Web MasterDerek Trucks, a slide guitar prodigy who’s rapidly picking up recognition as he makes his way around the country, made his most recent stop with his eponymous band at St. Louis’s Pageant on Tuesday. Beforehand, Derek took the time to have a little fireside chat with Cadenza.
Cadenza: How would you describe your music?
Derek Trucks: I don’t know, that’s kind of tough. We come from a lot of different places. It’s kind of roots music, kind of world music. It’s blues and jazz and funk; it’s a lot of different things.
C: You’ve covered a whole lot of songs, like Sun Ra’s “Rocket No. 9,” and I’ve heard your cover of “Layla.” What would you say the most fun cover you did was?
DT: You heard “Layla?”
C: Yeah, I liked that one.
DT: Wow, that’s a tough one. We do a tune by a Pakastani vocalist, his name is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. That’s pretty strange.
C: How much of your show is improvised and how much of it is planned?
DT: Well I think with any band with some of the guys coming from a jazz background, I think a lot of it is improv, especially the solo section. In between tunes we try to leave a lot of space for something to happen. When you’re dealing with improv music you’re trying to lead to any place for just random magic to happen. You don’t want it to be completely free of any form, at least that’s our approach. I think as a band we kind of grow better when we have places to expand from as a tentative start. So just all kind of just take off at the same time.
C: I’m going to see you guys play for the first time when you’re out here next week. What should I expect from my first Derek Trucks concert experience?
DT: I would pretty much expect seeing the other guys in the band, who are all amazing musicians. You can see it on anybody on stage pretty much at any time. A lot of music going on. Between Yonrico [Scott, drums] and Javier [Colon, lead vocals, percussion] there is definitely a lot to watch for. We try to keep it from being just one-dimensional.
C: Of all the people you’ve played with-Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Lee Hooker, Phish, Phil Lesh-who do you think has influenced you the most?
DT: It’s hard to say, but if I had to choose I would say Colonel Bruce Hampton. Musically, on a lot of levels, learning about music, learning how to hear it, Colonel Bruce Hampton really taught me a lot. Other than that, I think the guys who I’m playing with now probably influence me more than anything.
C: If you could play with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
DT: Somebody living, I’d like to play with Elton Joan, you know, Coltrane’s drummer. I don’t know if I would. I think people like Coltrane, it’s probably just better to leave that alone. Elton’s alive, I think I would love to see him at some point.
C: Do you remember the first time you ever picked up a guitar?
DT: Um, I do actually vaguely remember it. It was at a garage sale when I was eight or nine years old.
C: Do you remember what kind of guitar it was?
DT: It was a no-name acoustic.
C: What was the first concert you ever attended?
DT: I remember going to a lot of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. Really early on I remember seeing Ray Charles there. I got a chance to see Miles (Davis) at seven years old. Those are the first ones I remember.
C: What was the first album you ever owned?
DT: I’m not exactly sure of the first one I ever bought. Maybe a blues compilation, I remember buying one early on with Howlin’ Wolf and Bobby Bland on it. That’s probably the first one I ever actually remember purchasing.
C: Do you have any pre-show rituals you always do?
DT: There’s not really a definitive thing for me, but I like to get a few moments of silence with the band. Everyone in the band in one room, just hanging out. It’s hard to jump from the craziness of just hanging out with people and then jumping on stage. I just like to get everyone together for a few minutes.
C: What kinds of bands do you listen to now?
DT: I still listen to the early blues guys. So much has already been done and I’m just keying in on it.
C: Do you have one pop song you don’t want to admit to liking?
DT: No, I try to avoid that as best I can.
C: Where do you see you and your band ten years from now?
DT: I really hope to just keep doing what we’re doing; hitting the road and playing music. Hopefully at that point we’ll have written a lot of material as a band. You know, I just hope to be able to keep rolling with it. I don’t really want to stop.
C: If you could have any super power, what would it be?
DT: I’ve never been asked that one before. I guess it would have to be flight. Yeah, flying would be pretty cool.
C: All right, last question, if someone were to make a movie about your life, who would play you?
DT: I don’t know. I don’t think anyone would make a movie out of my life. It’s not really exciting enough. It would probably be just two hours of silence and a blank screen.