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."
Gonna Move
The Derek Trucks Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a quiet country house I had to call home
Live with some other folks and rich millionaires
Just sat on their money lord, it seemed they didn't care
Finally we moved out and found our own place
Where I could walk around with a smile on my face
But I knew in order to become a man
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I came to school in the big city
Looked around at the lights and I thought they were pretty
Told me they'd teach me to live by their rules
So I wouldn't be nobody's fool
I found out, 'fore too long
Those rules didn't allow me to sing my song
But I knew in order to become a man
I have to pull up my roots and move on in this land
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
And finally I joined the college ranks
They told me they'd teach me how to think
Gave me books to read and papers to write
But they didn't know about this boy's coming fight
I found out after a while
Reading those books was not helping my smile
But I knew in order to not conceal
I'd have to play my music and express what I feel
I've gotta move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I'm gonna move away from here
You can find me if you want to go there
I'm gonna move away from here yeah
You can find me if you want to go, oh ya wanna go
The Derek Trucks Band's song "Gonna Move" is a story about growth, change, and coming of age. The first verse describes the artist's childhood, growing up in a quiet country house with wealthy neighbors who seemed indifferent to his family's struggles. The second verse follows the artist's move to the big city to attend school, where he initially finds the lights and promises of formal education alluring. However, the rules and expectations of the school eventually stifle his creativity and self-expression. In the final verse, the artist joins the college ranks with hopes of finding a more fulfilling education, only to realize that the books and papers don't necessarily contribute to his happiness.
Overall, the song's message is clear: if you want to truly grow and find happiness, you need to take risks and break away from the things that are holding you back. Despite the uncertainty and discomfort that come with moving away and starting anew, it is the only way to become the person you want to be.
The use of repetition in the chorus, "I'm gonna move away from here / You can find me if you want to go there," emphasizes the artist's determination to seek out new paths and encourages listeners to join him on the journey. The song's driving beat and bluesy guitar riffs provide a sense of energy and urgency that complements the lyrics' message.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little boy felt so alone
As a child, I felt lonely and isolated.
Just a quiet country house I had to call home
I lived in a secluded rural area.
Live with some other folks and rich millionaires
I lived with wealthy people who didn't seem to care about me.
Just sat on their money lord, it seemed they didn't care
They were indifferent to my presence and only concerned with their wealth.
Finally we moved out and found our own place
Eventually, my family and I were able to leave that environment and find our own home.
Where I could walk around with a smile on my face
Finally, I was able to feel happy and content in my surroundings.
But I knew in order to become a man
I understood that in order to mature and grow, I needed to take chances and explore different environments.
I'd have to pull up my roots and move on in this land
I knew that I needed to leave my comfort zone and try new things in different locations.
I'm gonna move away from here
I'm determined to leave my current environment.
You can find me if you want to go there
If you're interested in joining me on my journey, you're welcome to come along.
I came to school in the big city
I decided to pursue my education in an urban area.
Looked around at the lights and I thought they were pretty
I was drawn to the city's bright lights and excitement.
Told me they'd teach me to live by their rules
They promised to educate me in their ways and with their values.
So I wouldn't be nobody's fool
So I wouldn't be taken advantage of or deceived by others.
I found out, 'fore too long
Before too much time passed, I discovered something troubling.
Those rules didn't allow me to sing my song
The city's way of doing things didn't support my creativity or self-expression.
And finally I joined the college ranks
I enrolled in college to further my education.
They told me they'd teach me how to think
They promised to provide me with the skills and knowledge to develop my own ideas.
Gave me books to read and papers to write
They assigned me academic tasks in order to stimulate my intellect.
But they didn't know about this boy's coming fight
They didn't expect me to challenge the accepted norms or authority.
I found out after a while
It took some time, but I eventually realized something important.
Reading those books was not helping my smile
The academic work wasn't fulfilling my need for creative expression or emotional fulfillment.
But I knew in order to not conceal
I understood that I couldn't hide my true self from the world.
I'd have to play my music and express what I feel
I needed to use my artistic abilities to convey my emotions and thoughts to the world.
I've gotta move away from here
Leaving my current environment has become an imperative for me.
You can find me if you want to go there
As before, if you're interested in joining me on my journey, you're welcome to come along.
I'm gonna move away from here yeah
I'm more committed than ever to finding a new place to call home.
You can find me if you want to go, oh ya wanna go
Once again, if you're interested in joining me on my journey, you're welcome to come along.
Contributed by Bailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Carl Brown
Very cool for Mr. Trucks to include the other musicians on the cover of the album!
Jeisiel Ricardo
Derek Trucks my favorite guitarrist!🎸
Lenny Henderson
Paul Pena wrote a great song.. I'm glad Tedeschi & Trucks cover it.
troglodingus
Great song!
Timothy Heggan
Love this song!!! any version is cool with me
K P
DTB was a great band. Saw them many times in the small venues.
Joe Redford
Todd Smallie my favorite bassist
JayGrabow
strange to hear Mike on vocals when I'm used to Susan's version. It's good though!
WolfCore 77
gorgeous!
BOSOX9004
Long live Paul Pena.