DEREK TRUCKS INTERVIEW #2
(Originally aired on September 24, 2009)
To many 6-string connoisseurs, Derek Trucks is the most technically adept, original and soulful rock guitarist of his generation, and scores of slide fanatics rank him among the finest to ever lay glass on steel, regardless of age or musical style. A child prodigy, the Florida native began playing guitar at age nine, and a year later started touring under his dad's watchful eye.
Since the late '90s, Trucks has split his time between the Allman Brothers (his uncle, Butch Trucks, is a founding member), and his own outfit, the Derek Trucks Band. In 2007, Trucks also did a world tour with Eric Clapton. Not bad for a guitarist who just turned 30. More than any other guitarist, Trucks has integrated the melismatic, microtonal melodies of Eastern music with the hot, harp-inspired sound of Mississippi juke-joint slide.
In our exclusive interview, Trucks describes writing and recording his 2009 album, Already Free, which he produced and tracked in his home studio. Songs from Already Free alternate with interview clips to create a revealing audio portrait of this gifted player.