The Derek Trucks Band was an American blues rock group founded by young slide guitar prodigy Derek Trucks, who began playing guitar and touring with some of the blues and rock music's elite when he was just nine years old.

Led by Trucks and loosely based in his family home in Jacksonville, Florida, the band generally consisted of six members.

Melding together blues, southern rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, and funk with Hindustani classical music, afro-beat and world fusion, the band has released six studio albums, two live albums, and a live DVD.

The bandmates have combined their talents to perform pieces from some of the most highly regarded musicians before them, while at the same time collaborating on writing the songs they have recorded.

[1] His songwriting collaborations with other band members appeared from their first eponymous debut album in 1997, followed by Out of the Madness in 1999, and have continued to date.

Kofi Burbridge is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, and he contributed to his versatility with keyboards, organ, flute, and backing vocals,[5] in addition to his songwriting.

[6] Trucks said of Mattison, "He's got a huge range, so that helps us out a lot when we stretch into some of the different material we cover.

It's a tough piece of the puzzle to find, you know -- a good singer who fits with what you're doing -- so we were very fortunate to hook up with Mike.

M'Butu has a great deal of African influence in his work, but lived in Sandersville, Georgia most of his life, "so he's got that Southern thing, too", Trucks concluded.

Since the band embraces improvisation and musical exploration, he has said, "You're just part of the ensemble -- you do your bit and step back and let everybody else do theirs.