Tedeschi Trucks Band // Vancouver TD Jazz Festival

June 28, 2016: Repost from Daily Hive Vancouver.

Review by Cecilia Lu.

"Tedeschi Trucks Band didn’t have to play a single note before their first standing ovation of the night. The sold-out crowd gave a warm Vancouver welcome to the 12-piece rock and blues band last night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, part of this year’s TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Susan Tedeschi 

Susan Tedeschi 

Hot on the heels of their third studio album release, the veteran musicians hit the stage shortly after 8 pm and got down to business with little fanfare. Tedeschi Trucks Band played a mix of new work, old classics and covers throughout the night, all to an appreciative crowd that speaks well to the enduring popularity of genre.

Leaders Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks let the music speak for itself, and played song after song with little pause for banter. While all musicians were given opportunities to shine throughout the night, Derek Trucks is undoubtedly the anchor of the band. One of the most well-known guitarists of the genre (appearing in two occasions on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time), Trucks exhibited a subdued restraint that tied all of the elements together. A favourite moment of the first set was the guitar-and-flute duel with Kofi Burbridge – a combination I didn’t know would work until I heard it in action.

Ephraim Owens (Trumpet) x Elizabeth Lea (Trombone)

Ephraim Owens (Trumpet) x Elizabeth Lea (Trombone)

The soaring vocals of Susan Tedeschi were the real star of the show, easily heard even when the 12-piece ensemble was going full blast. This was loud, boot-stomping music, and Tedeschi’s smokey, always-evocative voice carried the night. While husband Trucks gets all of the guitar props, Tedeschi answered with a few on-point six-string solos of her own, showing a new side to the multi-talented artist.

Susan Tedeschi

Susan Tedeschi

It’s no wonder Tedeschi Trucks Band has been able to have such enduring success and fan support. Separately, Tedeschi and Trucks were already household names in the blues world – now, backed by a handpicked band of their own choosing, the future remains bright for this power couple of blues and rock."