I did some of the leads on that, but Sean Costello played lead there. The new album, which Tedeschi began recording at the beginning of February, will be a different story. Bass player Brad Hallen, who lives north of Boston and joined the band last July, is also on board. Prodigy or not, Tedeschi has been sure-footed in her ascent since graduating from Berklee in 1991. She went from local blues jammer with promise to winning Outstanding Blues Act at the Boston Music Awards in 1995 and '96 to playing Lilith Fair '99 and singing duets with Sheryl Crow, and having Sarah McLachlan and members of the Dixie Chicks back her up.
Nobody's really ever a brand-new artist.
Then she giggles at her own somber tone. Tedeschi is up against some stiff competition if you're measuring by album sales and bucks in the bank, but that doesn't faze her. I think Macy Gray or maybe myself or even Kid Rock will get it. And no matter what happens at the Grammys, Tedeschi has already done pretty well for herself as a woman playing blues, which even in this day and age makes her a minority entertainer. None are household names.