The Track Star Podcast Testing Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks' Music Knowledge
Apr 6, 2026
Derek Trucks, virtuoso slide guitarist and bandleader, and Susan Tedeschi, Grammy-winning blues-rock singer and songwriter, face off naming classic rock icons. They race through stories about Hendrix, Coltrane, Bonnie Raitt, Allman Brothers, Elmore James tone tricks, Leon Russell and more. Short, fast-paced conversations and tour anecdotes make this a music-lovers thrill ride.
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Playing Hendrix With Santana In Montreux
- Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi instantly name Jimi Hendrix and recall playing If Six Was Nine with Carlos Santana at Montreux.
- Paul Allen studied Hendrix's record collection and even sent Derek an Excel breakdown of Hendrix's most-played tracks, revealing influences like the Four Tops and Ravi Shankar.
Love Supreme Changed My Life
- Derek Trucks names John Coltrane and Susan describes being introduced to A Love Supreme by mentor Colonel Bruce Hampton and the record's life-changing impact.
- She hunted for a Coltrane jacket for years and finally found one in Australia, linking the record to deep personal reverence.
Planned Gospel Record With Sam Moore
- Susan and Derek identify Sam and Dave and discuss Sam Moore's remarkable stories and planned gospel record with Susan that never materialized.
- Steve Cropper's recent passing is noted, and Derek recalls extraordinary touring tales with Otis Redding's era musicians.