Is it possible to be too musically in demand?

"If I could script it, that's probably the way I'd try to script it - being relatively unknown but being able to play with your idols growing up and some of your musical heroes. It's been pretty amazing. I'm on this last leg on the Clapton tour, splitting in the middle of it to finish out the Allman Brothers Beacon (Theatre) run. That was a tough call. But it was really the one commitment I gave them. Having to split in the middle of a Clapton tour feels a little awkward. 'Sorry, I can't do those shows.' "

How did the show get so heavy on Layla material?

"We've been hitting that whole catalog, which has been really nice. He's been breaking out a lot of tunes I don't think he's ever performed. Tunes like I Am Yours, Anyday, Tell the Truth, all the songs from the Layla record. The whole first half of the night is Dominos tunes. Part of that is this lineup really thrives on that. He realized this lineup was drawn toward the early '70s, Dominoes-era part of his music. He really started loading the set up with that as the tour went on."

Whenever Clapton tours people say 'Why three guitarists?'

"It works out really well. Doyle is playing a completely unique style, left-handed upside down. The things he's naturally going to go toward are different from what Eric and I are going to go toward. The fact that I'm playing slide in an open tuning makes it like three different instruments. It's not three standard-tuned guitar players up there doing it. Naturally, we stay out of each other's way just because of the way we play."

It's surreal: in the Allman Brothers you play the late Duane Allman's slide parts, and now you're doing that with the parts he played in Clapton songs.

"It's a pretty wild part of the story. Those are the albums that got me playing music - it was listening to Eat a Peach, Live at the Fillmore and the Layla record. To get to play these tunes with the surviving members from those records is quite a trip.

I really think of it in the light of Count Basie's music or Duke Ellington. Different soloists would come through. The footprint was laid by one of the masters. Forever after that it would be disciples of them coming through and playing that music."

Any reaction yet to Rolling Stone putting you on the cover as a "new guitar god?"

"Not yet. I don't know if I felt any of the backlash or whatever you'd call it. I saw it when I got home from Australia and thought it was pretty comical."

We've seen a guitar resurgence lately, haven't we?

"It definitely went through a pretty serious dry spell for a while. A lot of the guitar players coming out now . . . are much more lyrical players and back to the basics. People are back to melodies again and playing music rather than 'How fast can I type?'"

Recorded Trucks

Derek Trucks is a marvel playing live, but he also rocks on disc. Here's a look at his recorded output:

• 1997: Derek Trucks

• 1998: Out of the Madness

• 2002: Joyful Noise

• 2003: Soul Serenade

• 2004: Live at Georgia Theatre

• 2006: Songlines

If you go

• What: Eric Clapton, with the Robert Cray Band

• When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Pepsi Center

• Tickets: $51 to $121 (sold out, but some tickets could be released day of show)

brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674

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