Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Scott Diussa
Back on the road in 2022 with their full 12-piece configuration, Tedeschi Trucks Band (aka TTB) staked their claim for four nights at the famous Ryman Auditorium. Like many of their jam band peers and forefathers (namely the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band), TTB changes their setlist from one night to the next night. It keeps both the band and the faithful on their toes. The idea of tossing it to the wind to see what happens is appealing to all involved. Fortunately, for everyone in Nashville, those strong gales of inspiration took everyone on the adventure of a lifetime.
TTB fever was in the air. The guy sitting next to me had already caught the whole six-night stand in Washington DC, and thought he’d fly down to Nashville to catch a show with his daughter. They spent most of the night dancing. Numerous others had come to the Ryman earlier in the week for the three other shows. I have no doubt a good number of folks had been here all week. Frankly, not seeing the previous three nights made this reviewer feel a little inadequate. The fear of missing out (FOMO) takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to TTB. Would tonight measure up to the others? I’d like to think it was the best of the run, but everyone has a different take.
If you peruse the setlists from previous nights — as I felt obligated to do — you’ll notice that each show pretty much stands on its own, though that whole sinking FOMO really hits home when you realize they played a song on another night you would have liked to have heard and witnessed. Nevertheless, on their final night, they went deep on material from their four studio albums, which was a real treat for their well-healed followers.
OK, so I missed out on the Stones and Beatles covers, plus the lone acoustic set from the night before. Instead, we got a beautiful cross section of originals and choice interpretations, with solos or spotlights on practically every member of the band. That’s the thing about Tedeschi Trucks Band — it’s not only about Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Sure, they’re the focal point and main attraction. Part of that attraction is the players they surround themselves with. Tonight, each exhibited an extraordinary talent at their designated instrument, be it their voice or some inanimate object that’s been designed to make illustrious sounds. Together, the combined gifts of each musician create a joyful noise you simply can’t turn away from.
Of course, the minute all the musicians were on their marks, and their leaders had their guitars strapped on, it was only a matter of time before the fireworks went off. And by fireworks, we’re talking the fiery flourishes from the magic fingers of Derek Trucks. A few measures into the opening “Right On Time,” and Trucks and trombonist Elizabeth Lea got right into the thick of it. Every human in the house watched closely, jaws agape in wonderment as the guitarist crushed out these heavily distorted tones ripe with emotion and the trombonist answered right back. Then, trumpet player Ephraim Owens blew a few notes of his own just to keep everyone else on pace. Five minutes in, and the place was already juiced with excitement.
Trucks would go off on these flights of fury all night, and the intensity was always like a ball of fire but never the same. His wife, Susan Tedeschi, serves as a sort of counter-balance, reining it in with her bluesy and powerful vocals, yet able to go head-to-head on the guitar with her husband when the opportunity presents itself. Make no mistake about it: Susan Tedeschi with a guitar in her hands is a master with few contenders. But then she’ll rig her pipes, as she did tonight, for something as beatific and soulful as “The Letter,” the chart-topping Box Tops hit reimagined by Joe Cocker, who made it his own and took it back to the Top 20 three years later. With their appearance in the documentary, Learning To Live Together: The Return of Mad Dogs & Englishmen, TTB most definitely drew their inspiration from Cocker on this one, thanks to Tedeschi’s impassioned vocal lifted up by an equally compelling chorus from singers Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers and Alecia Chakour.
Later in the set, the group pulled out their obligatory Allman Brothers Band song to cover, and rolled out a spellbinding version of “Dreams,” featuring keyboardist and Nashville native Gabe Dixon in the role of Gregg Allman. Drummers Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell and Isaac Eady rubbed through the rhythm and Dixon embellished the melody with the gentle strokes of his Hammond organ. Trucks built the middle section into a fire-breathing barrage of cascading trills, shaped and molded into sharp jabs before pulling back and handing the song back to Dixon to finish off the verses. You could almost feel Skydog and Coyotus Maximus beaming from above.
With 2021 release of Layla Revisited (Live At LOCKN’), it’s not surprising TTB have been planting their setlists for the current tour with songs from the classic Derek and the Dominos album, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. On the second night at the Ryman, they played “Bottom Blues” and “Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?” Tonight, they broke out “Tell The Truth,” “Keep On Growing” and “Key To The Highway.” Somewhere in the midst of a swift drum solo, Tedeschi’s solo turns on her Les Paul, and Mattison’s soulful gravel meshing with the verses — Eric Clapton is wishing he could have a band just like this. Well, at least he had Trucks for a little while.
Mattison, a prolific singer and songwriter in his own right, polished off “I Walk On Guilded Splinters” and, with the rest of the band in his stead, injected a fresh blast of R&B into the epic Dr. John composition. Not to be outdone, Rivers delivered a heart aching reading of James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain,” while Chakour unleashed her vocal prowess during the last lap around the night’s final number, “Bound For Glory.”
The only person who didn’t get much attention was bassist Brandon Boone, whose unassuming presence and steady, unobtrusive low-end perfectly complemented the rest of the ensemble. Tedeschi, with a slight limp that required her husband to hold her hand when they entered and exited the stage, had no problem praising her band members and thanking the audience and the Ryman for “having us.” For his part, Trucks remained the stoic rock, never muttering a word yet the sly smirk across his face registered complete satisfaction with how everything came together. And really, if you consider what it takes to create such a unified and blissful sound, few acts have it as together and tight as this group. Touring across the country and over to Europe later in the year, Tedeschi Trucks Band may be one of the best reasons why, in a post-pandemic world, live music is more important than ever. So catch ’em wherever and whenever you can.
~ Additional photos from February 25 ~
