Derek Trucks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Derek Trucks

Background information
Born 8 June 1979 (1979-06-08) (age 30)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Genre(s) Rock, southern rock, blues, blue-eyed soul, world music
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s) Guitar, sarod
Years active 1990 - present
Label(s) Columbia, Legacy Recordings
Associated acts The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Susan Tedeschi, Scrapomatic, David Sanborn, Solomon Burke
Website Official site
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson SG '61 Reissue

Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is a Grammy Award nominated American guitarist,[1] songwriter, and record producer. He is a long-time member of the Allman Brothers Band and also leads the Derek Trucks Band. The The Wall Street Journal has described him as "the most awe-inspiring electric slide guitar player performing today".[2]

He first attracted the attention of the music industry as a nine-year old child prodigy on the guitar,[3] first playing with his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, and by age 12, he was sitting in with Buddy Guy, and several other famous musicians, [4] touring with The Allman Brothers Band for a decade, before finally becoming an official band member in 1999. That same year, he met blues singer Susan Tedeschi, and the two married in 2001, beginning a family. He continues to play with both The Allman Brothers Band and as bandleader of the The Derek Trucks Band, which he founded at age 15. In recent years, Trucks and Tedeschi have merged their respective bands on occasion, billed as the "Soul Stew Revival".

Trucks is known best for his specialty as a slide guitarist, his stoic focus while performing on stage, his reverence for the legacy of roots and blues musicians whose influence can be felt in Trucks' music, as well as his familiarity and integration of a wide variety of musical genres. He has performed and collaborated with a number of bands and musicians of note, guesting with other artists on tour, in festivals, and recording sessions.

Contents

[edit] Early years and family legacy

Derek Trucks was born June 8, 1979, in Jacksonville, Florida, in a family with deep musical roots.[5] 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 those original bandmates of The Allman Brothers Band, and Derek and the Dominos, featuring Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, which was the source of his name, "if not the spelling", Trucks says.[6][7] He has a younger brother, also a musician, who is a drummer, named Duane Trucks, who frequently tours with him and his band. He is also the great-nephew of the professional baseball player Virgil Trucks.

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.[8]

Within the year, Trucks began sitting in with professional musicians and working with high profile musicians as a session player in the studio. He was also touring with The Allman Brothers Band, at age 11-12, with his father acting as chaperone and road manager.[8] Before he had reached his twentieth birthday, Derek Trucks had played with some of the most influential musicians of the time, including Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh and Stephen Stills.[9]

[edit] Influences

Derek Trucks performing in his youth on tour

Trucks' early repertoire was heavily blues-based, inspired by older bluesmen like Howlin' Wolf and Albert King, jazz musician Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, and Wayne Shorter. In recent years, the influence of traditional Southern Sacred Steel can be heard in Derek's slide work. Trucks credits Allman Brothers' primary founding member and guitarist Duane Allman, and Elmore James as two of the most significant slide guitarists that initially influenced his early style. Aside from slide players, Freddy King, and B.B. King were some of the original blues and roots music based influences that Trucks has also mentioned.[10]

Trucks developed a love of Pakistani and East Indian music, influenced by the sound of artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan[2], prompting him to study at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, which is where he learned to play the sarod, with lingering strains of Indian music in his guitar work as well.[11]
"Sahib Teri Bandi" (2006)
Sample of "Sahib Teri Bandi", performed by The Derek Trucks Band. Appears on Songlines.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

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",[12] the youngest musician to be included at age 24.[13][14]

[edit] Career

[edit] With The Allman Brothers Band

Main article: The Allman Brothers Band

After "sitting in" and touring with the Allman Brothers Band, from age 10-11, Derek Trucks was formally made a full member of The Allman Brothers Band, in 1999, after over a decade of performing with the band as a special guest. 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. Most recently, the Allman Brothers Band performed in March, 2009 for fifteen days, marking the band's 40th anniversary, and dedicating it to the late Duane Allman, with many special invited guests that, this time included the likes of Levon Helm, Johnny Winter, Phish, and Eric Clapton, to name a few, performing some of their songs, in addition to the usual musical fare by the Allman Brothers Band.

[edit] The Derek Trucks Band

Main article: The Derek Trucks Band

The Derek Trucks Band was formed in 1994, and has been one of Trucks' primary musical outlets ever since.[1] Each of the members have different musical backgrounds and influences, including Trucks himself; he became acquainted with the music of Ali Akbar Khan, with lessons in playing the sarod, in addition to discipline, which in one manifestation, shows in Trucks' posture on stage. It is his conviction that all of his focus must be on music, and it accounts for his lack of movement on stage, where he rarely moves from the same position for the duration of each song.

[edit] Personnel

The current members of The Derek Trucks 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] 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". [10] 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.[15] 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.

[edit] The sound

The Derek Trucks Band plays an eclectic blend of blues, soul, jazz, rock, Pakistani East Indian music, Latin music, and other kinds of world music, drawing on the wide variety of the different 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".[13] Trucks, in a 2002 interview commented that "When you hear people like Coltrane, and the search that he was 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] Crossroads
"Why Has Love Got to Be So Sad" (2007)
Sample of "Why Has Love Got to Be So Sad", performed by The Derek Trucks Band, live at the Crossroads Festival.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
L to R: Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks, Steve Jordan, Eric Clapton, Willie Weeks in 2007 at the Crossroads Guitar Festival

Early in 2006, Eric Clapton initially called Trucks to arrange a recording session with him for a proposed album with J.J. Cale featuring Billy Preston for a few days. Despite meeting and guesting with a pantheon of rock and blues' elite, this was Trucks first occasion to meet Eric Clapton. While working in the studio together on The Road to Escondido, Clapton became so impressed with Trucks and their compatibility, that he invited Derek's band to open for him while on his upcoming 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival world tour. An added perk was offered; the The Derek Trucks Band and Trucks' wife, vocalist Susan Tedeschi, opened for Clapton, and supported Johnny Winter's performance onstage. Trucks was invited to remain on stage, however, 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.' As a result, in 2006, Trucks found himself playing in three bands in 17 countries.[5]

[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 with 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.[1] He said, fortunately, nobody was home at the time, he "was away gigging with the Allmans", so nobody was hurt.

Trucks, performing in 2007

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, Mark Knopfler, 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.[16]

[edit] Personal life

In 2001, Trucks married singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi,[17] and the couple have two 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 has performed since 2005 in 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
"Anyday" (2007)
Sample of "Anyday", performed by The Derek Trucks Band featuring Susan Tedeschi, live at the Crossroads Festival.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
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."[18] The Soul Stew Revival can be heard on the internet, in streaming music, with various sources, such as their performances from the Bonnaroo Music Festival, in Manchester, Tennessee, on June 16, 2008. [19] As of 2008, the Soul Stew Revival has officially grown to an eleven-piece ensemble for the summer including a three-piece horn section.[20]

[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.[20]

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.[20]

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

[edit] With the Allman Brothers Band

[edit] Recording collaborations

[edit] See also

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Derek Trucks

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Tennille, Andy (February 5, 2006). "Finding His Path". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/05/PKGUJGTJCV1.DTL&hw=Derek+Trucks&sn=001&sc=1000. Retrieved on 2008-10-26. 
  2. ^ a b "Six-String Creation: The Derek Trucks Band". National Public Radio. NPR.org. March 25, 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5300263. Retrieved on 2009-05-28. 
  3. ^ Skelly, Richard. "Derek Trucks Biography". All Music Review. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll. Retrieved on 2008-12-12. 
  4. ^ Braiker, Brian (January 20, 2009). "Derek Trucks Q&A: Guitar Hero on Jamming With Legends and Covering Dylan". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25523316/derek_trucks_qa_guitar_hero_on_jamming_with_legends_and_covering_dylan. Retrieved on 2009-05-21. 
  5. ^ a b Tatangelo, Wade (4 January 2007). "Derek Trucks on playing with Allman, Clapton, Dylan". McClatchy Newspapers. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/9522/derek-trucks-on-playing-with-allman-clapton-dylan/. Retrieved on 2008-06-04. 
  6. ^ Clash, Jim (2007). "Rocker Derek Trucks". Forbes Magazine's Adventurer Column. Forbes.com. Video version. http://video.forbes.com/fvn/adventurer/jc_adv042407. Retrieved on 2009-05-16. 
  7. ^ "Six-String Creation: The Derek Trucks Band". Derek Trucks Live at NPR. NPR.org. March 25, 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5300263. Retrieved on 2009-06-22. 
  8. ^ a b Jambase (2009). "The Derek Trucks Band Biography". JamBase Inc.. http://www.jambase.com/Artists/369/The-Derek-Trucks-Band/Bio. Retrieved on 2009-01-04. 
  9. ^ Skelly, Richard (2006). "Derek Trucks: Biography". All Music Review. MSN Music. http://music.msn.com/music/artist-biography/derek-trucks/. Retrieved on 2009-01-03. 
  10. ^ a b Fricke, David (February 22, 2007). "The New Guitar Gods: John Mayer, John Frusciante and Derek Trucks". Rolling Stone Magazine. Issue #1020. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/the_new_guitar_gods_john_mayer_john_frusciante_derek_trucks. Retrieved on 2008-08-09. 
  11. ^ Bhattacharya, Sumit (13 February 2006). "[http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/13derek.htm New rock guitar god is Indian shishya]". http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/feb/13derek.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-01. 
  12. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time 2003-08-27
  13. ^ a b MSN City Guide The Derek Trucks Band Allmusic accessdate 2008-08-18
  14. ^ last.fm The Derek Trucks Band On Tour
  15. ^ Trucks, Derek Multimedia Interview, 2002 with Trucks about The Derek Trucks Band, their album, Joyful Noise Official Website
  16. ^ http://www.prsguitars.com/amps/derektrucks.html
  17. ^ "Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival". JamBase.com. 2007. http://www.jambase.com/Artists/51672/Derek-Trucks-and-Susan-Tedeschi-Soul-Stew-Revival/Bio. Retrieved on 2009-05-16. 
  18. ^ Tennille, Andy, Jambase Derek and Susan, It's a Family Thing Accessed 28 September, 2008
  19. ^ "Derek Trucks Band Live at That Tent, Bonnaroo on 2008-06-16". Soul Stew Revival. Internet Archive. June 16, 2008. http://www.archive.org/details/DTB2008-06-15.flac16. Retrieved on 2008-08-12. 
  20. ^ a b c Soul Stew Update Derek Trucks/Soul Stew Update

[edit] Additional Sources

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Allman Brothers Band
Gregg Allman · Butch Trucks · Jai Johanny Johanson · Warren Haynes · Marc Quiñones · Oteil Burbridge · Derek Trucks
Duane Allman · Berry Oakley · Dickey Betts · Chuck Leavell · Lamar Williams · Dan Toler · David Goldflies · David "Frankie" Toler · Mike Lawler · Allen Woody · Johnny Neel · Jack Pearson · Jimmy Herring
Studio and current
live albums
Retrospective
live albums
Compilations
and box sets
Original songs
Cover songs
Related articles
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Trucks"
Personal tools