Together, this talented bunch executes Trucks' vast musical vision, which incorporates blues, blues-rock, folk, jazz, soul and East Indian, all while showing a lot of reverence to the most influential practitioners of those musical forms. As Trucks himself has summed up, "Musically, it's always been wide open in this band."
Today marks the sixth studio release by this anything-goes band, Already Free. The main impetus for recording this one is straightforward: Trucks recently completed building his own home studio by hand and with the help of some friends, and quickly thereafter began noodling around in it. From that Jacksonville, Florida incubator came forth plenty of new material for a new album, as well as ideas for some well-chosen covers.
Of the covers, "Sweet Inspiration" works the best. I haven't heard this old Spooner Oldham/Dan Penn composition since Rita Coolidge tackled it in the mid-Seventies, but the DTB gives this forty-year old tune new life by taking it to church, where it belongs, and adds a funky undercurrent. Still, Trucks can't take full credit for resurrecting this forgotten song originally by The Sweet Inspirations; it was Santana who pitched it to him.
Another borrowed tune is Bob Dylan/The Band's "Down In The Flood," already spun off as a single. It's a simple, country blues melody that Mattison sings with Delta authority, and Trucks unloads a powerful slide solo, making this rendition a potent blues rocker that doesn't forget for a single second the traditional blues part of that equation.
Big Maybelle's "I Know" recreates that trademark Allman Brothers shuffle replete with Burbridges' Hammond B-3 Gregg Allman evocations and marries it to a joyful, gospel melody that Mattison sings over with relaxed conviction. The song drives to its finish with Trucks' slide work fading into a distant sound of a sitar, a gentle reminder that this group may share a lot of territory with its leader's "other" band, but maintains it's own identity.
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
I have picked up Songlines and set it down on three or four occasions. I'm going to have to get that and this and give them an audition.
2 - Tom Johnson
I love Trucks' playing. I had a couple of his earlier albums, kept listening hoping for the lightning to strike and it never did. Something didn't connect. Beautiful playing by Trucks, a great band, and even the vocals didn't get in the way when they were present, but the circle didn't come 'round fully and offer up great songs that I wanted to listen to over and over. They just seemed like formless jams. Maybe he's progressed and grown since those earlier albums. I sure was disappointed after seeing him play on some TV show - the power on display on stage was absolutely not captured in a studio recording.
3 - Pico
No formless jams at all on this record, Tom. Even Songlines isn't all the "jammy" although where it is, it's more interesting. But Already Free is by far the most oriented toward presenting concise, memorable songs. You won't hear the band stretch out much at all, but Trucks still manages to leave behind some great licks that work well within the songs rather than sounding like excuses to show off. And the singing is great all around; Mattison, who didn't appear until Songlines, is straight up a top notch vocalist.
4 - John
A great review of this spectacular album.
5 - Triniman
I just saw perform last night in Winnipeg. I may write a review. This was my second time seeing him, this time to a larger audience. He is still quiet and unassuming, barely looking at the audience at all and speaking only to introduce the band members. There was quite a variety in his playing, from various blues, Indian, funk, and spectacular jazz in the form of My Favorite Things. That 20-minute jam was the highlight for me, but for others it was the blistering Keys To The Highway. I had a hell of a good time. See them live if you can.