Susan Tedeschi [ tickets ] can now say her fall/winter outing supports the highest-charting debut of her career.

The blues singer/guitarist's fifth album, "Back To The River," recently bowed at No. 71 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the magazine's blues chart. Tedeschi co-wrote all but one tune on the 11-song set, which features collaborations with swamp-blues veteran Tony Joe White, up-and-coming singer/songwriter Sonya Kitchell, songwriter/producer John Leventhal, guitar hero Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Louris of the Jayhawks and Tedeschi's husband and fellow guitar slinger, Derek Trucks.

Tedeschi said she thinks "Back to the River" is a pivotal record in her career.

"I think it's really emotional, but it's not really a blues record," she explained in her bio. "The blues is still in there, but there's a lot of other stuff too. I definitely put a lot into this one and worked really hard to put a lot of ideas across."

Tedeschi has been showcasing her new music on the road since launching her fall tour Oct. 9. The trek, which features British Soul Man James Hunter in the opening slot, continues tomorrow (11/18) in Glenside, PA, and makes its way through a half dozen more cities around the eastern US through month's end.

Since last check, Tedeschi has also added a run of Florida shows with Trucks in late December, as well as a New Year's Eve gig in Atlanta. She's also tacked on a slate of February dates that stretch from the South to the West Coast. An updated itinerary is listed below.

The performer's 2005 studio album, "Hope and Desire," earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. That record was a departure for Tedeschi, who decided to sing covers of obscure soul tunes and hand over axe duties to Bramhall II and Trucks.

Tedeschi was thrust into the spotlight with her 1998 breakthrough album, "Just Won't Burn." The independent record broke into The Billboard 200 and scored the musician a Best New Artist Grammy nomination alongside such unlikely company as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Macy Gray and Kid Rock.

Her subsequent release, 2002's "Wait For Me," earned Tedeschi two more Grammy nods.