Since the group’s inception, Tedeschi Trucks Band has been associated with The Allman Brothers Band. Guitarist Derek Trucks was a member of ABB from 1999 until 2014, joining his uncle, the late drummer Butch Trucks, who helped form the southern rock act in the late ’60s. The soulful 12-piece led by Trucks and wife Susan Tedeschi has not shied away from the association, proudly leaning into their role within the extended Allman Brothers Band family. Throughout their almost decade long history, the group has consistently drawn on ABB’s catalog to pay tribute to the iconic band and its immense influence within the music world.
For this week’s Sunday Cinema, we explore Tedeschi Trucks Band’s long-spanning history covering the Allman Brothers Band. Many of the songs have become staples of TTB’s repertoire over the years, spanning back to the group’s founding in 2010. Others, like “Dreams” and “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’,” have been newly revived by the band after a number of years. Find a sampling of eight Allman Brothers Band covers that Tedeschi Trucks Band has performed in the last three years, with stats provided by setlist.fm, below.
Whipping Post
On May 27, 2017, Gregg Allman passed away, sending shockwaves through the music community. The next day on May 28, Tedeschi Trucks Band offered up their first-ever cover of “Whipping Post” at Dr. Phillips Center For Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, to pay tribute to the legendary rocker. In the time since, TTB has performed the song off the Allman Brothers Band’s self-titled 1969 debut album almost 30 times. Watch their performance of the famed number below, which was closed out the band’s second set on December 2, 2017, at Boston’s Orpheum Theater:
[Captured by LessThanFace Productions]
In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
On September 21, 2013, Tedeschi Trucks Band debuted their rendition of “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed,” a Dickey Betts-penned instrumental track off ABB’s 1970 sophomore release, Idlewild South. The cover is a relative rarity for TTB, having been played a dozen times since its initial performance over five years ago. However, in 2018, the song saw an uptick in plays, with five of its twelve total plays falling between the months of July and October. Watch Marcus King guest on a rendition during the group’s annual show at Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 29, 2018, below:
[Captured by rober fontneau]
Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More
Hours after Gregg Allman’s death on May 27, 2017, Tedeschi Trucks Band opening their own tour in their home of Jacksonville, Florida. The 12-piece ensemble played through the grief, paying tribute to Allman by opening their performance at Daily’s Place Amphitheater with the debut of “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More,” a song originally penned by Gregg to honor the death of his brother and fellow ABB co-founder, Duane. TTB would go on to play the lead single off ABB’s 1972 third studio release, Eat A Peach, six more times throughout the year, though the song has not been performed since. Watch the group open their encore at Saratoga Spring, New York’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center on July 3, 2017, with the number below:
[Captured by Sean Roche]
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks officially merged their respective solo projects to create Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010. A few months after the group’s first performance in April, the band hit Bridgeview, Illinois’ Crossroads Guitar Festival, where they teamed with Los Lobos‘ David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas. During the cover-heavy set, the augmented band debuted two ABB tracks, “Soulshine” and “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’.” While TTB has not performed “Soulshine” since that first rendition, “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” has reappeared six times since 2010 — most recently, the band revived the Idlewild South track in February 2019, playing the tune four times throughout last month. Watch Tedeschi Trucks Band re-join with Hidalgo for their third-ever performance of the song on July 17, 2016, at Vienna, Virginia’s Wolf Trap below:
[Captured by Tom Libera]
Blue Sky
On September 21, 2013, Tedeschi Trucks Band hit the New York City their annual run at Manhattan’s historic Beacon Theatre. The group invited out Dickey Betts to help close their second frame, starting his sit-in with a rendition of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” The augmented 12-piece then moved into their debut of “Blue Sky,” a song off Eat A Peach that originally was written and sung by the Allman Brothers Band guitarist. “Blue Sky” has been performed five times total by TTB over the years, with its last performance occurring once again at the Beacon and paired with “Elizabeth Reed.” However, for the band’s October 5, 2018 rendition, Widespread Panic‘s Jimmy Herring served as a guest guitarist, which you can watch below:
[Captured by Sean Roche]
Little Martha
Tedeschi Trucks Band first performed the Eat A Peach classic, “Little Martha,” in 2011, transitioning from the number into their own “Midnight In Harlem,” off their 2011 debut record, Revelator. The pairing has become standard for the soulful ensemble, with the group performing a combination of “Little Martha” and “Midnight In Harlem” 12 times over the years. Notably, the band has yet to perform a standalone “Little Martha” without its Revelator counterpart. You can watch the band’s July 29, 2018 performance of the combo below (starting around the seven-minute mark), which was captured at Red Rocks Amphitheatre:
[Captured by Jake Lowenstein]
Dreams
“Dreams” was first performed by Tedeschi Trucks Band in July 2011, when the band was on tour in Europe with the Gregg Allman Band. During the showing in Bonn, Germany, Tedeschi Trucks Band welcomed the Gregg Allman Band to the stage for the Allman Brothers Band number, before closing out their set with a cover of Lightnin’ Hopkin’s “I Feel So Bad.” In the beginning of 2019, TTB busted out their “Dreams” cover after seven-and-a-half year during a January 26 show in Chicago. A month later, the group returned to the tune, offering its third-ever play to the audience at Washington D.C.’s Warner Theatre of February 23, 2019. Watch the recent Chicago Theater bust out below:
[Captured by Norm Smyth]
Mountain Jam
On October 14, 2017, Tedeschi Trucks Band closed out their residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. The group made waves by capping off their guest-heavy run at the historic venue with a sit-in from Trey Anastasio. The Phish guitarist first appeared for a cover of Leon Russell’s “Delta Woman;” however, the crowning jewel of the show was a 33-minute rendition of “Mountain Jam.” The collaboration marked TTB’s first and only performance to date of the improvisational masterpiece off 1972’s Eat A Peach. Watch for yourself below as video featuring an excerpt shared by the band is followed by the whole version:
[Captured by Marc Lowenstein and Adam Gerber + Marc Millman]
