With eight wildly successful shows in the books and 13 more to go, the 2017 incarnation of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s third annual multi-artist “Wheels of Soul” tour is shaping up to be their biggest and best yet. Along with supporting acts Hot Tuna and The Wood Brothers, TTB’s 2017 “Wheels of Soul” run has already brought out fans all along the east coast in unprecedented numbers. Breaking personal attendance records, the tour sold more than 7,200 tickets at both Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. Remaining dates are following suit with sold out shows in Atlanta (7/15) and Salt Lake City (8/1) as well as the 1st night (July 29) at the iconic Red Rocks Amphiteatre, with the 2nd night (July 30) rapidly heading in the same direction. The tour continues through August 2 in Montana.
In honor of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s first two-night stand at Red Rocks, the band has invited special friends to help celebrate the big weekend. John Medeski will sit in with TTB on Saturday, July 29 and John Bell partners with the group on Sunday, July 30.
According to TTB’s dynamo guitarist/lead vocalist Susan Tedeschi, "It's been great to develop this tour into an annual event where we get a chance to hit the road and share the stage with fellow musicians we love and respect. Each year we try to find bands that share our musical vision while bringing their own unique talents to this traveling circus.” Derek Trucks, Tedeschi’s husband, co-bandleader, and fearlessly talented lead guitarist, adds, "Every year as the tour rolls along, the collaborations between all the musicians grow and grow. It inspires and challenges us in new ways and I think that really translates to the audience when they see how much fun we're having with our friends."
The collaborative fun is already in full swing, as members of both Hot Tuna and The Wood Brothers have joined the well-oiled powerhouse on several occasions, adding fresh sonic flavor to blues standards like “Key To The Highway” and “Sky Is Crying,” classic rock and roll favorites like Bob Dylan & The Band’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and The Rolling Stones’ “Sweet Virginia.”
While The Wood Brothers and Hot Tuna collaborations have served as memorable highlights, the indomitable 12-piece ensemble have remained the high-powered engine that keeps the wheels turning. As the Providence Journal raves, “Watching Trucks attack the frets was absolutely amazing at times” and “Tedeschi’s voice…was a wonderful blend of rasp and power…The depth of the band is part of its magic.” TTB fields a veritable all-star team of world-class musicians on a nightly basis, including bassist Tim Lefebvre, dual drummers Tyler Greenwell and J.J. Johnson, vocalists Mike Mattison, Mark Rivers, and Alecia Chakour, and a three-piece horn section comprised of Kebbi Williams (Saxophone), Ephraim Owens (Trumpet), Elizabeth Lea (Trombone). Tedeschi Trucks Band’s 2017 “Wheels of Soul” lineup also features understudy Carey Frank on keys, who is gradually proving his mettle as he fills in for regular keyboardist Kofi Burbridge while he recovers from recent heart surgery. Together, this one-of-a-kind musical collective is consistently turning in wildly creative, eclectic, and stunningly powerful performances every time they take the stage.
