Derek Trucks Band on Tour Now
Eagerly-Awaited Columbia Records Debut, 'Joyful Noise,' In Stores Tuesday, July 30
PRNewswire
NEW YORK
05/23/2002
Columbia Records -- With "Joyful Noise," his eagerly-awaited debut album for Columbia Records, scheduled to hit stores on July 30, the 22-year-old guitar prodigy Derek Trucks has hit the road with his band for a series of concert dates including free shows, festivals, and gigs with the Allman Brothers as well as with Columbia labelmates Phil Lesh & Friends and Jorma Kaukonen (see itinerary following).
"Joyful Noise" was produced by Craig Street (Chris Whitley, Cassandra Wilson) -- with a few numbers produced by legendary session man Russ Kunkel -- and contains a mixture of tasteful yet technically impressive instrumentals as well as tracks featuring an ambitious group of guest vocalists including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (on an extraordinary heavy psychedelic-fusion-esque cover of a classic qawwali composed by his late uncle, Nusrat), Salsa legend Ruben Blades, R&B master Solomon Burke, blues singer Susan Tedeschi, and jazz bassist Javier Colon. The primary musicians throughout are the regular members of the Derek Trucks band: Kofi Burbridge on keyboards and flute, Todd Smallie on bass, Yonrico Scott on drums and Count M'Buto on congas and percussion.
"Joyful Noise" was recorded this past winter at Bearsville Studios in New York and Sunset Sound Factory in Los Angeles.
Led by 22-year-old Derek Trucks, the Derek Trucks Band has been forging a new musical sound, based heavily in roots music of all cultures, and blending these varying styles into the band's unique vision of eclectic electric music. Constant touring with the same group of musicians has allowed Derek to explore these different styles while fine-tuning a collective band sound, drawing from the many talents of this quintet.
The band has been a work in progress for Trucks from the time of his first paying gig at the age of 11. Derek began listening at a young age to the early blues players, jazz, and world music, constantly infusing these influences into his style of guitar playing and the material performed with his band. Trucks has taken slide guitar into many musical realms, few of which were previously associated with the guitar style. Having performed with such artists as Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy, Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, John Lee Hooker, Phish, Phil Lesh, Blues Traveler, and many more, Derek has been fortunate in having many influences to draw from.
In the last five years he has finally assembled a group of musicians that share his passion for improvisation and experimentation while having the experience and talent to continually move their art form forward. The DTB takes a progressive approach to roots music. There are elements of Jazz, Rock, Blues, Latin, and even Eastern Indian influences in their music all tied together by the singular sound of this tight unit.
Each member of this diverse band adds to the eclectic style with his own background and musical training. Yonrico Scott, the elder statesmen of the DTB at 45, has a degree in percussion from the University of Kentucky and has used his talents in a variety of settings including Symphony, Broadway, R&B, Jazz, and Rock. Todd Smallie has been with the DTB the longest joining Derek in 1994 after playing in a number of bands in the Atlanta area. Kofi Burbridge studied composition at the School of the Arts in North Carolina before going on to perform world-wide with a number of touring acts, even joining Scott on a couple of R&B tours. The newest member of the DTB, Javier Colon, joined in the summer of 2000. Colon is coming straight out of the Hartt School of music where he developed his vocal talents. The DTB has benefited from his many influences including his Latin heritage, which has surfaced in their material over the last couple of years as they delved into more world music.
In Addition to Trucks' regular gig with his own project, Derek joined up with The Allman Brothers Band in the summer of 1999 playing lead and slide guitar. Derek deftly handles his own among the veterans which could be attributed to his keen ability to listen, paying respect to his predecessors while contributing his own musical vision. Derek plans to continue augmenting the DTB's busy touring schedule with ABB tours as well.
Embraced by the national media Derek Trucks has been interviewed by the Associated Press and featured in the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Guitar World, Pollstar, Downbeat and Rolling Stone.
Derek was nominated for two Grammys for his performances on: Hellhound On My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson, on which he performed an acoustic version of "Walking Blues" with his wife, Susan Tedeschi (Derek and Susan were married in December of last year).
The second was for his performance with The Allman Brothers Band: Peakin' at the Beacon, for the song "High Falls."
The Derek Trucks Band Tour Itinerary
May
25 Angels Camp, CA Mountain Aire Festival
June
23 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheater opening for Allman
Brothers
24 University City, MO Cicero's
25 Kansas City, MO Memorial Hall opening for Allman
Brothers
July
2 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center w/ Phil Lesh & Friends
& Allman Brothers
3 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center w/ Phil Lesh & Friends
& Allman Brothers
4 Antioch, TN AmSouth Amphitheater opening for Allman
Brothers
11 Buffalo, NY Thursday at the Square
Lafayette Square-Downtown
12 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center w/ Phil Lesh & Friends
& Jorma Kaukonen
13 Amagansett, NY Stephen Talkhouse
18 Manhattan, NY Castle Clinton Free tickets at 5:00 PM
on 18th
19 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
20 Farmingdale, NY Dave Glicker's Downtown
25 Rochester, NY Manhattan Square Park Free show
28 Duanesburg, NY Camp Creek Festival
September
7 Hayfork, CA Trinity Tribal Stomp
November
12 Buffalo, NY Center for the Arts
15 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Casino Free show
SOURCE: Columbia Records
Contact: Howard Wuelfing, +1-212-833-8891,
howard_wuelfing@sonymusic.com, Tour press - Renee Pfefer, Media,
+1-212-833-4424, renee_pfefer@sonymusic.com, or Online press - Lisa Linder,
Online & Emerging Technologies, +1-212-833-6666, lisa_linder@sonymusic.com,
all of Columbia Records
Website: http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.sonymusic.com/b2b
http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/DerekTrucks
http://www.columbiarecords.com/