Oteil Burbridge

Oteil Burbridge
Mountain Jam 2009 Photo: Charles J. Button Jr.
Background information
Born	24 August 1967 (1967-08-24) (age 42)
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 Records
Associated acts	Aquarium Rescue Unit The Allman Brothers Band Vida Blue Yossi Piamenta Oteil and the Peacemakers Heavenly Jams Band BK3
Website	www.oteilburbridge.com
Notable instruments
Fender 4 String Bass

Oteil Burbridge, (born August 24, 1967) 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).

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 host of a local television show. Oteil was enrolled in the Sidwell Friends School, a private school offering a higher quality of education than Washington D.C.'s troubled public school system. He graduated there in 1982.^[1]

Burbridge performing in 2007

Oteil 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 the 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]

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 improv.

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 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.^[4]

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
• 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^[5]
• One Way Out (2004) – The Allman Brothers Band
• Believer (2005) – Oteil and the Peacemakers
• Go There (2007) – Scott Sawyer

Notes

References

External links

• Oteil Burbridge official website
• Allman Brothers Band official website