Ask blues-rock guitarist Derek Trucks the obvious question about the players he tries to emulate and he'll name-check an Allman (Duane), a James (Elmore) and the three Kings: Albert, Freddy and B.B.

This year, he continued his longtime road-tripping with The Allman Brothers Band (since age 11), his own Derek Trucks Band (since age 15) and a more recent admirer of his skills: Eric Clapton.

But query the 28-year-old Trucks about who he was most buzzed at playing live with in 2007 and he gushes over someone a bit closer to home and heart: his wife, Grammy-nominated blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi.

"As a guitar player and a singer, I can't think of any musicians that have moved me more," said Trucks, who formed his first band with Tedeschi — the classic soul and R&B-influenced Soul Stew Revival — earlier this year. "I think that having that mutual respect musically really shows on stage. ... There's a certain directness that she has that's like an old blues player."

All things above considered, 2007 was a pretty good year for the gifted slide improviser — returning to Honolulu tonight with his Derek Trucks Band for the first time in more than four years.

Having covered Trucks' history with the Allmans in our last chat — Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes and Derek's uncle Butch Trucks invited the kid with the scintillating slide to sit in with them whenever he wanted, while still in grade school — we kicked off our talk this time with a discussion of his first-ever appearance on a Rolling Stone magazine cover in February. Under the headline "The New Guitar Gods." With a Red Hot Chili Pepper John and a blue-eyed, pop blues John.

Q. So what does being on the cover of Rolling Stone with John Frusciante and John Mayer do for a guitarist's career track?

A. It gives people something to talk about. (Laughs) I don't think as a musician you put too much weight into things like that. I mean, if it would've been a cover with Wayne Shorter and Elvin Jones, that's different. Or Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

Q. You were no slouch, though, having already made Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time back in 2003. Does it still feel odd and a bit surreal when music writers single you out like that among musicians who are your heroes?

A. You just kind of roll with things like that. You don't put too much weight into it. I mean, you have to have a certain amount of confidence to do what we do, but you don't let it run away. ... We just saw Stevie Wonder (in concert) two or three days ago, and that kind of puts things in perspective. (Laughs) ...

(The Rolling Stone list) definitely (had) a few handfuls of guys that I thought were really great (and) it was cool to be mentioned with 'em. But there were at least twice as many who I don't think should've been anywhere near a list of the hundred. (Laughs) There's no Albert King. There's no Charlie Christian. Was Django Reinhardt on there?

Q. Nope.

A. But Jack White's on there. (Laughs) Pretty high, if I remember.

Q. You must have already had some comfort jamming with bona-fide legends, having worked with the Allman Brothers Band for so long. But do you still get starstruck when someone like Eric Clapton asks you to tour with him?

A. That's something you don't expect to ever do so, yeah, there's definitely a little bit of that. But luckily, guys like that are really humble and easy to be around, and they make you feel like you're supposed to be there ... that you're supposed to be playing with them. So you get past that pretty quick.

Q. How did he invite you?

A. I just got a call on my cell phone from him to go do that J.J. Cale record (Clapton and Cale's 2006 CD "The Road to Escondido"). I think (Clapton tour guitarist/vocalist) Doyle Bramhall had given him our solo records, and that was the introduction. I think he was looking for a third guitar player and Doyle threw my name in the hat.

Q. What was it like playing with Clapton every night?

A. A guy that's been around that long, you always try to pick their brain and get stories. Whether it was asking him about hanging with Hendrix in clubs in London, or hanging with (late Allman Brothers Band lead guitarist) Duane (Allman) or whoever. He had been around for all of it. So you learn a lot that way.

And then, just kind of by paying attention and watching the way somebody goes about their business. There's a reason that certain guys are able to do it for 30 or 40 years and other guys burn out. So you try to key into the things that work and also on the things that maybe don't work.

Q. So what did you learn about Clapton from being around him?

A. One of the things is ... the directness of his guitar playing. ... You never feel like you've heard everything that he's got, which seems to keep people coming back. You don't get into that ear-fatigue thing.

I've gone to see some great players where by the end of it, I've just kind of had enough. (Laughs) With (Clapton) it's a little different. You almost go away wanting a little bit more, which I think is the key.

Q. The Clapton job had to have been a bit more laid back than working with the Derek Trucks Band, where all eyes are on you, and you're taking the lead.

A. From that view, it's definitely easier to be on the road as a sideman to someone like Clapton where you have your parts and you do your thing. There's some moments where you have to carry a little bit of the weight. But for the most part, it's not really on you.

I prefer it the other way.

I'd much rather be a part of a band where everybody's gotta carry the load, you know? I think it's too easy to get complacent ... if you're just along for the ride. And I think a little manual labor ... a little 'musical' manual labor ... is the way to go. (Laughs)

I think that's what keeps you fresh, actually. The other way is much easier to burn out if you're not flexing your musical mind.

Q. With the formation of Soul Stew Revival, you also got to work a bit more with Susan this year.

A. That's been fun. It's kind of a combination of both (our) bands. We just did a few shows in the summer and (will do more) around New Year's. Musically, it's really rewarding. I think it has a lot of room to grow, which is nice.

It's also an opportunity for our family to be together on the road. (Trucks and Tedeschi have two children, ages 3 and 5.) It's a way to be out together and work and play music. So it serves a lot of functions. (Laughs) ...

We work and travel so much, you have to create time to hang out. ...

Q. You've toured this year with Susan and Soul Stew Revival, with the Derek Trucks Band, with Clapton and with the Allman Brothers this year. How do you continue to keep everyone happy?

A. Who knows, man? (Laughs) I think at a certain point, you don't worry about it, and you just do what you do and if everyone's happy ... great. If not ... sorry.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.