Susan Tedeschi’s set at the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival was a quintessential power blues set that spellbound the folks at Planet Bluegrass on August 15, 2009 in Lyons Colorado. I had heard that she was a killer blues player and vocalist, and I even remembered reading a quote a while back from her husband Derek Trucks, (who is in my opinion one of the top 10 guitarists on the planet today), he said “She comes back from a tour and I see she’s taken her music to a higher level and think “Damn I better step it up a notch or get left behind”. The power and precision of Susan’s music was stunning, her mastery of the guitar, particularly the blues side of things was a joy to witness, her incredible voice, powerful and passionate, gritty and smooth. I love Janis Joplin and I cannot help but compare Susan Tedeschi’s voice with hers but also I hear Bonnie Raitt, but the most important thing is I hear is something totally original, unique and passionate, and really all that matters in music, comparing music is like comparing flowers.
Raised as a Catholic, she found little inspiration in their chorus, and so attended predominantly African-American Baptist churches, feeling the music was “less repressed and more like a celebration of God.” She’s played in bands since the age of 13 and formed her first all-original group at age 18 in the nearby town of Scituate, Massachusetts, called the Smokin’ Section.[1]
Tedeschi attended the Berklee College of Music where she sang in a Gospel choir; performing show tunes on the Spirit of Boston and received her B.A. degree in musical composition and performance. During that time, she began sitting in with local blues jams at venues there, and immersed herself in the Boston music scene. She additionally has many country artist influences.
Early days
Tedeschi formed the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1994, featuring Tom Hambridge and Adrienne Hayes. In 1995 she began playing guitar and honed her skills and in December the band released Better Days to regional audiences. Record contracts were difficult to keep together; however, recording sessions from 1997 were acquired by Richard Rosenblatt, and the band was signed to indy label Tone-Cool Records and Just Won’t Burn, featuring young guitarist Sean Costello, was released in February 1998 to very positive reviews from blues publications.
1999 found Tedeschi playing several dates in the all-woman traveling festival, the Lilith Fair, organized by Sarah McLachlan.[1] Throughout 1998 and 1999 she toured extensively throughout the United States and her stage presence and powerful voice drew larger crowds.
She opened for the Rolling Stones in 2003 and played in huge venues, gaining national exposure. Somewhat surprisingly, the gig wasn’t financially lucrative. According to Tedeschi,
“They pay, but it’s not great. I don’t make any money ’cause I’ve got to pay all my [sidemen]. I’ll be lucky if I break even.”[2]
In 2004, Tedeschi was featured on the PBS show, Austin City Limits, flanked by William Green, on Hammond organ, Jason Crosby, playing keyboards, violin, and vocals, bassist Ron Perry, and Jeff Sipe, on drums. The performance was extremely well received.[3] In the same year, Tedeschi turned a few heads when she was listed by Peter Gammons of ESPN in his list of “all time top 20 favorite albums.” She came in at a respectable #15 for her album, Just Won’t Burn. Not to be outdone, husband Derek Trucks also made the list, at #9 for Joyful Noise, both surprising accomplishments, given that both artists play blues, a genre often overlooked. In addition, the other musicians on the list were some of rock’s elite, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Little Feat, and Jackson Browne, to name a few.
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HST Quote of The Week
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
