On June 13, 2014, the Tedeschi Trucks Band took the stage at Bonnaroo Music Festival for a special performance that would go down in history. The band, led by husband-and-wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, hosted a Superjam featuring an incredible lineup of guest musicians and a setlist of soulful covers, many of which had never been performed by the band before or since.
The Superjam, a Bonnaroo tradition that brings together artists from different genres and backgrounds for a one-of-a-kind collaboration, was curated by Trucks, who handpicked the songs and the guests. The result was a two-hour musical extravaganza that showcased the band’s versatility, talent, and passion.
The show kicked off with a stirring rendition of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”, followed by Derek & The Dominos’ “Keep On Growing” and Traffic’s “Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring”. Tedeschi and Trucks traded vocals and guitar solos, demonstrating their chemistry and skill. The band was joined by Willie Weeks on bass, James Gadson and Adam Deitch on drums, David Hidalgo on guitar and vocals, Eric Krasno on guitar, Nigel Hall on keys and vocals, and The Shady Horns on sax and trumpet.
The first guest to appear was Saunders Sermons, a trombonist and vocalist who sang Bill Withers’ “Kissing My Love” with Tedeschi. Next up was the legendary Taj Mahal, who brought his bluesy flair to four songs: “Everybody’s Gotta Change Sometimes”, “I Can’t Turn You Loose”, “Statesboro Blues”, and “These Arms Of Mine”. Mahal also played guitar and harmonica, adding to the rich sound of the ensemble.
The Superjam continued with more classic tunes, such as Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain”, Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend”, Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, and Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be”. The band also paid tribute to the late Bobby Womack, who had passed away earlier that day, by playing his song “It’s All Over Now”.
The highlight of the night, however, was the surprise appearance of Chaka Khan, who electrified the crowd with her powerful voice and presence. She sang three songs with the band: Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”, Rufus & Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good”, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Shining Star”. The audience went wild as Khan belted out the lyrics and danced with the band.
The Superjam ended with a bang, as the band and the guests returned to the stage for a double encore of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Sing A Simple Song” and “I Want To Take You Higher”.
