Derek Trucks Band Makes London Debut
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Guitarist Derek Trucks made an extraordinary impact at the Mean Fiddler on London's Charing Cross Road last night. With his full band including Todd Smallie, bass, Yonrico Scott, drums, Kofi Burbridge, organ, clavinet, keyboards and flute and Mike Mattison, lead vocals, Count M'Butu, congas and percussion plus Trucks' wife Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals, the evening was a treat for the packed Mean Fiddler audience.
Highlights included the subtle change of direction that led the band into the Coltrane-influenced 'Greensleeves', an understated version of Billy Taylor's 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free' and Kofi Burbridge's on the button work at the organ stops and clavinet splashes.
Drummer Yonrico Scott has the sound and feel of Dennis Chambers and the Meters' Ziggy Modeliste, at times fittingly retaining the sense of a listening drummer when it counts. Late in the set, Tedeschi provided a welcome burst of Janis Joplin-influenced vocal lines with skilful guitar playing too, complementing Derek Trucks' Indo-fusion at its most unselfconscious.
Latest release Songlines is his most accessible record yet but long time fans will already cherish 2003's Soul Serenade, the turning point in his career. Hopefully, The Derek Trucks Band will return to the UK on a regular basis in the future.