C. J. Walsh

Derek Trucks Band - Palace Theater Waterbury, CT 2009

 Waterbury, Conn., USA

Feb. 8, 2009

View: Floor – midway back

 

  One imagines Derek Trucks’ earliest childhood memories are of watching his Uncle Butch keeping time in the Allman Brothers Band. And Derek’s own apprenticeship with the Allmans has led to a firm grasp of dynamics, more so than many of his blues-rock peers who came of age in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Never less than versatile, he and his band have an innate sense of where blues, rock and jazz all come together and become something else entirely. 

   Trucks is touring to promote Already Free, which is more blues/roots based and less of a smorgasbord of styles than previous offerings.

   Known for eclecticism in their choice of covers, on this night Muddy’s Trouble No More gets chorded solos in the vein of Band of Gypsys era Hendrix, Dylan’s Down In The Flood is beefed up to seven minutes and My Favorite Things is hijacked from Coltrane and driven to New Orleans. Fully half the group’s two hour show is instrumental which is a pity when they have a singer as good as Mike Mattison. But when Trucks whips out that slide on tunes like Wolf’s Down In The Bottom it is powerful - so no complaints.

Crow Jane and Down Don’t Bother Me are blues rock heaven, and encore Soul Serenade is stirring, as it should be.

 

 

Published Record Collector Magazine