The Derek Trucks Band will release its major-label debut album, Joyful Noise, on July 30th on Columbia Records. The album was recorded by the twenty-two-year-old frontman Trucks and his touring ensemble this past winter at Bearsville Studio in New York and the Sunset Sound Factory in Los Angeles with producer Craig Street.

In addition to several instrumentals, Trucks has enlisted a number of guest vocalists, including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ruben Blades, Solomon Burke and Trucks' wife Susan Tedeschi to make appearances on the genre-blurring record. As for Trucks band, Count M'Buto (formerly of Col. Bruce Hampton's Aquarium Rescue Unit) plays congas and percussion, Kofi Burbridge does duty on keyboards and flute, with bassist Todd Smallie and drummer Yonrico Scott rounding out the lineup.

Trucks and Co. will be promoting Joyful Noise with a series of summer dates on their own, as well as sharing stages with Phil Lesh and Friends and Jorma Kaukonen. Trucks also plans to continue serving his dual duty with the Allman Brothers Band as lead and slide guitarist.

5/25: Angels Camp, CA, Mountain Air Festival
6/23: Columbus, OH, Polaris Amphitheater
6/24: University City, MO, Cicero's
6/25: Kansas City, Memorial Hall
7/2: Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Blossom Music Center
7/3: Cincinnati, Riverbend Music Center
7/4: Antioch, TN, AmSouth Amphitheater
7/11: Buffalo, Lafayette Square
7/12: Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
7/13: Amagansett, NY, Stephen Talkhouse
7/18: New York, Castle Clinton
7/19: Asbury Park, NJ, Stone Pony
7/20: Farmingdale, NY, Dave Glicker's Downtown
7/25: Rochester, NY, Manhattan Square Park
7/28: Duanesburg, NY, Camp Creek Festival
9/7: Hayfork, CA, Trinity Tribal Stomp
11/12: Buffalo, Center for the Arts
11/15: Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Casino

ANDREW DANSBY
(May 24, 2002)