Vida Blue (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Vida Blue


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Genre = Jazz, Funk, Electronica
Years_active = 2001-2004
Label = Elektra Records
Sanctuary Records
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Current_members = Page McConnell
Oteil Burbridge
Russell Batiste
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Vida Blue was an electronic trio fronted by Page McConnell of Phish and included Oteil Burbridge of The Allman Brothers Band and Russell Batiste of The Meters. Vida Blue got its name from the 1970s Major League Baseball pitcher Vida Blue. Blue once joined the band on stage.

The band originated in 2001 when McConnell attended shows by both the Allmans and The Meters, and approached both Burbridge and Batiste about the Vida Blue project, which they were interested in. McConnell then booked time to record in New Orleans's Piety Street Recording Studio. The band spent a week jamming and cutting tracks until McConnell added vocals and instrumental overdubs in Vermont. He wanted to focus on a synthesiser and an electric piano rather than the grand piano that made up a large part of his work with Phish. In the summer of 2002, the band's self-titled album, "Vida Blue", was released.

Their second album, "The Illustrated Band", released a year after the first, is backed by the Spam Allstars, a Latin Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban sextet.

Another band on SOUTHERN Records by the name of The Vidablue was approached by McConnell and offered "an undisclosed amount of money" to change their name. The former Vidablue changed their name to Ten Grand, probably as an indication of the sum they were paid for the name. [cite web | title=Portland Mercury Newspaper article | url= http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?category=22187&issue=28357] [cite web|title=SOUTHERN Records biography of Ten Grand | url=http://www.southern.com/southern/band/TENGR/biog.html]

Albums

1. "Vida Blue" (June 25, 2002)

2. "The Illustrated Band" (October 14, 2003)

DVDs

"Live at the Fillmore" (w/ the Spam Allstars) (2004)

Band Members

Page McConnell: vocals, keyboards

Oteil Burbridge: bass, vocals

Russell Batiste: drums

References