From early influences like Lightning Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt to a brief stint in the choral section of The Berklee College of Music, Susan Tedeschi has been making an impact on the contemporary "blues" genre since 1999 and her appearance at the Beale Street Blues Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. In a genre that isn't exactly saturated with women of visual allure, the 38 year old diva is an obvious phenomenon in talent and genetics, a tandem rarely seen within the burgeoning blues circuit of today.

Undaunted by the decline of musical appreciation in the early nineties, Susan began recording in 1994 and the expansion of her selected category would be duly noted. Comparisons abound and are inclusive of the embryonic days of Joplin and the gruff, Baroque voice that resonated from legendary venues like The Avalon Ballroom and The Fillmore East & West and the more melodic voice of Bonnie Raitt, both of which now culminate in the neoteric interpretation of today's "blues" by Susan. Often augmented by the once child prodigy and now husband, Derek trucks, Susan continues to expand the paremeters of today's music and tours on a consistent basis around the globe. Awards continue to flow, i.e., Best New Artist, Grammy nominations and the uncanny ability to inject vitality and commercialism into a somewhat subdued world of music, the musical tapestry that is now woven by Susan seems to adorn the walls of those who now know the power of her music.

Influences abound but those she most emulated and admired are now exuded by her love performance as she continues to expand the boundaries of the current "blues" of America. If the chance should present itself, Soul Stew Revival, The Derek Trucks Band or Suan Tedeschi, make a concerted effort to see the rebirth of what great music is all about, a temporary elixor that heals the wounds and allows for cultural acceptance. These are the songs of Americana, the minstrels that have revived a dying art form and as the approach the echelons of musical immortality, who better to be remembered than those who make a difference.

Keep the faith
Don Aters - Haight Street Msic News