays. As they played “Sky Is Crying” , it was as though she and Derek were making love with their guitars right in front of you. They matched note for note with a fervor that grew and exploded into one of the most moving pieces of the evening. I almost felt as though I was intruding on their moment and witnessing something meant for just the two of them. It was spectacular.

It was apparent all night that as they played, these fans in the audience were just as in love with them as I was. My favorite moment of the night was when Tedeschi asked her singer Alecia Chakour and Amy Helm to join her onstage for “Color of the Blues”, an amazing acoustic number. There was so much talent in that group that it blew me away.

It was an honor to cover this show and now I get it. I get the hype, the build up and the all the legends I had heard. The show was amazing and definitely lived up and surpassed my expectations.

Setlist Tedeschi Trucks Band: Laugh About It, Anyhow, I Want More, Midnight in Harlem, Just As Strange, Right on Time, Let Me Get By, Sky is Crying, Color of the Blues (joined by Amy Helm and Alecia Chakour), Keep on Growing, Going Down to Mexico, Bound for Glory, Idle Wind. Encore: Don’t Let Me Slide, I Cannot Make It

May 12, 2016
An Interview with the Gifted Kofi Burbridge

It’s not often a band picks out Buffalo, NY in their list of tour dates to set up shop for a two-night run. This weekend though, Tedeschi Trucks Band with longtime keyboardist/flutist Kofi Burbridge will be playing Saturday and Sunday (Mat 7 and 8) at The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo.

The band released their latest album, Let Me Get By, earlier this year to strong reviews and will certainly be drawing up that and other deep cuts for an exploratory two nights in the Queen City.

While the group is fronted and named after the marital pair and supremely talented Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, the talent runs deep in the group. Kofi Burbridge and Derek’s former band the Derek Trucks Band is someone long deserving of a little limelight. We got the chance to sit down and hear about Kofi’s story and how that folds into the band’s upcoming stint.

NYS Music: What instruments do you play and what fueled your passion?

Kofi Burbridge: Flute and keyboards are primary. That’s what I make my living on, but I came up attempting to play a lot of other instruments – the bass being one of them. Oteil and I actually explored a series of instruments. We got lucky because we had a set of parents who saw that we were interested. Like any responsible pair, they made us get our work done first and then we could play. It showed them though that we were really passionate about getting into music, so they invested in lessons and things like that. We had the benefit of my dad’s extensive record collection as well. He’s not a musician per se, but an extreme connoisseur of music. We had this treasure waiting for us, not knowing it was treasure waiting for us.

NYS Music: When coming up and going to school in Atlanta, you wrote “Kam-Ma-Lay”, which later became a Derek Trucks Band song for the group’s third album, Joyful Noise, in 2002. What was it like seeing that come to life after being shelved for a while?

KB: It was a resurgence I would say. We (the band) were in a situation where we needed tunes and everyone was scrambling and bringing what they had to the table. I had been listening to Derek and the band for some time and knew Yonrico from working with him ten years prior to DtB. By the time I heard the band, they had this flavor that was really cool – lots of different genres. They obviously had the southern rock thing, but with straight ahead jazz and some Latin flavor as well. I felt “Kam-Ma-Lay” might be a good one for this particular recording. That was a big time fun tune to do and everyone got really into it. I had the sections of the tune and Derek put the melody on top.

NYS Music: You mentioned Yonrico Scott (former DtB drummer), what was it like working with him?

KB: He brings a positive force to the space every time. That was his aim and he’s always bringing joy – and I use that word specifically to describe his style. He also really likes to nail his stuff down. He is so much fun to play with and fires up the whole band. It’s like you’re going to a party when you’re playing with him and the cat’s always got pocket.

NYS Music: Todd Smallie is no slouch either right?

KB: Well, you know, he was one of the first ones I noticed in the band. I mean they were all throwing down big time, but I was like, “check this bass player out – moving that thing all over the place to these tunes.” He’s part of pioneering that whole style. He was one of the people who showed you could approach the bass the same way you could approach the guitar. It’s a fret board, you know? It really opened up the approach on bass – so yeah, when I saw Todd I told Oteil he had to see him.

NSY Music: What’s the biggest difference between what the Derek Trucks Band was doing and what Tedeschi Trucks Band is doing now?

KB: It’s hard to say. There are more people in TTB, so we’re featuring moments at a different pace. You only have so much time to say the things you want to say. Couple that with more of a song environment with Susan’s interactions and what she brings to the show and we also have the horn section which adds a completely different tonality and allows for different styles. There’s a whole lot more to bring in comparison to DtB, but I would say DtB had way more freedom in terms of moments to improv. I remember Derek throwing solos all around. There was a point I remember Derek saying, jokingly, “Hey man I’m getting tired of soloing so much.” All along the way, Derek has wanted to up his game and I think that’s what he’s trying to show now at this stage in his development. He really is a fantastic band leader and lets you play what you want to play if it’s appropriate for what he’s going for. I’ve never had this much creative freedom with any band. It’s the most I’ve been able to open up in any band situation, especially in one like this with so many people.

NYS Music: What can fans expect with the first two-night run of Tedeschi Trucks Band in Buffalo?

KB: Whenever we do get two nights, it’s a lot of fun. We get the chance to play a show, get into the city some more, and come back to another show. One of the trickiest things for a bandleader is to feature so many elements within one night. We can really stretch out over two and go deeper.

NYS Music: So tell us more about this Brothers project with your brother Oteil, and Neal and Alan Evans.

KB: Yeah, we’re really excited about that as well. Alan, Neal and Oteil were on the Jam Cruise and they must have had a ball because all of a sudden Al got the feeling and said we have to do this. Personally, I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage my time on and off the road. I had to put my foot down on myself and get busy while I’m off the road. Right after I came off this last run with TTB in Australia and Japan, I flew up to Al’s studio in Massachusetts. We had two good days and came up with four tracks. It was much needed and I’m so glad we kicked it off. I can’t wait for the finish. Hopefully there will be some shows, but I’m not sure that’s on the burners just yet.

NYS Music: What is the feel of the recording?

KB: Definitely some heavy funk to it, but like I said it’s still in the oven. I’m 100% sure it’s going to be everything that we want and a great kickoff for us. There were lots of ideas being thrown on the table and it was just fantastic.

NYS Music: Is there a release timeline yet?

KB: It’s hard for me to say. I think Al actually has a better answer for that than me since he’s handling the logistics of it.

NYS Music: What other projects do you have going on?

KB: I’m working on a personal project myself and trying to get in the studio to get something done this year and released in 2017. That’s really important to me right now. It’s another bigger project on my burner right now and will cover flute and keys. It will probably be more of a writing project, but hard to say since I’m still putting a lot of the pieces together. It will definitely include a lot of people that I currently work with.

NYS Music: Ending on a topical note, what are your thoughts on Prince’s passing and how did his music and the recent events impact you?

KB: He was definitely a part of my generation. He was 57 and I’m 54, so it definitely touches home on just a basic human level. There have been so many people at this age passing, not just musicians but friends as well. It’s kind of a major wake-up call at the moment since it was so unexpected. It’s a very scary thing.

When I went to his show just a few years back, it was the first time I had ever seen him. I had been waiting to hear all of my favorites like “Little Red Corvette” and some other older ones. I had no idea what I was about to see since Prince had gone through so many incarnations and bands. I mean, the man had so much music. I thought it was probably going to be everything, and it was truly all of that. It was an excellent show. He came out sparkling; I mean the dude was way past ten! He loved the fact that he was performing. That was the biggest thing that I got out of the show. He was happy to be on stage and to be performing the music. It really fired him up. It fired up the entire audience and everyone was into it. What really blew my mind, and was the major icing on the cake, was that he remained there after the show and continued to play on the piano! You could just hang if you wanted. I’m like, this man has storage. He has terabytes of music. It was amazing! It’s serious love.

May 4, 2016
Saratoga Performing Arts Center 50th Summer Lineup

The state’s premier outdoor concert venue is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer as Saratoga Performing Arts Center kicks off its golden anniversary concert season with the fourth running of the SPAC Rock and Run, which offers 5k, 10k and half marathon distances, on May 15. Albany-area siblings Jocelyn and Chris Arndt, who were breakout artists at last fall’s Utica Music and Arts Festival, will perform as part of the SPAC Rock and Run Races.

Once the music takes over, highlights this season include a three-night run from Phish July 1 to 3 and a double bill of Dave Matthews Band July 15 and 16. Dead and Company pay a visit to SPAC June 21 with John Mayer laying down Jerry’s licks, and Mumford and Sons bring their electric brand of folk to a sold-out show on June 15.

The annual Freihofers Saratoga Jazz Festival, featuring headliner Smokey Robinson in addition to three 2016 Grammy Award winners, Jon Cleary, Christian McBride, and Eliane Elias, takes place June 25 and 26.

SPAC’s long-time resident the Philadelphia Orchestra takes up its annual residency beginning Aug. 3, and the New York City Ballet brings 16 ballet performances throughout July.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center 2016 Pop/Rock Schedule:

June 11 – Dixie Chicks
June 15 – Mumford and Sons
June 21 – Dead and Company
July 1 – Phish
July 2 – Phish
July 3 – Phish
July 5 – Journey, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason
July 10 – Steely Dan with Steve Winwood
July 12 – Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin with Alter Bridge and Saint Asonia
July 13 – Tedeschi Trucks Band with Los Lobos and North Mississippi Allstars
July 15 – Dave Matthews Band
July 16 – Dave Matthews Band
July 24 – Slipknot with Marilyn Manson and Of Mice and Men
July 25 – Josh Groban with Sarah McLachlan
July 26 – Janet Jackson
Sept. 3 – Zac Brown Band with Drake White and the Big Fire
Sept. 8 – Heart with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick

https://youtu.be/pJ9Hmy3fPK8

March 5, 2016
Hearing Aide: Tedeschi Trucks Band ‘Let Me Get By’

The Tedeschi Trucks Band is one of the most prominent touring bands in the jam band community and they’ve carved out an impressive new path with the release of their third studio album Let Me Get By. Collectively the album blends elements of blues, jazz, funk, gospel and good ole fashioned rock and roll. Derek Trucks is nothing short of a prodigy on the guitar and Susan’s songwriting speaks volumes of maturity, often touching on tender subjects like love, heartbreak, adversity and hardship. The way Susan crafts her lyrics seem to come from a place of experience as she develops mysterious themes and undertone to life’s relatable struggles.

TTB played their first gig on April 1, 2010 at the Savannah Music Festival in Georgia as an eight-piece band. Today they’ve grown to an 11-piece ensemble that averages more than 200 gigs a year. Let Me Get By was inspired by tour rehearsals and improvised jam sessions, which was no doubt a long working process. However, the band found time to record at their home studio, Swamp Raga Studios, in Jacksonville, Florida in between their rigorous tour schedule. The result is a true craft of beauty and their best studio release since their Grammy-winning debut album, Revelator.

The album opens up with faint music and what sounds like a distant howl from Susan before the band slams into “Anyhow” with one of their signature funk inspired pocket grooves. Susan’s voice soars to monumental peaks and the harmonizing vocals from Mike Mattison, Alicia Chakour and Mark Rivers complement the track very well. “Laugh About It” is a soft ballad laced with an inspiring undertone, reminding listeners that life is what you make of it. The next track “Don’t Know What It Means” stands out immediately as one of the richest tracks on the album, one that will surely translate well in a live setting. This song has a lot of potential to become a launching pad for some serious improvisation and it will be exciting to watch this song grow. “Right On Time” sounds like nothing the band has ever done before and the horn section sounds like they could be the house band of a speakeasy in Chicago in the roaring ‘20s. Mike Mattison fronts this must hear number with grace and it’s always nice to see the former Derek Trucks Band lead vocalist take a few swings in the spotlight.

The self-titled track “Let Me Get By” is a love song with a heavy tone of time never being on your side. “Just As Strange” finds the band once again shifting down a few gears and laying a gentle musical foundation for Susan to build her vocals on top of. “Crying Over You” finds Mattison once again taking the driver seat and his lead vocals are absolutely stunning. This is another track that will translate beautifully in a live setting. Derek really opens up on his covenant slide and rips a piercing satisfying solo. “Hear Me” is another soul gripping ballad powered by Susan inspired by break up. The band kicks it up a notch with “I Want More” which features a catchy chorus that could be the next “Learn How To Love You” (another TTB original off their debut album that has become a crowd favorite). The album closes with “In Every Heart” which features a gospel like tone and showcases Derek finding a series of peaks on his Gibson.

TTB are set to hit the road with a series of three-night runs lined up in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Nashville followed by a string of international dates before coming back to the states. With a plethora of new, heavy-hitting material, each time the Tedeschi Trucks Band takes the stage this year is sure to be a moment not to be missed. The wheels are turning rapidly on this already well-oiled machine and they don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. The sky is the limit for this band and Let Me Get By is another chapter in the band’s history that will surely continue to be written for a very long time.

Key Tracks: “Don’t Know What It Means” “Anyhow” “Crying Over You”

February 8, 2016