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I had the opportunity to see Tuck and Patti at the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis. Despite living not far from the Twin Cities for almost 20 years, and going there regularly to visit family, I have never been to the Dakota. It is a great venue for small groups and especially jazz. We were seated literally 20 feet away from Tuck. (The food and drinks are not bad, either.)
If you've ever seen them, you know that they are a special duo performing an intimate type of jazz that is not too common these days. Tuck brought his trusty '53 L5. Apparently he has a Bartolini active pickup in the neck position. The bridge pickup slot is empty. I thought he might have a piezo pickup of some type as well. No amplifier onstage. He had a very rudimentary pedal setup but got a lot of use out of his volume pedal, in fact used it continuously.
He is of course a fabulous player. I would describe him as like the love child of Joe Pass and Michael Hedges. He doesn't tap with his right hand (that I could see) but plays highly percussively. All fingerstyle, no pick.
Patti's voice has a lovely deep contralto; she sounds like the second coming of Sarah Vaughn. Tuck and Patti have been performing together for 45 years. They improvise the songs and even the setlist as they go along. Overall there are few if any like them currently.
In case you're wondering, Tuck mostly played accompaniment but did play 3 or 4 songs solo while Patti was taking a break, including the Santana song Europa. Can't wait to see them again.
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They are great and Tuck is a monster of a player, and a great and very analytical teacher as well. I saw them live only once, about 20 years ago! I have all their CDs, and every once in a while i get back to practicing the way Tuck plays, trying to keep up all these things he does simultaneously. He has a hell of a groove..
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Thanks for posting this.
I haven't thought of Tuck Andress in quite a while and spent the past hour revisiting Reckless Precision.
When that album came out in the early 90's, it really made a huge impact on me. He's a beautiful player and such a humble man.
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I'm a long time fan of Tuck & Patti. Glad to see they're still touring.
Once in a while they do mini concerts on their Facebook page. Tuck always impresses with his unique playing style.
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Their albums are great of course, but they are even a level above live. Live music is always better of course, but these 2 have a telepathic communication and follow each other's lead in a way that is truly wonderful to experience. Some of the songs went on for 6-8-10 minutes--a version of Hendrix' Castles Made of Sand or Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song, also covered by Miles), for instance.
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I've been a fan since the first album. I've seen then in concert a few times and has the thrill of meeting them at NAMM. As great as Tuck is, I'm even more impressed by Patti. She's a brilliant singer. She produced most of their music and according to Tuck, she's really their creative force. She's also grown as a singer over the years evolving from brilliant to a level that truly awe inspiring.
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I saw these beauties about 30 years ago outdoors at what used to be a peaceful Ontario festival, Mariposa. It moved to a beer venue and was not the same. However, Tuck & Patti on a small stage where yes Patti was stellar, but as a guitarist Tuck was my focus. After a song he explained that a bug had flown and landed on his fret board; Andress explained how while the bug remained he worked his way around it. That is inspiration.
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A killer duo that basically offers something for everyone. No easy feat. Fine guitar playing, great vocals, recognizable song choices. My wife really loves their stuff as do I.
Surprised the Dakota is still open. Last time I was there was the late 90's! Was a nice club then but I think it was a $20 cover (or dinner). We were doing a corporate Dennis Kirk gig and went and caught some jazz after our afternoon set. Had a good time though I can't remember the name of the group. Heavy set younger (at the time) guy with dreads on the upright really killed it Great club to see Tuck and Patti at. Bet that was fun.
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Funny, on the long car trip home from vacation, my wife put on some tracks of theirs. Reminded me of a couple of times I've seen them. One time they were on the same bill as Leo Kottke!
Tuck had an instructional video, I pull it out from time to time. Apparently he developed his style playing in a funk band.
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During the pandemic Tuck was doing a weekly, hour-long Facebook livestream that he billed as “Tuck’s Tips for Guitar.” It was almost always Tuck with his well-worn L5 doing a kind of stream of consciousness show during which he would either talk about or play whatever seemed to pop into his head at the moment. On rare occasions, Patti would join him for a song but mostly it is just Tuck.
Tuck has that mad professor vibe about him and would often go off on a tangent and prattle on about nothing in particular, but he would eventually wend his way back to something musical. Sometimes he would play a full tune but mostly he would noodle harmonic ideas with which he is quite adept; very educational.
I’m not sure if he still does the livestream but for those who might be interested, I’ve included a link to Tuck’s Tips for Guitar #105 from October 2022, which is the most recent that I can find.
On a somewhat related note, music is not limited to Tuck and his wife Patti. Those with a taste for the 2023 incarnation of rock-n-roll are likely familiar with Tuck’s niece Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent.
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Big fan. Would take my family to their annual Thanksgiving concert at Yoshis Jazz Club in Oakland, CA. My girls loved it! Saw them last at a SF hotel venue a couple of years ago. A bit of trivia - Tuck played guitar years ago in the Gap Band.
AKA
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He also played with Chaka
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