Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks at the zoo in 2011/ Star Tribune photo by Marlin Levison

Even though he's the most unassuming guitar player on the planet, Derek Trucks elevates every song, every musician and every stage he plays on.

That was the case once again Monday as the Tedeschi Trucks Band wrapped up a two-night stand at the Minnesota Zoo for the second consecutive year.

Trucks' guitar inspired his wife Susan Tedeschi, whose vocals are not only more assured, more controlled and more powerful than ever but her guitar was more fierce, too, especially on "That Did It." Even Trucks, who is pretty stoic onstage, was smiling after her bluesy workout.

The repertoire for Monday's two-hour show was similar to both the band's new live album "Everybody's Talkin'" and to a set I witnessed at the zoo last summer. (For the curious, Trucks and Tedeschi switched sides of the stage from last year.) The 11-member blues/rock/soul/jazz group clearly knows the material better, which made the playing feel tighter but still organic. Unlike last year, Trucks gave few cues for solos. But he made sure all the instrumentalists as well as backup vocalist Mike Mattison, a Minneapolis native, got their moments in the spotlight.

Trombonist Saunders Sermons had a crazy scat vocal during a Stevie Wonder song, and bassist Oteil Burbridge soloed on a bass that had a banjo body, producing a curiously resonating sound.

But when all is said and done, a Tedeschi Trucks Band's performance is most definitely about Trucks' eloquence, expressiveness and versatility on guitar. He was extraordinary once again on Monday night.

Here is the Tedeschi Trucks Band set list from Monday:
Everybody's Talkin'/ Midnight in Harlem/ Comin' Home/ Don't Drift Away/ Bound for Glory/ Get What You Deserve/ Darlin' Be Home Soon/ Mahjoun / Nobody's Free/ Signed Sealed Delivered > That Did It/ Uptight/ Love Has Something Else To Say ENCORE I've Got a Feelin/ Rollin' & Tumblin'