Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Derek Trucks took up the guitar at age 9, and it was quickly apparent that he was a child prodigy. He was playing with a band and touring within two years. His early repertoire was heavily blues-based, obviously inspired by The Allman Brothers Band, of which his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, is a founding member. Older bluesmen like Howlin' Wolf, jazz musicians Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Charlie Christian and later Wayne Shorter and many others, became an influence for Trucks a few years later. Eastern Music, mainly Indian Classical, also affected Trucks's musical development, primarily his slide guitar playing, which is often compared to that of Duane Allman but is also heavily influenced by sarod players like Ali Akbar Khan. In 2003, he was the youngest guitarist on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time, and has been hailed as one of the greatest slide guitarists since Duane Allman.
Trucks formed his first band at age 12, and played his first gigs with them as "Derek and the Dominators". Later, Atlanta's jazz and blues bassist Todd Smallie joined Trucks in 1994, and became the first member of what is now the current version of The Derek Trucks Band. When Trucks really set about assembling a lasting band, he was by his reckoning about 14 years old. Smallie, on bass, was the first to join him. As a result, Trucks feels that he's "kind of grown up with him." A year later in 1995, drummer Yonrico Scott completed the band's early rhythm section. The band released its self-titled debut album, The Derek Trucks Band, in 1997, and followed with Out of the Madness in 1999. Scott has been playing with Trucks for over 16 years as of 2008. According to Derek Trucks: "We've developed a kind of 'musical ESP'.. it's nice to have somebody that you don't have to look at...he's just right there with you."
Kofi Burbridge joined the band shortly thereafter, contributing to the band's sound as a multi-instrumentalist, with his versatility on keyboards, flute, and vocals. Like his brother, whom Trucks plays with in the Allman Brothers Band, bassist Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge's education was primarily rooted in classical and jazz music. In an interview upon the release of their 2002 album, Joyful Noise, Trucks laughingly commented, "Kofi Burbridge has been with us maybe 2-3 years, and he's one of the few musical geniuses that I've had the chance to work with, he's totally insane"... continuing, "I'm really anxious to see in the next few years to see where he takes this, because he's definitely a huge part of what's going on right now."
In 2002 the band's producers, Craig Street and John Snyder recommended singer Mike Mattison to the band. Mattison performed several shows with the band, and Trucks decided Mattison's soulful voice and calm stage presence completed the band's identity. Trucks said of Mattison, "He's got a huge range, so that helps us out a lot when we stretch into some of the different material we cover. It's like having three different vocalists onstage at times. It's a tough piece of the puzzle to find, you know -- a good singer who fits with what you're doing -- so we were very fortunate to hook up with Mike." Mattison had a previous band as well-- a vocal duo, called Scrapomatic, with Paul Olsen, a guitarist and vocalist, whom he still performs with at occasional gigs, including some opening sets for The Derek Trucks Band. The band's final member, Count M'Butu is the only band member that does not appear on every tour. M'Butu, the group's eldest member, plays a variety of African drums. Trucks mentions casually that he had known M'Butu for many years before he joined the Derek Trucks Band, as M'Butu was a regular musical fixture in Atlanta; one of the bastions of the Allman Brothers fan bases.
Trucks' guitar playing is unusual in a number of respects. He steadfastly avoids processing and effects, preferring to get the purest tone possible by connecting his guitar directly to his amplifier, a 1964 Fender Super Reverb. He modifies his tone with the controls on the guitar. He plays without the use of a plectrum (pick), using his fingers instead, plucking primarily with the thumb, index and middle fingers, but also using the ring finger on occasion. He developed his technique himself. His guitar is always tuned to 'Open E'. From the low to high string, (i.e., EBEG#Be) he slightly detunes his low E string (a technique he and Jimmy Herring developed while playing together). Open E is a normal tuning for slide players, as it allows them to form chords more easily, but over the years he has become a highly acclaimed straight lead player without switching to standard tuning (EADGBe).
In 2001, Trucks married singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi. The couple have two children: Charles Kahlil Trucks (born March 8, 2002), and Sophia Naima Trucks (born August 9, 2004). Charles is named for saxophonist Charlie Parker and guitarist Charlie Christian; his middle name is taken from author Khalil Gibran. The name Sophia has mystic overtones (meaning "Wisdom" in Greek), and the unusual middle name comes from the John Coltrane ballad, which Coltrane named after his first wife, Naima.
In 1999, Derek Trucks joined his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, as a member of The Allman Brothers Band, while continuing to lead his own band. With the Allman Brothers Band he has performed on 2000's Peakin' at the Beacon, 2003's Hittin' the Note, 2003's live DVD At the Beacon Theatre, and 2004's One Way Out.
As of early 2006, Trucks is an accompanying guitarist in Eric Clapton's 2006-2007 touring band. In early 2006, Trucks lost equipment, as an equipment trailer was stolen. Some of the gear was recovered on May 18, 2006, as reported in the Columbia Records Derek Trucks Forum. Gear that was reported as recovered from a field outside Atlanta, GA includes Derek's "1965 BFSR, the amp he's been playing since he was a young boy; Derek's 1968 SFSR (one of the backup amps),the DTB's Hammond B-3, two Leslies, a Hohner E-7 Clavinet, and a few other minor items."
Down In The Flood
The Derek Trucks Band Lyrics
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Water's gonna overflow
Swamps gonna rise
And no boats gonna row
Now you can train on down
To William's Point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint
But mama, ain't you gonna
Miss your best friend now?
Gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Now don't you try and move me
You're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar
Salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna
Miss your best friend now?
Gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Now it's king for king
And queen for queen
Gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's ever seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna
Miss your best friend now?
You're just gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
The Derek Trucks Band's song Down in the Flood speaks of the inevitable flood that looms over the horizon. The lyrics talk of a woman who is faced with the impending danger of the flood, and the singer warns her that she will be left with no other option but to find herself another best friend. The crash of the levee and the rising of the swamp signify the havoc that the flood will cause, with no boats being able to row through the rising waters. The lyrics also emphasize the inevitability of this situation. The singer warns her that if she goes down in the flood, it will be her own fault.
The song is a metaphor for the impending danger that looms over a person's life. It talks about the inevitability of one's fate, and the need to be prepared for any circumstance that might occur. The woman is faced with a difficult decision, and the lyrics suggest that she needs to make a choice before it is too late. The chorus of the song has a repetitive tone, which emphasizes the message of the impending flood.
Line by Line Meaning
Crash on the levee, mama
There has been a disastrous crash on the levee that leads to overflowing water and rising swamps.
Water's gonna overflow
The river water levels are predicted to rise beyond their normal levels.
Swamps gonna rise
The flood is going to affect the swampy areas and volumes of water are expected to increase.
And no boats gonna row
The situation is too grave and people will not be able to move around in boats.
Now you can train on down
You have an option to take the train to William's Point.
To William's Point
The only option for leaving the area is through William's Point.
You can bust your feet
You can either walk or run towards safety.
You can rock this joint
You can enjoy yourself while you still can before the full brunt of the flood is felt.
But mama, ain't you gonna
But mama, don't you think you will
Miss your best friend now?
Miss your friend who might not have taken the same safety measures as you.
Gonna have to find yourself
You'll have to locate someone else to share your thoughts and feelings.
Another best friend, somehow
You'll have to try and find a new confidante.
Now don't you try and move me
Don't try to convince me to go somewhere else.
You're just gonna lose
You'll be unsuccessful in trying to convince me to move.
There's a crash on the levee
There has been a collision at the levee; prepare for the worst.
And mama, you've been refused
Mama, you will not be able to convince me and change my mind.
Well, it's sugar for sugar
As the saying goes, an eye for an eye.
Salt for salt
And a tooth for a tooth.
If you go down in the flood
If you end up losing in this disaster.
It's gonna be your own fault
You'll have no one to blame but yourself.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna
Won't you feel sad and upset?
Miss your best friend now?
About not being able to share your feelings with your best friend anymore.
Gonna have to find yourself
You'll need to locate someone else
Another best friend, somehow
Someone to share your thoughts and feelings with
Well, that high tide's risin'
The high tide is reaching new and dangerous levels.
Mama, don't you let me down
Mama, stand by me and help me through this tough time.
Pack up your suitcase
Start packing your bags and prepare to leave.
Mama, don't you make a sound
Don't let anyone know that you are getting ready to leave.
Now it's king for king
It's every man for himself, and the strongest or wealthiest will survive.
And queen for queen
The same applies to the women in the community, it's every woman for themselves.
Gonna be the meanest flood
This flood will be the most severe that anyone has ever seen.
That anybody's ever seen
It'll be hard to find someone who has seen anything worse than this.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna
Mama, won't you mourn?
Miss your best friend now?
Your best friend who may have stayed back and not made it out alive.
You're just gonna have to find yourself
You'll have to take the time to search and locate
Another best friend, somehow
A new person to replace your old best friend.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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