Notes from the Yonrico Scott Band...

As everyone must know by now, the Derek Trucks Band is on a hiatus. So, needless to say, the last 8 gigs for the band were very very spiritual and very very heartfelt. The band stepped it up to a new level. For a time where one would think it would be a turbulent time, it was more a time to rejoice. Because we knew in our hearts, we had played music around the world - we had played in places some bands wouldn't even go - from shacks and roadhouses to playing at Madison Square Garden. We played in a place in Asbury Park where they had dirt floors to playing in front of the President of the United States. We played in the Rose Bowl and then we played on the sandy beaches of Fort Lauderdale. We have been blessed and I'd like to focus here on what has gone by in the past and what is to come of the future. The beat was uplifting. We played the last few dates of the tour in the Peekskill Mountains at The Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY .

The dTb has a 16 year musical legacy - the main nucleus is Todd Smallie, 16 years, Kofi Burbridge, 10 years, Mike Mattison, 5 years, Count M'butu about 7 years, and myself for 16 years, and Derek, of course, for 30 years because he is Derek Trucks. So we pulled out some old tunes, and actually that last night, we pulled out a tune we had never played live before, 555 Lake. And it was written at the home of Bill Lucado, one of our biggest benefactors. If we weren't all a bunch of grown men, we probably would've shed a tear or two because it was so sentimental to hear. Other old tunes we played were Young Funk, Preachin' Blues, and Ain't That Loving You, and For My Brother... these were all tunes we played from back in the day, and we kind of lived on. We have a wonderful music discography that we can share with the world - our albums, our CDs and our DVDs are all around the world. People can share our music and our memories. And we had so many people walking up to us to say they've been to our shows - 20, 30, or more times. Or, they tell us they met their husband or their wife at one of our shows... and now they've come back to celebrate their anniversary at our show. So we've been a part of a lot of peoples' lives and so has this music.

So now, I am a drummer in search of the groove of the universe and I have been blessed to be able to play with a lot of people.

Here's a funny tale from the road... W

hen you're out on the road, there are always crazy things that come up. One time we were in Lake Tahoe on our way to Colorado, and we stopped at a country store out in the middle of nowhere - it was about 12 years ago. Derek was about 18... he went into the store and while he did that, it seemed like a good idea for me to take a 'nature break,' if you know what I mean. So I went around back by the dumpster. There I was getting ready... the wind blowing through my hair... and all of a sudden I hear a rustling in the dumpster. And, I said, "What is that?" I looked inside the dumpster and there was a bear! He was just sitting in there with a jar of mayonnaise and he had his paw and his claws inside the jar eating mayonnaise. He looked at me and I looked at him. Then, I booked it and ran screaming right into the store. I was yelling, 'A bear! A bear!" I was running and screaming like somebody killed me. Everybody in the store came out and they had never seen a bear go in the trashcan like that. They were all shocked. And the store owners said that was a cub and the mother bear would be coming up soon so we should go. And, Derek turned to say "Rico," but I was already sitting in the car with the car ready to go. It's funny when you've spent so many days, so many trips, so many travels with the band, and you just have so many stories and tales... so many tidbits from our artistic journey... to look back and remember those times, it's always going to be special. And I am grateful to have this time to share some of my journey with you.

Continue with me on my journey and stay up to date via my new website at, www.yonricoscott.com.