Derek Trucks was born June 8, 1979, in Jacksonville, Florida, in a family with deep musical roots.[3] Derek's uncle is drummer Butch Trucks, one of the original members of The Allman Brothers Band who has continued to perform with them since the band was founded. From childhood, Derek listened to his parents' vinyl recordings of Eat a Peach from the original members of The Allman Brothers Band, and Derek and the Dominos, featuring Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, from where he got his name.[4] He has a younger brother, also a musician, who is a drummer, named Duane Trucks, who frequently tours with him and his band.
Livingston Taylor and Derek Trucks
At age nine, Trucks first bought a used acoustic guitar, which he found at a yard sale for $5.00, and secured his first paying gig by age 11.[5]
Within the year, Trucks began sitting in with professional musicians and working with high profile musicians as a session player in the studio. One such performer was James Taylor. He was also touring with The Allman Brothers Band, at age 11-12, with his father acting as chaperone and road manager.[5]
[edit] Inspiration
Trucks credits Allman Brothers' primary founding member and guitarist Duane Allman, and Elmore James as two of the most significant slide guitarists that were initial influences on his early style. Aside from slide players, Freddy King, B.B. King and Albert King were some of the original blues and roots music based influences that Trucks has mentioned as well.[6] Before he had reached his twentieth birthday, Trucks had played with some of the most influential musicians of the time: Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh and Stephen Stills.[7] However, as he matured, other artists from Sun Ra and Django Reinhardt to East Indian classical musicians have inspired him.
Trucks began to form his own band in 1994, and as of 2009, The Derek Trucks Band now boasts six members, and with each tour and album, earns higher praise from critics and audiences alike. Trucks continues to act as lead guitarist with his band, as well as one of two permanent guitarists in The Allman Brothers Band, as of 1999. Highly regarded with the slide, Trucks was ranked 81st in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time",[8] the youngest musician to be included at age 24.[9][10]
[edit] Career
[edit] With The Allman Brothers Band
After "sitting in" and touring with the Allman Brothers Band, from age 10-11 on, Derek Trucks was formally made a full member of the Allman Brothers Band, in 1999, after years of guest performances with the band. This included playing with the Allman Brothers during eight summer tours and the band's annual multiple-night-stand at New York City's Beacon Theatre. With The Allman Brothers Band, Trucks has performed on three live releases, which include the platinum-certified Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD, as well as the studio album Hittin' the Note in 2003.
[edit] The slide
Trucks (left), with John Mayer (center) and John Frusciante (right), on the cover of Rolling Stone 1020.
Derek Trucks has been hailed as one of the greatest slide guitarists since Duane Allman. Several other guitarists who have played in The Allman Brothers Band, including Duane Allman, Warren Haynes and Dickey Betts have all shared a mastery of the guitar and a fondness for the slide guitar. In 2007, Trucks was pictured on the cover of Rolling Stone (#1020) in February 2007, along with John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and John Mayer. Named as one of the "New Guitar Gods" and nicknamed by Rolling Stone Magazine as "The Jam King", Trucks' signature move, according to John Mayer, is "making the guitar sound like a female singer from like, the '50s or '60s, just belting it out". [6] Asked about his choice of becoming a slide guitarist, Trucks has explained that when he learned to play at a young age, the strings were painful, and his small fingers too tender to adapt quickly, and the slide made it easier for him to advance on the guitar.[11] In addition, Trucks uses open tuning, a practice familiar to other famous slide players, that, a generation ago, included Ry Cooder, Lowell George, and Robert Johnson. Trucks has employed the use of a copy of Duane Allman's bottleneck slide, made of Dunlop Pyrex, a substance including plastic that produces a sound resembling the Coricidin bottleneck slide Allman used, without the difficulty of tracking down just the right kind of bottle, slicing the neck at just the proper place and angle, and keeping it safe from shattering.
Early in 2006, Eric Clapton, who initially had called Trucks to arrange a recording session with him for a proposed album with J.J. Cale and Billy Preston for a few days, became so impressed with their compatibility jamming together, that he invited The Derek Trucks Band to open for him while on his upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival world tour, with Trucks remaining on Clapton's set as his accompanist on guitar. Trucks was elated; he mentioned some concerns he had regarding his responsibilities with The Allman Brothers Band (Gregg Allman in particular), but his worries were unfounded. Commenting afterward, in 2007, he said, “The Allman Brothers Band has been really great this past year working around Clapton’s schedule. I’m really grateful. They understood it was something I couldn’t pass up." Thus, Trucks played guitar alongside Eric Clapton in Clapton's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival, opening with The Derek Trucks Band, which also featured his wife, Susan Tedeschi as a vocalist, but he also remained in Clapton's band. As a result, in 2006, Trucks found himself playing in three bands in 17 countries.[3]
[edit] Farm Aid
In 2007, Trucks, first with The Derek Trucks Band, and then The Allman Brothers Band, performed at Farm Aid, on Randalls Island, New York, alongside other artists including Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and his wife, Susan Tedeschi, with her band. The Allman Brothers Band were hailed as the hardest working band with Trucks receiving high marks, and Tedeschi "bringing down the house" with her rendition of "Little Pink Houses". This concert differed from many in the past, because the promoters did away with an amphitheatre, and allowed local farmers to bring in plenty of local produce for hungry fans and entertainers, with Dave Matthews urging the audience to "try the local corndogs", for example. The concert was a rocking success.[12]
[edit] With his band
[edit] Derek Trucks Band
Trucks formed his first band at age 12, and played his first gigs with them as "Derek and the Dominators". However, by 1994, Derek had begun playing with Atlanta's jazz and blues bassist Todd Smallie, and by 1995 was the first member of what became Trucks' first lasting (and current) band-- The Derek Trucks Band. Trucks has said of Smallie, that when he began, Trucks was about 14 years old. Trucks has said he's "kind of grown up with him."[11]
A year later in 1995, drummer Yonrico Scott completed the band's early rhythm section. The band released its self-titled debut album in 1997, and followed with Out of the Madness in 1999. Scott has been playing now with Trucks for over 16 years as of 2008. Trucks: "We've developed a kind of 'musical ESP'.. it's nice to have somebody that you don't have to look at".."he's just right there with you.",[11]
Kofi Burbridge joined the band shortly thereafter, contributing to the band's sound as a multi-instrumentalist, with his versatility on keyboards, flute, and vocals. Like his younger brother, Allman Brothers Band bassist Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge's education was primarily rooted in classical and jazz music. In an interview upon the release of their 2002 album, Joyful Noise, Trucks laughingly commented, "Kofi Burbridge has been with us maybe 2-3 years, and he's one of the few musical geniuses that I've had the chance to work with, he's totally insane"... continuing, "I'm really anxious to see in the next few years to see where he takes this, because he's definitely a huge part of what's going on right now." [11]
In 2002 the band's producers, Craig Street and John Snyder recommended singer Mike Mattison to the band. Mattison performed several shows with the band, and Trucks decided Mattison's soulful voice and calm stage presence completed the band's identity.[13] Trucks said of Mattison, "He's got a huge range, so that helps us out a lot when we stretch into some of the different material we cover. It's like having three different vocalists on stage at times. It's a tough piece of the puzzle to find, you know -- a good singer who fits with what you're doing -- so we were very fortunate to hook up with Mike."[1] Mattison already had a previous band as well-- a vocal duo, called Scrapomatic, with whom he still performs at occasional gigs, including some opening sets for the Derek Trucks Band. [13] The band's final member, Count M'Butu is the only band member that does not appear on every tour. M'Butu, the group's eldest member, plays a variety of African drums.[14] M'Butu was a regular musical fixture in Atlanta, whom Trucks says he has known "as long as he can remember". The eldest member of the band, which has members whose ages are in their 20's, 30's 40's 50's and 60's, M'Butu has a great deal of African influence in his work, but lived in Sandersville, Georgia most of his life, "so he's got that Southern thing, too", Derek finishes. His differing influences are compatible with the band's world music sound. [15]
[edit] The sound
The Derek Trucks Band plays an eclectic blend of blues, soul, jazz, rock, Pakistani, East Indian, Latin music, and other kinds of world music, drawing on the wide variety of differing musical influences of each member. The Derek Trucks band, according to one All-Music reviewer, are a "group of musicians that share a passion for improvisation and musical exploration".[9] Trucks, in a 2002 interview commented that "When you hear people like Coltrane, and the search that he's on, I think that's what it's ultimately about... I heard it on a Sun Ra documentary, he was always talking about making a 'joyful noise.'"
[edit] Personnel
The current members of the band are: Derek Trucks – guitar Kofi Burbridge – keyboards, flute, and vocals Todd Smallie –bass and vocals (1994-present) Yonrico Scott – drums, percussion, vocals (1995-present) Mike Mattison – lead vocals (2002-present) Count M'Butu – percussion, a variety of drums
[edit] Influences
Trucks, 2007
Trucks' early repertoire was heavily blues-based, inspired by older bluesmen like Howlin' Wolf and Albert King, jazz musicians Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Charlie Christian and later Wayne Shorter. Many others influenced Trucks a few years later. In recent years, the influence of traditional Southern Sacred Steel can be heard in Derek's slide work. In addition, Trucks studied at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California. Because of this, he learned to play the sarod, with lingering strains of Indian music in his guitar work as well.[16]
[edit] Equipment and style
Trucks avoids processing and effects, preferring to get the purest tone possible by connecting his guitar (a modified Gibson USA SG '61 reissue w/factory Vibrola, which has had the tailpiece modified and a stopbar tailpiece installed) directly to his amplifier, a 1965 Fender Super Reverb loaded with four Pyle Driver MH1020 speakers. He modifies his tone with the controls on the guitar. In early 2006, an equipment trailer with Trucks' gear was stolen. Some of the gear was recovered from a field outside Atlanta, including the 1965 Fender Super Reverb (an amplifier he's been playing with since he was a young boy), a 1968 Super Reverb (one of the backup amps), a Hammond B-3, two Leslie rotating speaker cabinets, a Höhner E-7 Clavinet, and a few other minor items.[17] He said, fortunately, nobody was home at the time, he "was away gigging with the Allmans", so nobody was hurt.
Trucks regularly plays without a plectrum, or "pick". He generally plucks or strums (together or independently) with his thumb as well as his index, middle, and ring fingers. Electric guitarists using this method are rare: most prefer to use a pick. Howlin' Wolf's supporting guitarist Hubert Sumlin and Jeff Beck are among the notable exceptions who play without a pick. He uses custom gauge DR nickel-wound strings on both his SG and resonator guitars: .011, .014, .017, .026, .036, and .046. Most of his guitars are tuned to open E. Although he still prefers Super Reverbs when playing with the Derek Trucks Band, currently Trucks is playing Paul Reed Smith amplifiers almost exclusively when gigging with the Allman Brothers Band.[18]
[edit] Personal life
In 2001, Trucks married singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, and the two have a couple of children. Charles Khalil Trucks, born in 2002, named for saxophonist Charlie Parker, guitarist Charlie Christian, and author Khalil Gibran. Sophia Naima Trucks, born in 2004, takes her unusual middle name from a John Coltrane ballad, which was also the jazz legend's first wife's name. The Derek Trucks Band recorded a cover of "Naima" on their first album, seven years before her birth. Trucks' marriage to Tedeschi is an atypical domestic life, with both Trucks and Tedeschi frequently touring. The pair endeavor to perform as much as possible together, often merging their respective bands, along with others-- including Trucks' younger brother Duane Trucks, singer Mike Mattison's band Scrapomatic, and saxophonist Ron Holloway, (formerly part of Dizzy Gillespie's final quintet) who is currently part of Tedeschi's band, which they bill as "Soul Stew Revival". Tedeschi is a blues artist whose vocal delivery has been compared to Janis Joplin, and Bonnie Raitt, in part, she maintains, because they share the same influences. Having opened for bands of notable renown, Tedeschi holds her own with The Derek Trucks Band. Since both Trucks and Tedeschi are so frequently on the road, the two children are often with them, growing through their school years on the road, just a little younger than when Trucks himself began touring as a child.
[edit] Soul Stew Revival
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks
Trucks and Tedeschi began combining the talents of their two bands during the celebration of New Years' concerts, seeking ways to spend more time together. They have received such positive feedback, that they began booking concerts more frequently together. Derek has estimated that he spends 300 days a year on the road, so they have carved out additional time to tour as Soul Stew together. He continues, "There's a lot less sleep, but the kids are old enough now to be on the road and it's not a complete drain. It's a lot but it's great to have the family together."[19] One of the more popular downloads of streaming music on the internet is from "That Tent" from the Bonnaroo Soul Stew Revival, in Manchester, Tennessee, on June 16, 2008. [20] As of 2008, the Soul Stew Revival has officially grown to an eleven-piece ensemble for the summer including a three-piece horn section.[21]
[edit] Recent work
Trucks recently toured with the Allman Brothers, and performed with his band throughout the following remainder of 2008. In addition, the band toured through the summer of 2008 as part of the Soul Stew Revival, with Mattison's band, Scrapomatic opening in most performances.[21]
January, 2008 saw the completion of a new studio in the rear of Trucks' home, and The Derek Trucks Band released their latest album, Already Free on January 13 2009.[21]
Already Free debuted at #19 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, and #1 on the Internet chart, #4 on the Rock chart and #1 on the Blues chart. This marks the band's highest debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart to date.
[edit] Discography
[edit] With the Derek Trucks Band The Derek Trucks Band (1997) Out of the Madness (1998) Joyful Noise (2002) Soul Serenade (2003) Live at Georgia Theatre (2004) Songlines (2006) (Legacy Recordings) Songlines Live (DVD) (2006) (Legacy Recordings) Already Free (2009)
[edit] With the Allman Brothers Band Peakin' at the Beacon (2000) Hittin' the Note (2003) Live at the Beacon Theatre (DVD) (2003) One Way Out (2004)
[edit] Recording collaborations The Circle (1996), Planet Earth/Carey Nall Come On In This House (1996), Junior Wells Searching for Simplicity (1997), Gregg Allman Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends (1999), Gov't Mule Croakin' at Toad's (2000), Frogwings Project Z (2001), Project Z Live in the Classic City (2002) Widespread Panic Wait For Me (2002), Susan Tedeschi Little Worlds (2003), Béla Fleck and the Flecktones The Best Kept Secret (2005), Jerry Douglas Hope and Desire (2005), Susan Tedeschi The Road to Escondido (2006), J. J. Cale, Eric Clapton Skin Deep (2008), Buddy Guy Here & Gone (2008) David Sanborn Sidewalk Caesars (2008) Scrapomatic The Blues Roll On (2008), Elvin Bishop Back to the River (2008), Susan Tedeschi Lifeboat (2008), Jimmy Herring Guitars (2008), McCoy Tyner
[edit] See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Derek Trucks Music portal
[edit] References ^ a b Tennille, Andy (February 5, 2006). "Finding His Path". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2008-10-26. ^ Skelly, Richard. "Derek Trucks Biography". All Music Review. Retrieved on 2008-12-12. ^ a b Tatangelo, Wade (4 January 2007). "Derek Trucks on playing with Allman, Clapton, Dylan". McClatchy Newspapers. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. ^ Clash, Jim. "Rocker Derek Trucks Interviewed by Jim Clash". The Adventurer. Forbes. Retrieved on 2008-11-27. ^ a b Jambase (2009). "The Derek Trucks Band Biography". JamBase Inc.. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. ^ a b Fricke, David (February 22, 2007). "The New Guitar Gods: John Mayer, John Frusciante and Derek Trucks". Rolling Stone Magazine. Issue #1020. Retrieved on 2008-08-09. ^ Skelly, Richard (2006). "Derek Trucks: Biography". All Music Review. MSN Music. Retrieved on 2009-01-03. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time 2003-08-27 ^ a b MSN City Guide The Derek Trucks Band Allmusic accessdate 2008-08-18 ^ last.fm The Derek Trucks Band On Tour ^ a b c d Trucks, Derek Multimedia Interview, 2002 with Trucks about The Derek Trucks Band, their album, Joyful Noise Official Website ^ Greene, Andy September 10, 2007Rolling Stone Magazine Review of Farm Aid 2007 ^ a b Jambase Band Bio Jambase dTb biography ^ "Derek Trucks Band - The Band". 2006. Retrieved on 2008-06-27. ^ Tennille, Andy.[1] ^ Bhattacharya, Sumit (13 February 2006). [http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/13derek.htm "New rock guitar god is Indian shishya"]. Retrieved on 2008-06-01. ^ Tennille, Andy.[2] ^ http://www.prsguitars.com/amps/derektrucks.html ^ Tennille, Andy, Jambase Derek and Susan, It's a Family Thing Accessed 28 September, 2008 ^ "Derek Trucks Band Live at That Tent, Bonnaroo on 2008-06-16". Soul Stew Revival. Internet Archive. June 16, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-08-12. ^ a b c Soul Stew Update Derek Trucks/Soul Stew Update
Derek Trucks - "Get what you deserve"
