Susan Tedeschi: Back To The River - 2008

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Gritty, car oil soaked guitar-driven Southern soully blues from a woman in a strappy vest top who don’t take no bull from no man. Actually, as you probably know by now, hubby Derek Trucks is on guitar here. 

There is a soulful, Steve Cropper, Stax-y tone to Susan’s guitar playing and she just has a wonderful, husky voice. Most of my reviews are of 70s music, peppered with anecdotes about life in 1973 or whatever. I am not able to do that here. What I can say, though, is that Susan Tedeschi can play the blues. And some. 

This album is a breath of fresh air. We would seem to be blessed with a slew of lady bluesers at the moment - Joanna Connor, Grace Potter, Joanne Shaw Taylor and of course, Susan Tedeschi. Susan plays a mean slide guitar, particularly on the title track, Back To The River, and the later era-Springsteenesque 700 Houses. 

Other highlights are the considerably lighter People, There's A Break In the Road and Learning The Hard Way, which has echoes of 70s blues rockers Free. Revolutionize Your Soul is a soulful, brass-powered slow blues ballad. At times, it could almost be Southside Johnny. Check the guitar on Love Me Don't Hate Me too. No need to analyse much more here. Just pour yourself a shot of Jack Daniels and let Susan do the rest.

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