Susan Tedeschi

Susan Tedeschi (/təˈdɛski/; born November 9, 1970) is an American singer and guitarist. A multiple Grammy Award nominee, she is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks' the Derek Trucks Band, and other musicians.

Tedeschi served as a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards.

Tedeschi was born on November 9, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to a family of Italian ancestry and was raised in Norwell, Massachusetts. She is the daughter of Dick Tedeschi, granddaughter of Nick Tedeschi and great-granddaughter of Angelo Tedeschi, founder of Tedeschi Food Shops, a New England-based supermarket and convenience store chain. Tedeschi made her public debut as a six-year-old understudy in a Broadway musical. As a youth she sang for family members and listened to her father's record collection of old vinyl recordings of musicians such as Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin' Hopkins. Raised as a Catholic, she found little inspiration in the church choir and attended predominantly African-American Baptist churches, feeling that the music was "less repressed and more like a celebration of God." In bands since the age of 13, she formed her first all-original group at 18, the Smokin' Section, in the nearby town of Scituate.

After graduating Norwell High School, Tedeschi attended the Berklee College of Music, where she sang in a Gospel choir. She performed show tunes on the Spirit of Boston and received her Bachelor of Music degree in musical composition and performance at age 20. During that time, she began sitting in on blues jams at local venues and immersed herself in the Boston music scene.

Early career

Tedeschi formed the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1993, with Tom Hambridge and Adrienne Hayes. She learned how to play blues guitar in Boston from musician Tim Gearan in 1995. In December the band released Better Days to regional audiences. Record contracts were difficult to keep together; however, recording sessions from 1997 were acquired by Richard Rosenblatt and the band was signed to indie label Tone-Cool Records. Just Won't Burn, featuring young guitarist Sean Costello, was released in February 1998 to very positive reviews, particularly from blues critics and publications.

Tedeschi was the first artist to play Michele Clark's first Sunset Sessions in March 1998 at the Marriott Hotels & Resorts in the US Virgin Islands.

In 1999, Tedeschi played several dates in the all-woman traveling festival Lilith Fair organized by Sarah McLachlan. Throughout 1998 and 1999 she toured extensively throughout the United States and drew larger crowds.

As an opening act

Eventually Tedeschi was opening for John Mellencamp, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, The Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal and Bob Dylan. In 2000, Just Won't Burn (1998) reached Gold record status for sales of 500,000 in the United States, rare for a blues production. She recorded two tracks with Double Trouble band members Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon for their album.

She opened for The Rolling Stones in 2003 and played in huge venues, gaining national exposure. Somewhat surprisingly, the gig wasn't financially lucrative. According to Tedeschi, "They pay, but it's not great. I don't make any money 'cause I've got to pay all my sidemen. I'll be lucky if I break even."

In 2004, Tedeschi was featured on the PBS television program Austin City Limits with William Green on Hammond organ, Jason Crosby on keyboards, violin, and vocals, Ron Perry on bass, and Jeff Sipe on drums.

Influences

Tedeschi's voice has been described as a blend of Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin, both of whom she claims as influences. Her guitar playing is influenced by Buddy Guy, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King and Doyle Bramhall II. On the album Just Won't Burn (1998), she lists a multitude of inspirations from various genres.This list includes Irma Thomas, Etta James, Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, Aretha Franklin, Otis Rush, Ronnie Earl, Otis Clay, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Dennis Montgomery III, Orville Wright, Walter Beasley, Kenya Hathaway, and Mahalia Jackson.

Personal life

On December 5, 2001, Tedeschi married Allman Brothers Band slide guitarist Derek Trucks, who was also the bandleader and lead guitarist of The Derek Trucks Band. The pair met in New Orleans when she was the opening act on the Allman Brothers Band's 1999 Summer Tour.They have two children: Charles Kahlil Trucks, born in March 2002, is named for saxophonist Charlie Parker, guitarist Charlie Christian, and author Kahlil Gibran. Sophia Naima Trucks, born in 2004, takes her middle name from the John Coltrane ballad, composed in honor of his first wife.They reside in Jacksonville, Florida.

Soul Stew Revival

Tedeschi and Trucks toured together frequently under the name Soul Stew Revival. This included members of The Derek Trucks Band, members of Tedeschi's band, and other musicians who travelled with them, including Trucks' younger brother, drummer Duane Trucks. In 2008, they added a three-piece horn section.

Tedeschi Trucks Band

In 2010, Tedeschi and Trucks announced a hiatus for their solo bands, and formed a new group called Tedeschi Trucks Band. The group performed at a number of festivals including Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, Fuji Rock Festival and others. Unlike their previous collaborative project – Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi's Soul Stew Revival – the Tedeschi Trucks Band focuses on writing and performing original material, and is the focus of both Trucks and Tedeschi for the foreseeable future.

Layla Revisited (Live at LOCKN') was announced on May 7, 2021. The album is a one-time live recording of the Derek & The Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs performed in full with Trey Anastasio. Recorded on August 24, 2019 at the LOCKN' Festival in Arrington, VA, the album was released on July 16, 2021.

• 2000 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist
• 2003 Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
• 2004 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Wait For Me
• 2006 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Hope and Desire
• 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Back to the River
• 2016 Americana Music Award for Duo/Group of the Year (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Live from the Fox Oakland

• 2012 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album for Revelator (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2014 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year
• 2014 Blues Music Award for Band of the Year (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2014 Blues Music Award for Rock Blues Album of the Year for "Made Up Mind" (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2017 Blues Music Award for Rock Blues Album of the Year for "Let Me Get By" (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2017 Blues Music Award for Band of the Year (with Tedeschi Trucks Band)
• 2017 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year

As leader or co-leader

• Better Days (Oarfin, 1995)
• Just Won't Burn (Tone Cool, 1998)
• Wait for Me (Tone Cool, 2002)
• Live from Austin, TX (New West, 2004)
• Hope and Desire (Verve Forecast, 2005)
• Back to the River (Verve Forecast, 2008)

With the Tedeschi Trucks Band

• Revelator (Masterworks, 2011)
• Everybody's Talkin' (Masterworks, 2012)
• Made Up Mind (Masterworks, 2013)
• Let Me Get By (Fantasy, 2016)
• Live from the Fox Oakland (Fantasy, 2017)
• Signs (Fantasy, 2019)
• Layla Revisited (Live at LOCKN') (Fantasy, 2021)

As guest

• Welcome to Little Milton (1999), Little Milton
• Joyful Noise (2002), Derek Trucks Band
• Already Free (2009), Derek Trucks Band
• Truth(2007), Robben Ford
• Bug, Various (Lionsgate, 2007)
• Skin Deep (2008), Buddy Guy
• "Space Captain", The Imagine Project (2010), Herbie Hancock with Derek Trucks
• "Burn it down", Tin Can Trust (2010), Los Lobos
• "Bright Lights, Big City" Roots (2011) Johnny Winter
• "Mixed Drinks About Feelings", Mr. Misunderstood (2015), Eric Church
• "Ain't No Thing", Wynonna & the Big Noise (2016), Wynonna Judd
• "Color of the Blues", For Better, or Worse (2016), John Prine
• Song of Lahore, The Sachal Ensemble with Derek Trucks (Universal, 2016)
• "Cortez The Killer", 2019, Dave Matthews Band