Dan's Papers - October 3, 2008

Armed with a wealth of new material and an impending album release, Grammy-nominated blues singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, who's based in Jacksonville, Fla., will be showing off her new songs and playing fan favorites at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Oct. 12.

Back to the River, which will be available Oct. 28, finds Tedeschi not only releasing new material for the first time since 2005's covers album, Hope and Desire, but also collaborating with other musicians for the first time in her career. "It was a blast writing with people," she said. "I didn't really know that. I've been writing on my own since I was 14."

The most interesting part for Tedeschi, though, was that rather than collaborating remotely, she worked with the other musicians - which included artists such as Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, John Leventhal, Tony Joe White and Sonya Kitchell, as well as her husband, Derek Trucks - in person and got to see their creative processes firsthand. "It was really interesting to meet these people and see how they all think. I have all different ways of writing. It's however the song comes to you. It's kind of like surfing. You just have to ride the wave. I just wish I knew how to surf," she laughed.

The result is a more rock-oriented album, with songs that touch upon political, environmental and social issues, such as "700 Houses," which talks about the world's recent natural disasters, and "Revolutionize Your Soul," which is about boy soldiers in Africa. "I was trying to think more globally," Tedeschi said. Still, listeners can interpret the songs however they want, she says. "They can be perceived as a love song if that's what you want to hear... They all just deal with human issues and how to better ourselves."

Typically, Tedeschi's albums consist of a mixture of covers and originals. However, she scratched the plans for an album of new songs when she recorded Hope and Desire because she was awaiting the birth of her daughter. "I was pregnant with Sophia and I had Charlie, [her son]" she said. "I was running around after a toddler and pregnant. I had no time to write."

So she got together with her record company, Verve Forecast, and producer, Joe Henry, to choose the songs for the album, picking classics such as Ray Charles' "Tired of My Tears," Aretha Franklin's "Share Your Love with Me" and The Rolling Stones' "You Got the Silver."

"I learned a lot from that album," Tedeschi said. "I learned it's not about just writing songs. It's about writing great songs." Putting down her guitar for the record to focus on vocals, she was also unflappable when facing the daunting task of interpreting songs by such songwriting masters. "I just wanted to sing it like I would sing it, not copy them. I wanted to just naturally sing it and emote the lyrics. You really just want to make it your own."

Growing up outside Boston, Tedeschi took to the stage at an early age, starting out as an actress as well as a singer. In her teens, she decided to channel all of her creative efforts into music, attending Berklee College of Music and forming her first bands. "I wanted to focus on being able to communicate as an artist," she said. "I wish I could have been a painter. But it's nice to be able to paint pictures with songs."

In 2000, following her album Just Won't Burn, she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Artist category, finding herself up against such mainstream artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Macy Gray and Kid Rock. "It was horrifying," she said, quickly noting that she was appreciative of the nomination. "But, oh my gosh. I had been touring for a long time. I had been on the road for at least five or six years. So, I was thinking, 'Why now?' I didn't understand how it worked. I was intimidated. I wasn't thinking I could win a Grammy. I thought, 'Yeah, it'll never happen. What am I, a joke?' But I was honored. It was a really big step for me. I don't know if it helped the blues scene, but it helped me."

She was later nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2003 and Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2006. "The Grammys are interesting. It seems out of reach to me. It's like the government. There's a lot of politics to it all," she said, adding, "I'm not trying to be famous. I'm just trying to make a living, be a parent and write good songs."

Tedeschi will be performing at the WHBPAC on Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $85/$70/$55 and can be purchased at whbpac.org or by calling the box office at 631-288-1500. For more information about Tedeschi and her upcoming album, go to www.susantedeschi.com.

If you're a band or musician interested in being featured in our new music column, email tiffany@danspapers.com.