Jun 15, 2007

Rock god and family keep on truckin'

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Usually when Derek Trucks tours - with his own band, the Allman Brothers or Eric Clapton - the guitar wizard pines for his family. That's not an issue at the moment, as his family is on the road with him.

Trucks is sharing the stage with his equally talented singer-guitarist wife. The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival heats things up at the Fillmore on Saturday and at Saratoga's Mountain Winery on Sunday.

Their children, ages two and five, are in tow, as are his parents. Trucks' mother, taking leave from her elementary school job, helps care for the tots. Trucks' father handles merchandising. The tour also features Trucks' 18-year-old brother Duane playing second drums on some tunes.

"This was a chance to get everybody on the road, a working vacation," laughs Trucks, whose latest CD, "Songlines," reaffirms his status as contemporary rock god.

Trucks and Tedeschi have recorded on each other's albums and shared a handful of gigs with their separate bands. This time they'll be side by side, backed by the core of the Derek Trucks Band and Tedeschi's saxophonist Ron Holloway. The couple will perform mini-sets - one in the spotlight, then the other - as well as duets, acoustic and electric.

"I hope that, as our tour moves along and we start writing more tunes together, it'll morph into a full-on band," Trucks said. "At this point, it's an experiment to see what we can do with it, where it can go. All the elements are there and it can really turn into something great.

"A lot of it is going to be figuring out a dynamic that works for everyone. I don't want the tour to end up where Susan feels like she's not getting to do her thing, that she's having to play a supporting role. It's hopefully going to be a situation where everybody gets to play up their strengths and not have to defer."

Trucks envisions this new combination becoming his main focus. "I could still have my band on the side to go out and play crazy, eclectic music, if we choose to. And if she feels she needs her group to go do her thing, it's nice to have all the avenues."

Trucks and Tedeschi have been married since 2001. They met when she opened for the Allmans. Mutual musical passions drew them to one another.

"It's not often you can find somebody you can listen to John Coltrane or Mahalia Jackson or Howlin' Wolf with," Trucks said. "And there's a musical chemistry when me and her play together that I haven't experienced with anyone else."

Trucks is excited about having his brother on the tour. "He's a great player. I figured it would be a great education for him to be around the group. We're putting him to work. He's not getting a free ride. We're making him tote some drums and drum tech, as well," Trucks said.

"The only way to learn is to be in it and around it ... at least for me, that was the best education I could get."

Trucks, 27, began playing paying gigs at the age of 11, dazzling listeners with his precocious blues-rock prowess. The Florida native's uncle is drummer Butch Trucks, founding member of the Allman Brothers.

"That band was on hiatus in the '80s when I was growing up. But their music inspired me, as did knowing there was a family member on all these albums we were listening to around the house."

Trucks emulated the guitar fire of Duane Allman, the fluidity of Clapton, as well as the fervent blues of Elmore James. In his teens, he studied other forms of music, from jazz to Indian classical, developing his own style.

He has come full circle, returning to his roots by joining the Allman Brothers and touring with Clapton.

"There's a certain amount of openness you have to have to leave (your roots) and a certain amount you have to have to come back to it. It's just as powerful both ways. It was important to delve back into my musical lineage, and then explore, try to take it further," he said. "You've got to have the foundation."

He credits his grounded attitude to his upbringing. "I've been fortunate enough to have a really close immediate family, who always seemed to be able to put things in perspective. The important things were never the hype or the excitement of the road. It was always whether you were being honest about what you were doing, whether you were really enjoying it.

"I remember, as a kid, my dad would always say, 'If this ever gets to be too much, we can quit it tomorrow and head back home.' I was still playing Little League and all that at the same time."

Touring has taught Trucks life lessons. "You see people taking the wrong roads and where that leads. The 18 years I've been on the road, I've seen a lot of talented guys come and go. It's amazing how quick they can crash, just by getting in too deep in one way or another. It helps to observe that.

"That whole late '60s, early '70s generation, the early rock stars, they were an experiment in a way. There was a lot of excess in all avenues. Not everyone made it through. It's interesting to watch the ones that did, the ones who decided to sober up. There are a lot of broken families from that era. I don't want to repeat any of that stuff. I'm avoiding the pitfalls."

On tour now, Trucks feels comfortable with the family atmosphere. The band is part of the family. So is the audience.

"We hit San Francisco quite a bit. We see a lot of the same faces, we make friends with a lot of those people. When we get back, it's like a reunion."

Maybe his kids will one day join Trucks on stage. Five-year-old Charlie is named after saxophonist Charlie Parker and guitarist Charlie Christian. Daughter Sophia's middle name, Naima, comes from a John Coltrane ballad.

The little ones haven't displayed any musical inclination yet. "My son, when we're home, he'd rather be fishing, digging up worms and plunking them in. If he shows the interest, I'll be more than happy to dive in with him. Music's been really good to me."

AT A GLANCE: Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival, Saturday, 9 p.m., The Fillmore, 1805 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, $40.