BLUES N'AT

Recently, Mrs. Black-N-Gold had the pleasure of acquiring all of the CDs by the Tedeschi Trucks Band. After continuously listening to their tremendous works, Tedeschi Trucks has now taken the #1 spot as Mrs. Black-N-Gold's favorite band (sorry Allman Bros. and Dave Matthews). Susan graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music while cutting her teeth in a gospel choir. From there she hit the road opening for such luminaries as The Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, B.B. King and the Allman Brothers Band. It was while opening for ABB that she became acquainted with their guitarist, former child prodigy, Derek Trucks. Derek's resume also includes fronting his own band as well as sharing the stage with Eric Clapton. The couple married in 2001 but continued their own separate musical paths. That all changed when they decided to marry their talents as well, forming Soul Stew Revival. From there they spun off into the Tedeschi Trucks Band and, as they say, the rest is history. The 11-piece band won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2012 for their 2011 debut, "Revelator". In 2012 they released "Everbody's Talkin'" which did indeed got everyone talking. The 2-disc set captures TTB at their best, live and in person. In 2013 they followed that up with their latest effort, "Made Up Mind" another tour de force for the ears. TTB continue to raise the bar by combining blues, gospel, soul, funk and new world sound into one big ball of righteous music. And their live shows are definitely must see. This band isn't just about Susan's fantastic vocal abilities or Derek's one-of-a-kind guitar style. Susan proves she can hold her own, guitar-wise with the big boys. And it's always fun to mix in some horns and organ to keep the beats flowing. They also take a page from the Allman's book with not one but two percussionists. Throw in the background vocals and you've got the makings of the Greatest Show on Earth. If you haven't listened to or seen Tedeschi Trucks Band, what are you waiting for? Run, don't walk, to get their CDs or see their latest show. It will be well worth it. Until next time boys and girls, keep it bluesy.