Oteil Burbridge

[Modulus5]

Does anybody have any suggestions as to any essential works of Oteil? I saw him play with the Allman Brothers Band in '03, and I saw him play on a tv special on the Jammy Awards with Victor Wooten, and he's one of the most amazing bassists I've ever seen.

[NJL]

find all Aquarium Rescue Unit albums

find the Vida Blue album(s)

find the Oteil and the Peacemaker albums

get into live "trades" and get some Peacemaker trades and ARU trades

use www.allmusic.com

see him live and you will want to quit playing

[hieronymous]

My first exposure to Oteil was when I saw them open for Phish in maybe 1991? I was blown away, talked to him in the hallway for a few seconds. Over the years I saw several Aquarium Rescue Unit shows - even got a bass lesson from Oteil before a show! I was like, maybe we should go back down there, and when we went in the room the band was all onstage waiting for him!

My personal favorite album is the first ARU album - it's live with a greenish cover of the band standing around I think - yup, it's just called "Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit" and there are orange fishes floating around the band...

[Dave Siff]

ARU's "In A Perfect World" (out of print) and Oteil & The Peacemakers "Love of a Lifetime" are my favorite works of his. But if you want the real deal, go see him live. I stood ten feet in front of him for three hours and wondered who was going to spontaneously combust first, him or me. Absolutely jaw-dropping.

[Woodchuck]

ARU's EEPEE!

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

ARU's EEPEE!

Why not go for In A Perfect World?
The "EEPEE" is only, what, 4 cuts from IAPW?
I say go for the early Bruce Hampton albums(The live one + the one with the original version of "No Egos Underwater") & Oteil's solo albums.

I first Oteil about '83-'84...he basically stole a very decent houseband gig right out from under me! Trust me, it was like seeing/hearing Jaco doing Top-40 covers. You haven't heard Phil Collins' "Sussudio", Chaka Khan's "This Is My Night", or The Time's "The Bird" until you've seen Oteil play 'em!
At the time, he was playing a Fender Jazz(natural) through a G-K 800RB with a 1X15 homemade cab. Eventually, he put EMGs in the Jazz & bought a Peavy 1X18 w/ 2X10 cab(IIRC). A little later he had a bass assembled with EMG Jazz pickups.
Right after I bought my first 5-string(white Yamaha) in '85, I literally ran it over to Oteil's crib...he seemed to dig it.

Somewhere there's a video of him attempting to 'pants' me on a beach in NC.
Funny, funny guy! He's sorely missed around here as things have not been the same since he booked. Can't blame him, though!

[Woodchuck]

Originally Posted by JimK

Why not go for In A Perfect World?
The "EEPEE" is only, what, 4 cuts from IAPW?
I say go for the early Bruce Hampton albums(The live one + the one with the original version of "No Egos Underwater") & Oteil's solo albums.

I first Oteil about '83-'84...he basically stole a very decent houseband gig right out from under me! Trust me, it was like seeing/hearing Jaco doing Top-40 covers. You haven't heard Phil Collins' "Sussudio", Chaka Khan's "This Is My Night", or The Time's "The Bird" until you've seen Oteil play 'em!
At the time, he was playing a Fender Jazz(natural) through a G-K 800RB with a 1X15 homemade cab. Eventually, he put EMGs in the Jazz & bought a Peavy 1X18 w/ 2X10 cab(IIRC). A little later he had a bass assembled with EMG Jazz pickups.
Right after I bought my first 5-string(white Yamaha) in '85, I literally ran it over to Oteil's crib...he seemed to dig it.

Somewhere there's a video of him attempting to 'pants' me on a beach in NC.
Funny, funny guy! He's sorely missed around here as things have not been the same since he booked. Can't blame him, though!

I chose EEPEE, because it's an unmixed CD. You can hear the rawest bass mix, and boy is it sweet! "In A Perfect World" is a great CD, but the bass sound is different due to mixing. If you listen to both versions of "Highly Overrated", you'll understand.

[pigpen02]

Oteil and the Peacemakers are playing this friday in tampa at skippers smokehouse; anybody else going?

i'm stoked, been a fan for quite a while, can't wait to catch him live.

[Cacklingjackyl]

Get the live ARU bootlegs if you want to hear this band's genius and Oteil in an setting where he is perfectly free to cross a few boundaries. Not only is there Oteil, but also Jimmy Herring and Jeff Sipe (AKA Apt Q258). Jimmy is in my opinion, one of the best guitarists touring today and one of my all time favorites. Jeff Sipe is an amazing drummer. All the other pieces are amazing as well.

Again, the live stuff is where the real magic is, but it would not be a bad idea to support these musicians by buying one of the studio CD's as well.

[Woodchuck]

Agree with the Jeff Sipe comment, plus he's a great guy. BTW, Kofi, Oteil's brother, is one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet!

[mchildree]

I heard recently that ARU, with the original lineup (minus Matt Mundy) was doing some dates again. Love to go check that out and see what it's evolved into.

My favorite is "Mirrors Of Embarrassment", but I love all the ARU recordings, as well as the Peacemakers disc. Oteil is an AL/GA homeboy, so it's all good with me.

[Ben Rose]

Originally Posted by hieronymous

My personal favorite album is the first ARU album - it's live with a greenish cover of the band standing around I think - yup, it's just called "Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit" and there are orange fishes floating around the band...

+1

[jerry]

I just got the new Vida Blue DVD Live at the Fillmore, some killer grooves on there!!!

[NJL]

Originally Posted by jerry

I just got the new Vida Blue DVD Live at the Fillmore, some killer grooves on there!!!

doooooood!!!!!

i didn't have the slightest idea this was out - where did you get it?

[rulyøngo]

To me the first and second ARU cd's are classic Oteil and don't forget the new ABB cd's, "Hittin the Note" and the live cd: "One Way Out"

[NJL]

Originally Posted by jerry

I just got the new Vida Blue DVD Live at the Fillmore, some killer grooves on there!!!

ya jerk - i just had to go buy it now!!!!

[jerry]

I pre-ordered the Vida Blue DVD, but any decent music shop should be able to get it for you.

[doc540]

With the Allman Bros. live on their latest dvd "One Way Out", Oteil plays the perfect set.

Absolute perfection in every aspect possible.

His performance is as "good" as any bass performance I've ever seen and heard in my entire life. And I'm an old foiker.

From "Jazzreview.com":

"At this point you are probably wondering how many more live albums from the Allman Brothers Band are going to come out. Well, if there are as good as this two CD set; I say that there can never be enough! This band is cookin’ and it comes as no surprise to me after the release of their excellent studio album Hittin’ The Note that One Way Out-Live At The Beacon Theater is maintaining that standard of excellence in musicianship that this band is known for.

How could you not sound like one of the best bands in the world with the one-two punch they have at their disposal in the two primary positions of guitar and drums? Warren Haynes has a great voice and he bounces his searing guitar licks off Derek Trucks, whom is another outstanding guitarist. Then you have the dueling drums of Butch Trucks and Jaimoe with help from Marc Quiñones on percussion to take their sound to the next level, pushing the borders of blues and jazz, including the incredible bass of Oteil Burbridge in between this amazing amalgam of instrumentation. To make it all complete, the namesake of the band, Greg Allman, is sounding better than ever and playing the keyboards with a fire in his belly as if he was in his prime.


There are two CDs of amazing live Allman Brothers Band music; I ask you, can it get any better? The sound is out of this world for a live recording, its puts you right in the front row. It is that good. The musicianship is beyond compare consistently throughout these stunning live sets. They don’t skimp on the length of each song either, the boys cut it loose with everything they got and go off into some extended jams that will make you cry…yes, you have arrived in music nirvana. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say this recording is one of the most incredible live performances I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Yes indeed, blues-rock received communion on these dates at this altar of worship called The Beacon Theater. Welcome to the rock church, have a seat and enjoy."

[jerry]

The DVD from those Beacon shows is great also! Great playing from Oteil, and the guitar playing is awesome too

Sorry to ruin your day NJL

[NJL]

as usual, i'll never forgive you