Every so often, a new artist comes along that grabs the attention of critics, fans and industry professionals alike. One whose music is instantly recognizable and causes the uninitiated listener to sit up and say "Who is that?" Add Susan Tedeschi's name to that short list. With a voice that is frequently compared with Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Etta James, and a guitar style influenced by Johnny Guitar Watson, Magic Sam and Freddie King, Susan has taken her influences and sculpted them into a style all her own. With the release of her national debut cd, Just Won't Burn on Tone-Cool Records (distributed by Tone- Cool/Rounder/Mercury), Susan's profile has continued to grow: she's had a top-15 Triple-A radio hit with "It Hurt So Bad," has toured with Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, BB King, Dr John and Delbert McClinton, has graced the covers of Pollstar and Blues Revue Magazines, and registered one of the top selling albums in the country. Susan's from-the- heart vocals and stinging guitar work combined with her charismatic stage presence and electrifying live performances, have caused listeners and critics nationwide to take notice.

Susan Tedeschi (pronounced Tuh-DES-kee) was born in 1970 and grew up in Norwell, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. She was drawn to music at an early age as she spent her time listening to her father's collection of Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt records before making her singing debut at age 5 and serving as an understudy on Broadway. Church, too, proved an early influence. "I was raised Catholic and sang in church, but it wasn't a spiritual experience," she says, "so later on, I started to sing at Baptist and Methodist churches that were predominantly black. It seemed less repressed and more like a celebration of God." She's played in bands since the age of 13 and formed her first all-original group at age 18 in the nearby town of Scituate, Mass, called the Smokin' Section.

After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in 1991, she went to check out the Sunday night blues jam at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA and soon developed a local following and reputation from her weekly sit-ins. Susan immersed herself in the Boston blues scene. She met guitarist Adrienne Hayes at the House of Blues in Cambridge, with whom she formed the Susan Tedeschi Band in 1993. In 1995, she borrowed $10,000 to record and manufacture an independent record to satisfy demand from local club-goers.

Susan's victory at the 1994 "Boston Battle of the Blues Bands" led to a performance at the "National Blues Talent Competition" at the Daisy Theater in Memphis. She placed second, but many spectators (and judges) felt she would have placed first if she hadn't lost points for exceeding the time limit. Soon afterwards, she was named "Best R&B Act" in 1995 by Boston magazine and nominated as "Outstanding Blues Act" at the Boston Music Awards both in 1995 and Ô96.

In 1998, Susan released Just Won't Burn, which presents evidence of her development as not only a singer and guitarist but as a songwriter as well. Songs range from "You Need to Be With Me," which culls it's third verse from an Emily Dickinson poem, to the title track, "Just Won't Burn," which she wrote after the death of a loved one. "Found Someone New," written on the piano, evokes her John Lennon influence, while "Looking for Answers," written in open D tuning, reflects her gospel influence, and "It Hurt So Bad," according to Susan, "was something Etta James or Otis Redding might have done." Finally, a powerful cover of John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery," was recorded live and, she adds, "is the closest thing we do to country."

Since the 1998 release of her Tone-Cool debut, Susan's career has taken off. She's toured with Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang, and as part of the BB King Blues Festival featuring BB King, Dr John, Delbert McClinton and Buddy Guy. Susan has earned the respect and affection of her peers and heroes through her talent, dedication and hard work. With their support and the talk already surrounding Susan and her debut record, this soulful and powerful singer and dexterous guitarist's career is only going to continue to grow.