Teseschi Trucks Band ‘Live From The Fox Oakland’

Album Review

By Stu Kelly / March 29, 2017

“When we put this band together, we intentionally scrapped what her band [Soul Stew Revival] did and what my band [Derek Trucks Band] did and we started with just a ‘seed.’ Three [studio] records in and the lid had finally come off,” said Derek Trucks as he explained the band’s progression in the opening scene of the video release from Live From The Fox Oakland.  

This quote is just one of the many moments in the live video that pulls back the veil and gives a glimpse of what life is like behind the scenes for of one of the most important touring bands in modern-day, the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Other special moments include an interview with Rolling Stone’s David Fricke on Sirius XM, several sound check jam sessions, an interview with Derek Trucks and Marc Maron for his podcast where the two find time to gush over a rare Los Lobos pressing on vinyl, b-roll footage of Derek and Susan building a set-list, a backstage jam session featuring Alam Khan and Chris Robinson on Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and so much more. The new live album/concert film is simply a beautiful representation of not only the Tedeschi Trucks Band as a unit, but also where they are in the lustrous career. 

The new release is pulled from the band’s September 9 concert in 2016 and comes on 2-CD/DVD, 2-CD/BluRay as well as a three disc vinyl set via Fantasy Records. This is the band’s first full live release (Everybody’s Talkin’ was technically a compilation from three different venues), and the band’s first-ever live video release. The music is chalked full of highlights including a chilling rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ballad “Bird On A Wire” where Kofi Burbridge leads the band right out of the gate. Susan’s voice is absolutely perfect for this song as she tenderly serenades the crowd. Alam Kham also makes his live debut with the band on “These Walls” adding some beautiful tones from his sarod (a type of fret-less sitar).  Despite being long-term family friend of Derek for of 15 years and appearing on the band’s debut album Revelator, this was surprisingly the first time he collaborated with the band live on stage. TTB also took a swing at George Harrison’s “Within You, Without You” that landed perfectly into one of their originals “Just As Strange,” which appeared on the band’s most recent studio album Let Me Get By. 

Live From The Fox Oakland feels like a promise from the Tedeschi Trucks Band; a promise that their best year’s are not behind them, but surely yet to come. 

Track Listing:

•  Don’t Know What It Means
• Keep On Growing
• Bird On The Wire
•  Within You, Without You
•  Just As Strange
• Crying Over You
• Color Of The Blues (Film only)
• These Walls (featuring Alam Khan)
• Anyhow
• Right On Time (CD only)
• Leavin’ Trunk
• Don’t Drift Away
• I Want More (Soul Sacrifice outro)
• I Pity The Fool
• Ali (CD only)
• Let Me Get By
• You Ain’t Going Nowhere (featuring Alam Khan and Chris Robinson, film only)   

Check out TTB’s take on Derek and The Domino’s “Keep On Growing” from the new release.