b. 7 November 1970, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. A blues singer/guitarist who draws adroitly from other musical traditions, including rock and reggae, Tedeschi’s literate songs are informed by writers such as Massachusetts poet Emily Dickinson. She grew up the youngest of three children in the Boston suburb of Norwell, immersing herself in her father’s blues and folk records and writing her first song, ‘Somebody Watches’, at the age of 14. She also sang in churches before taking a degree in jazz and rock at the Berklee College Of Music. After graduation in 1991, she became a regular at local blues jams held at Boston venues such as Wally’s. She made her recording debut in 1995 with Better Days, a record whose songwriting authority and skill belied its low-budget recording. Tracks such as ‘Love Never Treats Me Right’ and ‘Gonna Write Him A Letter’ attracted critical plaudits and precipitated a move to a major label for the follow-up collection, 1998’s Just Won’t Burn. This time the outstanding songs included ‘It Hurt So Bad’ and the single, ‘You Need To Be With Me’.
A firm believer in the values of live performance, Tedeschi set out to promote it on blues bills alongside B.B. King and Buddy Guy, but also more rock-orientated acts such as Rusted Root, the New Radicals and John Hiatt. Her 2002 release Wait For Me took everyone by surprise, climbing to the top of the Billboard blues chart and holding the position for many months. Her popularity continued to grow when Hope And Desire lodged itself at the top of the same chart in 2005.
