Music is nothing if not a collaborative endeavor, one that Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks exemplify so well, in so many ways. Their “collaboration” in marriage spawned the union of their respective bands—first, as Soul Stew Revival, followed by their current outfit, Tedeschi Trucks Band, in 2010.
Since 2015, TTB has extended its “family and friends” umbrella to other bands as part of its annual Wheels of Soul summer tour. That hasn’t changed in 2022, even after a three-year hiatus, with Los Lobos and Gabe Dixon joining Tedeschi Trucks Band on the road.
Nor has the group’s spirit of sharing dissipated at all in the COVID era. That much was on display during the tour’s stop at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday. Susan came out during Los Lobos’ set to lend her booming vocals to a rousing rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. Her husband then followed suit with his guitar as part of a brilliant jam. All throughout Los Lobos’ set, TTB lent its support with Gabe, the night’s opener, on keys and the trio of Kebbi Williams, Ephraim Owens, and Elizabeth Lea on horns.
What has changed—quite substantially, in fact—is Tedeschi Trucks Band’s own lineup, and the new music that this group has created together.
Their new, four-part epic of an album, entitled I Am The Moon, was influenced as much by the 12th-century Persian poem Layla & Majnun as by the additions of Gabe Dixon on keys and vocals, Brandon Boone on bass, and Isaac Eady on drums. Gabe, in particular, brought his voice and songwriting to bear on several tracks, including the titular “I Am The Moon”.
That sprawling pandemic project comprised the plurality of TTB’s setlist at the Greek, including the first three songs—”Hear My Dear,” “Fall In” and “I Am The Moon”—which mirrored the three opening tracks of the new album. The band also turned “Pasaquan,” from I Am The Moon: Crescent, into its own ode to “Drums/Space,” with Los Lobos’ Alfredo Ortiz sitting in on percussion.
But even that favor for Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2022-spanning release left ample room for the group’s signature explorations of roots rock. TTB standards like “Do I Look Worried”, “Midnight in Harlem”, “I Want More”, and the encore-closing “Bound for Glory” made their way into the air on a pleasant Friday evening. The band—and, specifically, Derek’s dynamic guitar—also offered nods to Eric Clapton-affiliated tunes, including the Blind Joe Reynolds-turned-Cream classic “Outside Woman Blues” and Derek and the Dominos’ “Keep on Growing.”
Of course, Susan got plenty of shine herself. Beyond the pervasive appeal of her powerful, raspy pipes across TTB’s catalog, the group’s first namesake had a pair of opportunities, in particular, to showcase her talents and perspective. On “Just Won’t Burn”, one of her solo tracks, Susan nudged her husband aside to show off her own guitar skills with a thundering performance on the ax. She later parlayed a cover of Bobby Blue Bland’s “I Pity The Fool” to opine about the declining state of discourse in America, with a finger wag (and then some) for those who would tell a woman what to do with her body.
While Tedeschi Trucks Band remains, in large part, the Susan and Derek show, their latest iteration also opened up daylight for a wider array of voices than ever before. Gabe certainly got his, as did long-time TTB singer and guitarist Mike Mattison. Those two were joined in the individual ranks by Alecia Chakour and Mark Rivers, each of whom got to step forward from backup singer to spotlight vocalist at points during the show.
That said, there were at least two glaring absences from this late summer show. First was the late Kofi Burbridge, who passed away prior to TTB’s previous tour in 2019, but was memorialized in a performance of “Soul Sweet Song,” from the forthcoming fourth part of I Am The Moon, entitled Farewell. The second was “Let Me Get By”, which seems to have slipped from Tedeschi Trucks go-to to touring rarity, at least this time around.
That may be as much a reflection of how TTB’s song list has expanded, courtesy of I Am The Moon, as it is the result of a shift in attitude. With a(nother) Grammy-worthy work under its belt, this group should no longer feel the need to scratch and claw to get ahead. Instead, as they did during their latest run through L.A., they can get by with a little help from their friends.
For a complete list of upcoming Tedeschi Trucks Band tour dates, head here. Watch a selection of fan-shot videos from the show below via blisstanger.
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “Keep On Growing” – 8/19/22
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “I Pity The Fool” – 8/19/22
Tedeschi Trucks Band – “I Am The Moon” – 8/19/22
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