Derek Trucks

When you have been playing guitar professionally since age 12, are employed by the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and gig nearly 300 days a year, it's obvious that free time is in short supply. Derek Trucks, the nephew of Allman Brothers percussionist Butch Trucks, knows that dilemma all too well. He's married to singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, and each maintains a busy schedule that rarely allows them to spend a quiet moment together, even on the infrequent occasions they're both in the same place. So it was a limited stretch between tours and Trucks' decision to build a studio behind their house that spawned his upcoming album, Already Free, a record that not only promises to be his best yet, but one he could work on when his wife was nearby. With career concerns still pressing, Trucks' and Tedeschi's decision to further pool their talents via their co-op combo, the Soul Stew Revival, provides another way to satisfy their needs, both practical and professional. Each of these artists works from a template based in the blues, and ultimately that means this Soul Stew is stirred from a mighty fine brew.