One of the ultimate goals of any musician is to “have your own sound.” Hard enough for an individual, and even more so when you’re dealing with a band co-lead by a husband and wife team of two strong but different personalities, as in slide guitarist extraordinaire Derek Trucks and singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi. Not only do the married couple bring their own personal styles to their band, but the entire band has a mood, vibe and aura that, like the best of stews is unique in its blend of personal flavors that create its own special taste.
Is it blues? Funk? Rock? Jazz? Soul? All grooves, solos and voices have dashes and sprinkles of all and any, given the song. And while the packed house at the Orpheum was in a mood for the band to party (and which they did), the Tedeschi Trucks band was not only able to feed into that desire, but also satisfy the ears, hearts and souls of those who may have said, to quote of their songs, “I Want More.”
Looking like your favorite High School English teacher, but sounding like a branch from Bonnie Raitt’s tree, Susan Tedeschi used her impassioned and earthy voice during the 2 hour concert to give heartfelt voice on the churchy “When Will I Begin” or the soulful pop of the upbeat “Part of Me” or bare her soul on the aria “Angel From Montgomery/Sugaree.”
Likewise, with a family line that includes a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and a drummer for the Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks played his guitar with a finger picking style with the dexterity of an ace at the mound, and with a sublimely swinging rhythmic pulse that teamed with the two drum team of Tyler Greenwell & JJ Johnson as well as bassist Tim Lefebvre to create back porch’d delta blues moods on pieces such as when he seared through the deep rivulet of “Keep On Growing.” Likewise, he cooked up a Memphis stew with the horn section and preaching voiced Mike Mattison on the swampy “Volunteered Slavery” and created exotic and mystical sitar-like effects that road the crest of waves like a longboarder while teaming with his wife on guitar on “Little Martha/Midnight In Harlem.”
The three member vocal team along with horn section of Kebbi Williams/ts, Elizabeth Lea/tb and Ephraim Owens/tp joined with keyboardist Gabe Dixon to go from hip jazzy solos to STAX-inspired stomps such as the “Don’t Know What It Means” and “The Letter” or the impassioned ballads like “Sweet And Low.” Keeping all of these disparate pieces together were the deep Southern Roots of Trucks’ guitar and Tedeschi’s voice, bluesing up “Key To the Highway” and serving up anthems such as “Bound For Glory.”
Few individuals these days, let alone bands, can sound so personal and artistic on the one hand and yet give cause for raucous celebration on the other. Ah! The joys of married life when each partner shines a light on the other’s strengths to create a bond that no one else can put asunder.
Upcoming shows at the Orpheum include Snarky Puppy 05/31, Squeeze 09/13 and Steve Hackett 10/18