Tedeschi Trucks Band Thread

[Hixter]

If Clapton is God, then what does that make Nels Cline?

[uncool2pillow]

I am a guitar god polytheist. My pantheon includes:

 

Richard Thompson

Bob Mould

Eric Clapton

Charlie Christian

Django Reinhardt

Nels Cline

Buddy Guy

Keith Richards

Neil Young

Jimi Hendrix

and lots more

 

Maybe more than in all of Hinduism.

[worldrecordplayer]

I've heard that "Clapton is over-rated, not that good," etc idea on here a few times which I have a hard time understanding.  I mean he was in the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie and DEREK AND THE FUCKING DOMINOS!!!!   Isn't that legacy enough?  But for me the music speaks more than words.  I guess guitar playing like this doesn't impress or move everyone, but I don't know why it doesn't.  It leaves me stunned.  Some people thought SRV was over-rated, too.  Clearly, some people just like different stuff.  I think of SRV, Clapton and Derek Trucks as at the top of their genre for all time, all pretty equal in my estimation.  To put Derek in the company of SRV and Clapton is pretty fucking high praise in my book.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVaYwUAOeTY

I agree with all of that Shug.  It's been on my mind to post something exactly like that, but then I can never muster the energy for putting all my thoughts together in a coherent writing.  Thanks for doing that.  I'm not be any means a Clapton fanatic, but to my ears he's always been among the absolute best electric guitar players until perhaps the last 5-7 years where I've seen a slowdown of his fingers.  It's also stunning to me to hear folks say he's an overrated guitar player.

[Atticus]

Clapton is perfectly capable and a good writer. I just don't think he's one of the best blues players. Very predictable, but he pays respectable homage to his predecessors.

 

Some of his arrangements are great. The solos in Cocaine are phenomenally textured and I love his work on Lay Down Sally. I just find his blues playing fairly ordinary.

 

First time I saw Trucks really get after a song I thought "I'll never do that" and "you just don't do that with a slide". I don't know Trucks' material very well at all but I would love to watch the guy.

[worldrecordplayer]

First time I saw Trucks really get after a song I thought "I'll never do that" and "you just don't do that with a slide". I don't know Trucks' material very well at all but I would love to watch the guy.

I've seen DT dozens of times in various configurations.  No doubt he deserves all the accolades he gets.  Does incredible things on the guitar, and not flash, but so tasty.  Apropos of the convo here about EC, if you haven't seen this, take 54 minutes and watch this segment of the ABB with Clapton from the Beacon. I grew up with the Layla album and always a big ABB/Duane and EC fan.  I was fortunate to be at this show, one of the highlights of my concert life. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb22MYqdugE

 

And if you have a few more minutes, love this TTB tour with George Porter Jr. on bass after Oteil left the band.  George singing one of his Meters masterpieces.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqwhwtlvXYo

[jff]

My theory used to be that Clapton was great until he put down the Gibsons in favor of Strats.  I've had to rethink that, because his first several albums after Cream were good albums, mostly played on a Strat.  I think it was sometime in the late '70s where his guitar sound started to get really sterile, and it's been that way so long that it's easy to forget that his playing had some grit and power to it at one time.  Clapton has become the Playboy magazine of guitarists.

[chuckrh]

i saw tedeschi trucks this week in seattle. it was a phenomenal show. i had seen them separately but not together. derek was stellar on guitar but to me susan outshined him. what a voice! & no slouch on guitar either. 1 minor quibble: my friend & i both thought that maybe they should highlight songs a little more & do a little less jamming. the jamming was good but was in danger of going into icky hateful fred territory at times. its a 12 piece band & everyone had longish solos. it wasn't bad but i just fell in luv with susan's singing. the show here was in a real nice venue, where they have the opera & ballet. great sound. i saw some peeps taping & am waiting for the show to pop up. nikki bluhm & the gramblers opened. not a bad band. their lead guitar player was quite good, too. definitely the star of the set. all in all a really nice evening.

[jw harding]

i saw tedeschi trucks this week in seattle. it was a phenomenal show. i had seen them separately but not together. derek was stellar on guitar but to me susan outshined him. what a voice! & no slouch on guitar either. 1 minor quibble: my friend & i both thought that maybe they should highlight songs a little more & do a little less jamming. the jamming was good but was in danger of going into icky hateful fred territory at times. its a 12 piece band & everyone had longish solos. it wasn't bad but i just fell in luv with susan's singing. the show here was in a real nice venue, where they have the opera & ballet. great sound. i saw some peeps taping & am waiting for the show to pop up. nikki bluhm & the gramblers opened. not a bad band. their lead guitar player was quite good, too. definitely the star of the set. all in all a really nice evening.

What did you think of the Sugaree cover, or was that over your head?

[chuckrh]

What did you think of the Sugaree cover, or was that over your head?

quite possibly my least favorite song in the world. at 1 point i hired a former friend to work in my warehouse & i had to listen to the fred every single day for 2 years. sugaree at this point brings on a psychotic reaction, so its best just to not go there. i have plenty of music that i like that i can listen to. no offense, its 1 of my little quirks. i did make an attempt a few decades ago to listen. it never really took & after the audio battery it went to another place.

[jw harding]

Derek and Susan have both been members of bands with some or all surviving Dead members. Just sayin.

[chuckrh]

they did have the good sense to leave though. i have a little bit of respect for lesh as he objected to the avarice concerning garcia's guitar bequest. also, he is at least following his muse & moved on. how can we miss them if they won't go away? 

[Analogman]

Derek on WTF with Marc Maron

 

I've never heard Derek talk - let alone talk that much.

[uncool2pillow]

Good interview. While I'm aware of his talent, I haven't listened to him much. He seems to have his head screwed on straight, thanks to his dad.

[worldrecordplayer]

That's a great interview with Derek. He comes across exactly as I've always expected and seen: just a really good person making music for all the right reasons. Same with Susan.

 

Uncool2pillow-if you like guitar playing, get yourself some Derek to listen to.

 

 

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[jw harding]

As good as Derek is at playing other musicians songs and ripping it up live, how has he made his mark on guitar playing? A lot of people put him up there with the greats, and he gets included on best guitar player all time lists. But don't all the greats have a signature song, solo, or riff that had an impact on guitar playing and rock? Harder to do that over time, but I think there are players like Johnny Greenwood, Jack White, Dan Auerbach, Trey Anastasio and of course Nels that are leaving their mark. I've really enjoyed Derek with the Allmans in the many times I saw them together, but just don't seem him breaking any new ground in the medium. 

[Shug]

I get what you are saying, jw.  There is no hit, or watershed song or signature riff from Derek yet. There may never be.  You could say the same thing for SRV, too, perhaps and he is definitely one of the greats in my book. But for me, that doesn't really matter.  Its the emotional response i have to his playing that makes him so great to me.  He's a virtuoso in the true sense of the word, his blinding technique is there, but he uses it humbly and soulfully to give the listener and the other musicians an emotional an perhaps even transformative experience and he's a master at that, I think.

[jw harding]

Yes, I think Derek may be more of a sideman virtuoso in the mold of Scotty Moore or Johnnie Johnson, rather than a guitar god - of which I would include SRV. SRV did have his singular style, along with Pride and Joy, his version of Little Wing, likely a few other things for which he will be remembered. I don't think Derek has that, but it certainly doesn't take away from the experiences I had seeing him live. No doubt he was a prodigy and is a genius, but still wish he would have some breakthrough moment.

[worldrecordplayer]

Derek is a guitar god in my world. No doubt about it. I've lost count how many times I've seen him play, and any time I go I'm not thinking of him as a sideman but as a star of the show. There are many words that may be used to explain why anyone reacts in a particular way to art, as for Derek Shug pretty much sums it up for me.

 

 

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[jff]

Derek heavily incorporates qawalli and Hindustani music into his playing, which sets him apart from other players of his generation. While Derek was certainly not the first guitarist to explore these music styles, it'd be tough to find another American or British guitarist who is more dedicated or serious about it,  Now there are younger guitarists, such as Blake Mills, exploring this same territory.  I believe he has credited Derek with opening that door to him.  In that way, I think Derek has made a mark on guitar playing.   

[jw harding]

A criteria for guitar god status would certainly seem to be having an influence on following generations of guitarists. I'm not sure who Blake Mills is, but sounds like he would fall in that category. Will other guitarists cite Derek as an inspiration, or will they go to the guitarists that influenced him? I think that will in part determine if he is remembered as a great or transcendent guitarist.

[jff]

A criteria for guitar god status would certainly seem to be having an influence on following generations of guitarists. I'm not sure who Blake Mills is, but sounds like he would fall in that category. Will other guitarists cite Derek as an inspiration, or will they go to the guitarists that influenced him? I think that will in part determine if he is remembered as a great or transcendent guitarist.

 

He's probably better known as a producer now (Alabama Shakes, Dawes, John Legend, Jim James, and others), but he's one of the best guitarists I've ever seen.  He was incredible when I saw him in Fiona Apple's band. Definitely worth looking into.

[jw harding]

Saw the recent Eric Clapton in San Diego video this past weekend, which is from his tour with Derek. Probably as good as Eric has been since going solo, focusing on Derek and the Dominoes stuff, but of course he manages to sneak Wonderful Tonight in there. Anyway, from what I noticed Derek doesn't distinguish himself when asked to play a ripping blues rock solo. He does much better with a slower tune and given room to breathe and build. Overall, a good video for fans of blues guitar to check out. Clapton is clinical, precise if a bit predictable, but a great mastery of tone. Doyle B. is a pretty impressive player and singer. Standout of the show is JJ Cale and the few tunes he sits in on. That guy just shits genius.

[jff]

Clapton is clinical, precise if a bit predictable, but a great mastery of tone. 

 

Derek pretty much admits this in the WTF interview.  I don't remember his exact words, except he says Clapton has (infrequent) moments where he really "lights it up."  The implication being that most of the time Clapton's just going through the motions.

[jw harding]

Derek pretty much admits this in the WTF interview.  I don't remember his exact words, except he says Clapton has (infrequent) moments where he really "lights it up."  The implication being that most of the time Clapton's just going through the motions.

I'm not sure if it's going through the motions, or some desire to play a textbook perfect solo, inability put his "ego" aside. Stereotyping, but think being English has something to do with it. They write great songs, but being great improvisers they are not.

[jff]

I'm not sure if it's going through the motions, or some desire to play a textbook perfect solo, inability put his "ego" aside. Stereotyping, but think being English has something to do with it. They write great songs, but being great improvisers they are not.

 

Textbook might be a better choice of words than going through the motions.