- Oteil Burbridge
-
Oteil Burbridge 
Mountain Jam 2009
Photo: Charles J. Button Jr.Background information Born 24 August 1964 Origin Washington, D.C. Genres Southern rock, classical music, blues-rock, free funk, jazz, jazz fusion Instruments Bass guitar, drums, Bass clarinet, violin, trumpet, piano Years active 1989–present Labels Epic, Sanctuary Associated acts Tedeschi Trucks Band
Aquarium Rescue Unit
The Allman Brothers Band
Vida Blue
Yossi Piamenta
Oteil and the Peacemakers
Heavenly Jams Band
BK3Website oteilburbridge.com Notable instruments Fender 4 String Bass Oteil Burbridge, (born August 24, 1964) in Washington, D.C.), is a Grammy Award-nominated American multi-instrumentalist, specializing on the bass guitar, trained in playing jazz and classical music from an early age. He has achieved fame primarily on bass guitar during the current resurgence of the Allman Brothers Band from 1989 through the present day. He was also a founding member of the band the Aquarium Rescue Unit, and has worked with other musicians who include Bruce Hampton, Trey Anastasio, God Street Wine, Bill Kreutzmann and The Derek Trucks Band, with whom his brother Kofi Burbridge is the keyboardist and flautist.
Burbridge joined the Allman Brothers in 1997 and has appeared on the CDs Peakin' at the Beacon (2000), Hittin' the Note (2003), One Way Out (2004) as well as the DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre (2003, certified Platinum 2004).
Contents
Musical career
Early endeavors
Burbridge was born and raised in Washington, D.C., to a family with some Egyptian heritage, and was named Oteil, meaning "explorer" or "wanderer".[1] When he and elder sibling Kofi showed talent for music, their mother felt it best to place them in classical and jazz classes hoping to nurture their musical inclinations and keep them out of trouble. Kofi remembers Oteil's first drum set; a Quaker Oatmeal box, when he was only three or four years old. Both brothers were introduced to a wide variety of instruments, and became multi-instrumentalists, with both being taught to play the piano, with Oteil gaining proficiency on the bass clarinet, violin, and trumpet. However, Oteil's chosen main instruments became the bass guitar and the drums, while Kofi developed a love for the flute, and the keyboards.[2] Oteil Burbridge developed an interest in the theater and was the co-host of a local children's television show called "Stuff". Oteil was enrolled in the Sidwell Friends School, a well-known elite private school (Presidents Clinton and Obama chose Sidwell for their daughters) offering a higher quality of education than Washington D.C.'s troubled public school system and exposing Oteil to the tastes and styles of a diverse student body. He graduated from Sidwell Friends in 1982.[1]
Burbridge performing in 2007
Oteil performed regularly in a variety of D.C. bands as a teenager, gathering experience playing R&B, rock, Brazilian music, and jazz, among other styles. He moved to Virginia Beach and worked mostly in cover bands there, and subsequently drifted through the Atlanta musical scene, which introduced him not only to other musicians there but also other genres of music. As one of the original members of Bruce Hampton's avant-garde band, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Burbridge was introduced to members of the jam band scene in the southeast of the United States. This included members of Phish, Phil Lesh and Friends, and Blues Traveler, who freely sat in with one another in each other's bands. When Hampton left the Aquarium Rescue Unit, it slowly disbanded, however Burbridge had developed a reputation on the four- and six-string bass guitar, enjoying the less commercial nature of Atlanta-area musicians. With bass player Allen Woody leaving the Allman Brothers Band to play full time in Gov't Mule, Burbridge joined them, and was made a full member of the band in 1997.[3]
In 1999, following the passing of bassist Bobby Sheehan, Burbridge auditioned for Blues Traveler, performing a live show with the band in Chicago. The position was subsequently given to Tad Kinchla, who remains Blues Traveler's bass player.[4]
In 2010, Oteil joined his brother Kofi, and his Allman Brothers bandmate Derek Trucks, as the bassist in the new group, Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Personal information
Oteil's trademarks include performing barefoot, wearing tie-dye shirts, and performing the acoustic guitar classic "Little Martha" from Eat a Peach on his six-stringed bass guitar. Oteil is most notably recognized for his ability to incorporate scat-singing into his improvised bass solos. His bass style is heavily influenced by Jaco Pastorius, especially his use of bass chords which are used in his bass improvization.
Oteil married Jessica Shouse April 10, 2010 in Winston-Salem, NC.
Other collaborations
Oteil and the Peacemakers
In 2000, Oteil formed a solo band called Oteil and the Peacemakers based out of Birmingham, Alabama and featuring musicians Matt Slocum on keyboards, Mark Kimbrell on guitar, Chris Fryar on drums, and vocalist Paul Henson, a carry over from the post-Colonel Aquarium Rescue Unit releases. They released their first album, Love of a Lifetime, that same year. That was followed up in 2003 by the CD/DVD set entitled Family Secret. In 2005, Burbridge took his music in a greater spiritual direction for their third album titled Believer.
Vida Blue
Oteil also was approached by Page McConnell of Phish, who invited him and Russell Batiste, Jr. (then of the Funky Meters) to participate in another venture as an electronic trio, with vocals. Their name wasn't chosen until Major League Baseball pitcher Vida Blue hopped up on stage with them, and their name was chosen as Vida Blue, after the athletic star. The trio joined together in 2001 and continued performing until 2004, putting out a DVD and two albums, joining forces with a Latin-rock sextet sampling a variety of genres of music, including the jazz and electronic music flavored alternative rock music from Vida Blue.
The BK3
Oteil Burbridge joined the Bill Kreutzmann Trio alongside Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead and Scott Murawski of Max Creek, as the BK3. They toured throughout 2008 and early 2009 before Oteil left due to touring commitments with the Allman Brothers Band. He was replaced by James Hutchinson.[5]
Film
Burbridge also had a bit part, as a teenager, as a street thug named Lolo in the 1979 Peter Sellers movie Being There. The movie is a black comedy about politics and many of the woes of celebrity and fame.[1] Although Burbridge plays a part in a short scene, it is arguably one of the film's most famous moments.
Discography
- Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit (1989) – Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit
- Mirrors of Embarrassment (1992) – Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit
- Eepeee (1994) – Aquarium Rescue Unit
- In a Perfect World (1994) – Aquarium Rescue Unit
- Gossip (1996) – T Lavitz
- Surrender to the Air (1996) – Surrender to the Air
- The Calling (1997) – Aquarium Rescue Unit
- What Did He Say? (1997) – Victor Wooten
- Bass Extremes: Cookbook (1998) – Steve Bailey, Victor Wooten
- Bass Day '98 (1999) – various artists
- Searching for Simplicity (1998) – Greg Allman
- Stranger's Hand (1999) — Oteil Burbridge, Howard Levy, Jerry Goodman, Steve Smith
- Peakin' at the Beacon (2000) – The Allman Brothers Band
- Love of a Lifetime (2000) – Oteil and the Peacemakers
- Croakin at Toads (2000) - Frog Wings
- Vida Blue (2002) - Vida Blue
- Family Secret (2003) – Oteil and the Peacemakers
- Hittin' the Note (2003) – The Allman Brothers Band
- The Illustrated Band (2003) - Vida Blue
- Live in NYC 6/16/04 (2005) – Heavenly Jams Band[6]
- One Way Out (2004) – The Allman Brothers Band
- Believer (2005) – Oteil and the Peacemakers
- Go There (2007) – Scott Sawyer
- Revelator (2011) – Tedeschi Trucks Band
Notes
- ^ a b c Oteil Biographical FAQ Hittin' the Web
- ^ Seaman, Marley Hittin' The Note Kofi Burbridge: Side Man
- ^ Jarnow, Jesse All-music biography of Aquarium Rescue Unit
- ^ "Blues Traveler Live at Metro on 1999-11-03 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive". Archive.org. http://www.archive.org/details/bt1999-11-03.flac16. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
- ^ Main Website
- ^ Weiss, Steven. Heavenly Jams Band 5/16/2004 concert review, Glide magazine, July 1, 2004
References
- Oteil Burbridge on Allmusic
- Interview with Oteil Burbridge regarding his invitation to join the Allman Brothers
- Palmer, Robert. Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit album review, Rolling Stone, March 19, 1992
- "ARU Founder Joins Allmans Before Summer Tour Kickoff", Rolling Stone, June 14, 1997
- Graff, Gary. "Allman Bros -- The New Dead?", Rolling Stone, August 11, 1998
- Metzger, John. Allman Brothers Band concert review, The Music Box, August 1999
- Sanneh, Kelefa. Vida Blue concert review, New York Times, January 14, 2004
- Gatta, John Patrick. "Oteil Burbridge, True Believer", JamBands.com, May 18, 2006
- Fricke, David. "The Allman Brothers: Live At The Beacon" concert review, Rolling Stone, April 9, 2007
- Ray, Randy. "Oteil Burbridge: Blessed Are the Peacemakers", JamBands.com, August 24, 2007
- Allman Brothers Band biography from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll
- Oteil Burbridge on IMDB.com
- Oteil Burbridge FAQs on OteilBrubridge.com
- A Bass Lesson with Oteil Burbridge on Artists Music House
- Kot, Jake. "Discussion with Oteil Burbridge, 4/01/2009", Bass Musician Magazine
External links
Categories:- American bass guitarists
- American musicians
- African American musicians
- American rock bass guitarists
- The Allman Brothers Band members
- 1967 births
- Living people
- Musicians from Washington, D.C.
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