After being sold out for months, the highly anticipated two-night stand by The Tedeschi Trucks Band began on Tuesday night at The legendary Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. For many, the newly named Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre will always be Count Basie as this extraordinary theatre has been a staple of the Jersey shore music scene. Some of music's biggest icons have graced this stage and was a perfect place to host TTB's two night run here in NJ.
Local NJ native Sean Walsh opened the show and played a couple acoustic tunes to get the evening started. He has a soulful voice and great guitar skills and seemed to resonate well with the Tedeschi faithful. Of interesting note, Sean is the founder of The National Review, a killer bar band hailing from Brooklyn. Watching his acoustic set intrigued me and had me considering a road trip up to Brooklyn to catch the whole band one day.
The headliner for the evening was The Tedeschi Trucks Band and they finally took the stage a little after 9pm for the main event. The 12 piece band was formed by Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks back in 2010 and has become one of the most sought after acts in the jam band scene to date. With Susan's outstanding pipes, Derek's legendary slide and blues guitar chops, complemented by one out-of-this-world band, they create a transcendent music that's a mixture of rock, blues, jazz, and soul. The original line up has changed recently with the passing of bassist Kofi Burbridge and departure of his brother Oteil Burbridge. The current lineup is in lockstep with each other generating their unique full band sound. Susan and Derek are joined by Gabe Dixon on Keys, Brandon Boone on bass, Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson on drums, Kebbi Williams on saxophone, Ephraim Owens on trumpet, and Elizabeth Lea on trombone. Rounding out the twelve-piece ensemble is Mark Rivers and Mike Mattison along with Alecia Chakour’s beautiful backing vocal harmonies.
The band started the show with “Come See About Me”, a classic off their first album Revelator which won a Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2011. Right off the bat, the crowd was blessed with Tedeschi's unique flavor and Derek's incendiary guitar skills. At that point, everyone in attendance knew that we were in for a special night. "Don't Know What" was next and it was Susan's turn to not only show her sensational vocals but her scorching guitar skills as well. One of the highlights for me was coming up, an absolutely insane cover of Derek and the Domino's " Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad". This song was played to perfection with the whole band including horns and backing vocalists, getting the crowd to sing along in this small intimate venue.
The show continued next with vocalist Mike Mattison coming to the front of the stage to bust out a tune of his own, “Life is Crazy”. It was a bluesy rock tune that showcased his amazing singing talent and was one I won't soon forget. Next up was “Signs” off of the bands 2019 album. Mattison, Chakour, and Tedeschi were all singing on this one, creating some magical harmonies that are unmatched in live music today. “Shame” was absolutely bonkers with Derek really letting loose and showcasing why he is one of the best guitar players on the planet today. Derek grew up watching his uncle Butch Trucks drumming with the Allman Brothers and it has been history every since. He began playing at age 9, first played with blues legend Buddy Guy at age 13, and has played with legends such as played with Phil Lesh and Friends, The Allman Bros, The Derek Trucks Band, and finally teaming with wife Susan to create the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Susan took over next with a stellar cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright.” Love that tune! Tedeschi's powerful voice, even though she was obviously still fighting off a cold, coughing on stage from time to time, was on full display with "Have You Ever Loved a Woman?" Her voice, along with the rest of the band blew the minds of everyone in attendance.
The night ended with "I Want More" and gave every member of the band an opportunity to showcase their own skills with solos throughout the jam. Brandon on bass started it off with some thunderous bass chops, Gabe on keys with some jazzy funky lines, a drum solo for the ages by JJ and Tyler where you could feel the beats in your chest. Next up was the horns section horns led by Kebbi on sax, Ephraim on trumpet, and Elizabeth on trombone, each letting loose and really elevating the jam into this unique blend of rock, blues, funk, and soul to end up what being a killer show!
The band came out one last time for an encore consisting of Gregg Allman's classic tune, "Don't Keep Me Wonderin", off the Allman's second album, Idlewild South. The Tedeschi Trucks Band killed this cover, leaving all the Allman's fans in the crowd with smiles while reveling in this band's incredible raw talent. TTB does not mess around, and has become one of the biggest bands on the scene today. If you are lucky to catch a live performance of The Tedeschi Trucks Band anytime soon, do so. Their shows sell-out for a reason, and one you don't want to miss. I highly recommend checking them out the next time they come to your town. You will not be disappointed!
Here is a link to the audio stream of the show. https://archive.org/details/ttb2020-01-28.mk41v.edtyre
Setlist:
Encore:
Photojournalist - New Jersey
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