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February 23, 2009At 9 years old, Derek Trucks found an old acoustic guitar at a garage sale for five bucks, took it home and began to practice. In two years' time, the child prodigy was onstage with the Allman Brothers Band, and went on to play with Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh and Stephen Stills. Trucks, the nephew of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks, formed The Derek Trucks Band at 15. Known for improvisation, The Derek Trucks Band blends blues, soul, jazz, rock, Indian music and Latin music in its exploratory sound. Its sixth studio album, Already Free, just came out.
Trucks has been widely hailed for his astonishing slide-guitar playing. According to fellow guitarist John Mayer, Trucks' signature move is "making the guitar sound like a female singer from the '50s or '60s, just belting it out." Trucks met and married blues singer Susan Tedeschi while collaborating with her band, and the two now regularly perform together. They brought their respective acts together in 2008 for the highly praised Soul Stew Revival tour.
In a session with host David Dye, Trucks discusses his choice of cover songs throughout his career, including one by his late friend Paul Pena. Tedeschi joins the band on vocals and describes the music their kids listen to at home.
Based in Philadelphia, WXPN takes listeners on a journey of music discovery through new and heritage rock, blues, roots, and folk artists. WXPN also produces NPR's World Cafe.
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