Susan Tedeschi

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Susan Tedeschi is part of the new generation of blues musicians looking for ways to keep the form exciting, vital and evolving. Tedeschi's live shows are by no means straight-ahead urban blues. Instead, she freely mixes classic R&B, blues and her own gospel and blues-flavored original songs into her sets. A key member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, she is known for her contributions to the blues genre and has been noted for her skillful guitar-playing, landing a spot on Rolling Stone's list of "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Tedeschi began singing when she was four and was active in local choir and theater in Norwell, a southern suburb of Boston. She began singing at 13 with local bands and continued her music studies at Berklee, honing her guitar skills and also joining the Reverence Gospel Ensemble. Susan Tedeschi started the first incarnation of her blues band upon graduating in 1991, with vocalist/guitarist Adrienne Hayes, a fellow blues enthusiast whom she met at the House of Blues in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and Boston-area singer Toni Lynn Washington were Tedeschi's most important influences; in starting her band, in fact, she used Washington's backing band and hustled up gigs on nights when Washington and her band were not already booked. Since they began performing around Boston's fertile blues scene, Susan Tedeschi and her band developed into a tightly knit, road-ready group, and have played several major blues festivals.

The Susan Tedeschi Band's first album, Just Won't Burn, was released on the Boston-based Tone-Cool Records in early 1998. The band for her debut on Tone-Cool includes guitarist Costello, bassist Jim Lamond and drummer Tom Hambridge; guitarist Hayes also contributes. Just Won't Burn is a powerful collection of originals, plus a sparkling cover of John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery." Susan Tedeschi and band also do justice to a tune Ruth Brown popularized, "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean," and Junior Wells' "Little By Little."

Throughout her career, Tedeschi has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, winning one in 2012 for Best Blues Album for "Revelator" with the Tedeschi Trucks Band. She has also received several Blues Music Awards, including Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year and Band of the Year with the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The band, which focuses on writing and performing original material, has released a number of albums including "I Am The Moon" in 2022. Tedeschi continues to tour actively with the band, showcasing her celebrated talent as a vocalist and guitarist.