From Deseret News archives:
Blues duo prove why they're best
Fans fill Red Butte Garden Ampitheatre for summer opener
Even Tony Soprano could not keep a couple of thousand blues fans from filling up the Red Butte Garden Ampitheatre for their own family affair Sunday.
Although dubbed the "Soul Stew Revival," the first show in this year's Garden Concert Series was ably carried on the shoulders of a long blues tradition by the husband-and-wife team of Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Whether playing some of the all-time classics or their own compositions, the pair proved repeatedly why they are arguably two of the best, if not the best, young blues musicians in the world.
Practically every song played during the two-hour show had its highlights, usually connected to either Tedeschi's voice or Trucks' guitar. Then again, almost every member of the band — consisting of Trucks' five-member touring band plus Tedeschi's saxophonist — shone at some point.
The peak of the performance came during a 10-minute-plus jam that began with "Coming Home" and, after multiple evolutions wound into a searing cover of "Key to the Highway." At least three times during the course of the jam, Trucks ripped off jaw-dropping solos that left everyone in the crowd — and on the stage — breathless.
Those solos were contrasted by the vocals of, not only Tedeschi, whose singing never ceases to amaze, but also by Mike Mattison, the singer for The Derek Trucks Band.
Much of the show was a cranked-up affair, but Tedeschi and Trucks did give everyone a breather with a midshow, two-song acoustic jam that featured a blues staple, Robert Johnson's "Walking Blues," and "Soul of a Man." For those, Trucks stepped aside as much as possible, and gave Tedeschi and Mattison room to dominate the song with their singing.
While the blues were the focus of the show, the band did swerve into soul and funk territories. Most notably, they tackled two Stevie Wonder songs, "Sugar" and "Do Yourself a Favor," the latter featuring well-executed, funky percussion from Duane Trucks (Derek's brother) and Count M'Butu.
About the only thing missing from the show was an appearance by either of the couple's two children, both of whom are already becoming musicians in their early elementary years. Otherwise, the show was the perfect way to spend an evening with the family — theirs or your own.
E-mail: jloftin@desnews.com
