When the Tedeschi Trucks Band recorded its debut album, Revelator, in 2011, guitarist Derek Trucks and singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi were surrounded by a cast of skillful musicians. The album revealed a fine set of chops but also a still-developing chemistry within the group. By the time Trucks and Tedeschi started working on their latest effort, a collection of Southern soul ballads and blues-rockers titled Made Up Mind, the band had developed a tighter bond, a greater sense of confidence and a lively musical chemistry.
“This is really going to be a big year,” says Trucks, who earned a reputation in the 1990s as a prodigy with a penchant for slide solos. “I’ve never felt better about a musical project. There’s a lot of work to be done, and everyone’s pumped to get out there and see what we can make happen.”
Now in his mid-30s, Trucks is one of the most seasoned veterans on the Southern jam band circuit. Initially best known as the nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, in his teens he landed sit-in gigs with blues and rock greats like Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, Stephen Stills, Widespread Panic and Joe Walsh. By the time he hit his early 20s, he was headlining his own shows. Leading the Derek Trucks Band, he explored Southern-fried soul and electric blues on his 1997 self-titled debut and five additional studio and concert collections.
In 2010, the band started to morph into something new. Trucks and company released a live album, Roadsongs (recorded in Chicago during a 2009 world tour), around the time Trucks started collaborating musically with his wife, Tedeschi, an accomplished guitarist and songwriter in her own right. By 2011, Trucks and Tedeschi had assembled a new band, which eventually morphed into an 11-piece ensemble, including core members Oteil Burbridge on bass, keyboardist/flautist Kofi Burbridge and drummers J.J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell.
“I started developing a personality and an individual sound early on,” Trucks says. “But the main growth for me lately has been learning how to be a bandleader and how to appreciate songwriting and making albums… During my early years, I was more about how far we could take a performance. I was always kind of waiting for a solo section to see how explosive we could make it. It hit me later that I wanted to start making good records that could age well.”
Trucks and Tedeschi started working on Made Up Mind by writing tunes together and with a couple of pals, the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris and Soulive’s Eric Krasno. They began with a basic concept of what they wanted the new collection to be, and then let it take on a life of its own. The couple appears happy with the end result.
“The whole process has been so much more positive for me, because I have trouble communicating my ideas fully, but these guys understand me and get what I want to do,” Tedeschi says. “Half the battle was having a great song in the first place… I can actually listen back to our new album and enjoy it. That’s not usually the case.”
Indeed, both Trucks and Tedeschi say they enjoyed recording Made Up Mind far more than previous projects. Studio veteran Jim Scott (Wilco, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers) co-produced the album with Trucks and Tedeschi at their Swamp Raga Studios near Jacksonville, FL. According to Trucks, things clicked right away.
“[It] was essentially like hiring another band member,” Trucks says. “Jim’s rapport with Susan and the rest of band was really special. He was open to ideas, and he offered great ideas. Jim was a great champion for Susan and her voice, and he really wanted to bring the best out of her. We were lucky to have him.”
With Tedeschi’s soulful croon at the forefront, Made Up Mind rolls and rocks with punchy energy and sass. It’s a fluid, warm-sounding album with two distinctive personalities—a raw, almost nasty rock and roll side and a softer, soul-ballad side.
“There’s always an undercurrent of blues, jazz and gospel in what we do,” Trucks says. “Everyone in the band is a student and appreciator of great American music. As long as it’s honest, coming from a good place and has a certain level of dignity and musicianship, we don’t feel that anything is off-limits.”
WHO: Tedeschi Trucks Band
WHERE: Classic Center
WHEN: Thursday, Apr. 10, 8 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $35-69
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