Susan Tedeschi’s second album, Just Won’t Burn, changed her life. Released in 1998, it pushed her from a local Boston blues act to a Grammy-winning international touring star, practically overnight.
Fantasy Records is re-releasing the album with bonus tracks, so VG got together with Derek Trucks’ better half to talk about it.
What was going on in your life just before Just Won’t Burn?
I started a band in ’93 and we won a Battle of The Blues Bands then built a following in the Northeast. I was touring all the time and made my first record, Better Days, in ’95. Because I did so well selling that album from the stage, I got a deal with Tone-Cool Records – my first label experience. I’d had a band for five years, but we were breaking up, so the album has a jambalaya of musicians. It’s a peek into what I was doing – rock and blues mixed with a little folky country stuff and a bunch of originals. I was hoping to sell 60,000 records, but we sold 600,000 and somehow got a Grammy for Best New Artist. I was like, “What?”
That was a huge turning point. It broke me out of the New England scene and got me all over the country and Europe. I opened for B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, John Mellencamp, Jimmie Vaughan, and people like that. It helped me build a bigger base and continue working as a musician.
Did you write specifically for the album?
I wrote “Just Won’t Burn” just before that, and “Friar’s Point” for the record. We did a few covers like “Angel from Montgomery,” “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” and “Little by Little,” which were blues songs that I had been playing. It was showing the two sides stylistically. “Looking For Answers” was a song I wrote a couple of years earlier. It was what I was doing at the time. Tone-Cool let me do what I do.
Sean Costello plays on the album. Which songs did you play on?
“Just Won’t Burn” is me on lead. “Rock Me Right” is me and Sean. He plays the intense, badass solo on “It Hurt So Bad.” He also plays on “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean.” Adrienne Hayes plays on “Can’t Leave You Alone,” which is her song. I’m playing slide on “Looking For Answers,” and “Friar’s Point” is me. Now, I can play all the solos, but back then, I wasn’t very proficient. I was learning from them. The memorable solos are probably Sean’s (laughs). He’s a lot like Derek because he’s a really melodic player. I play the bluesy stuff like on “Little by Little” and “Rock Me Right.”
As impressive as your voice was back then, it’s much richer today.
One thing I learned about singing through the years is that opera singers don’t come into their prime until their 40s. It makes sense. I’ve been singing onstage since I was four. I could hear the youth in my voice; now it’s much richer and has better tone and quality. That only comes with time and smoking pot with Willie Nelson (laughs).
In guitar-player terms, where was your head in ’98?
I was copying T-Bone Walker, Johnny Guitar Watson, and Otis Rush. Tim Gearan helped me a lot. I started playing a lot of Jimmy Reed records. I was still learning on my first two records, working on my rhythm playing and breaking out on some lead.
What kind of gear were you using?
I was using a Super Reverb and an Ampeg Reverberocket. Buddy Guy gave me a 4×10 Victoria that I would pair with a ’64 Super Reverb. If it was a tiny club, I’d bring the Super, and to this day it’s my main amp in the studio.
How about guitars?
It was the Tele on the cover – a ’93 American Standard. I bought it used in a music store in Cambridge for $600, and I still love that thing. It’s a little different because it has graphite saddles. I’m working on a prototype signature model with Fender, just like it. It works anywhere and with any kind of amp.
What’s next?
We’ve been on the road non-stop. We’ll be doing more touring, but we’re going to take some time off to write and do another record. The Tedeschi Trucks Band is very prolific, so we have to set aside time and see where it takes us.
This article originally appeared in VG’s March 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
