Derek Trucks is a different kind of guitar god.<\/p>\n
Not that his deity is in any doubt; never mind that he\u2019s played regularly with the Allman Brothers Band since he was 11 years old, at 30, Trucks is simply the finest slide guitar player alive today. <\/p>\n
He is, in his own inimitable way, the Jimi Hendrix of slide.\u00a0 Both men found a home in music they made their own that nonetheless had deep roots in rhythm and blues, soul and jazz, roadhouse boogie and even gospel.\u00a0 Both men affected a kind of earthy spirituality and determined optimism in their lyrics.\u00a0 Most of all, though, like Hendrix, Trucks is a spectacular player who has learned to transform his instrument into a profound and unique artistic voice; his guitar literally sings.\u00a0 His songs include vocals as well \u2013 in Trucks\u2019 case, from the band\u2019s principal lead vocalist Mike Mattison as well as serial guests\u00a0 Doyle Bramhall II and Susan Tedeschi — but these varying flavors and textures at the mike only make it all the more evident what a constant and dominant force Trucks\u2019s unique voice is within the band which bears his name.<\/p>\n
The group itself is a band of world-class musical veterans who can lay a groove as deep as the Mississippi, the better for Trucks to soar over the top of it.\u00a0 Yonrico Scott (drums) and Todd Smallie (bass) have built Trucks\u2019 musical foundation for more than a decade now, joined along the trail by the superb and versatile Kofi Burbridge (keys, flute)\u00a0 and Count M\u2019Butu (percussion).<\/p>\n
The way the band functions, you\u2019ve essentially got two lead vocalists \u2013 whoever is singing the lyrics, and Trucks.\u00a0 Trucks isn\u2019t playing the melody, he\u2019s soloing almost the whole time, but he\u2019s so delicate and nimble and expressive with his playing that he functions like a second lead vocalist; I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve heard anything quite like it in terms of arrangements.\u00a0 \u201cOur Love\u201d is a good example, with a basic midtempo rhythm arrangement decorated simultaneously by both Bramhall\u2019s lead vocal and Trucks\u2019 soaring slide.\u00a0 Trucks harmonizes with and counterpoints and trades phrases with Bramhall throughout the songs, both verses and choruses, executing a dance of almost otherworldly beauty.<\/p>\n
The artistry and subtlety of Trucks\u2019 phrasing on segments like the opening to the blues \u201cDown Don\u2019t Bother Me\u201d are just phenomenal.\u00a0 If the opening of \u201cDown\u201d is something to behold, though, the soloing at the climax of the song is almost beyond words.\u00a0 It\u2019s so astonishingly expressive, it makes me think of the old Eric Clapton quote about waiting glumly to go on while watching Stevie Ray Vaughan tear up the stage opening for him \u2013 it was almost a relief by the end because \u201cno one could possibly expect me to be that good.\u201d<\/p>\n
The versatility of the band Trucks has assembled around him allows him to try out all sorts of different musical flavors and textures.\u00a0 \u201cSomething To Make You Happy\u201d features one of Mattison\u2019s best soulful vocals over an electric funk beat, sounding for all the world like a swampy, psychedelic\u00a0 Sly & the Family Stone\u2026 with slide guitar.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe This Time,\u201d like \u201cI Know,\u201d is a sweet slice of blue-eyed soul; the swampy back-porch blues \u201cDon\u2019t Miss Me\u201d ends with a wink in the form of cricket noises; and \u201cGet What You Deserve\u201d features Trucks skittering and slicing over a thumping boogie beat (ZZ Top only wish they could pull this one off).\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The best song on the album, though, might just be \u201cSweet Inspiration,\u201d featuring both Mattison and Tedeschi (who is married to and often tours with Trucks).\u00a0 Burbridge\u2019s gospel organ opens up, joined by Trucks playing a tasty little blues riff and the choired male-female lead vocals.\u00a0 It\u2019s a rich, full-blooded, foot-stomping, hand-clapping gospel-blues that, near the end, finds Trucks\u2019 guitar literally dancing on top of the pile.\u00a0 \u201cDays Is Almost Gone\u201d is a slightly grittier take on the same sort of tent-revival uplift.<\/p>\n
Everything Trucks plays has an easygoing, friendly, positive vibe; it\u2019s amazing how he manages to make every track feel sunny, even when he\u2019s playing a deep, deep blues like \u201cDon\u2019t Miss Me.\u201d\u00a0 There are times when the determinedly glass-is-half-full lyrics slip into cliche or simply repeat ideas.\u00a0 Most of the time, though, Trucks and band simply blind you to any flaws with the rich textures and pure brilliance of their playing.\u00a0\u00a0 By the time the brief, gentle, yet stirring closer \u201cAlready Free\u201d rolls around, the conclusion is inevitable.\u00a0 Whether its distinctively earthy, back-porch-jam vibe fits your personal taste or not, you should take the time to try to understand — this is what great music sounds like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":29943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[7210],"rating":[5613],"class_list":["post-41566","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-the-derek-trucks-band","rating-rating-a-minus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/41566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/41566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=41566"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=41566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}