Oteil Burbridge

{{short description|American musician}}

{{short description|American musician}}

{{More footnotes|date=May 2013}}

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->

| name = Oteil Burbridge

| name = Oteil Burbridge

==Musical career==

==Musical career==

===Early endeavors===

===Early endeavors===

Burbridge was born and raised in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref name="BassPlayer.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bassplayer.com/artists/oteil-burbridges-long-strange-trip|title=Oteil Burbridge's Long, Strange Trip|work=BassPlayer.com|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en-us}}</ref> to an African American family with some Egyptian heritage. His name, Oteil, means "explorer" or "wanderer".<ref name="Hittin1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oteilburbridge.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2#q7|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715020530/http://www.oteilburbridge.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2|url-status=dead|title=Oteil Biographical FAQ Hittin' the Web|archivedate=15 July 2011|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref> When he and elder sibling Kofi showed talent for music, their mother encouraged them with [[Classical music|classical]] and [[jazz]] courses 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. Oteil gained proficiency on the bass clarinet, violin, and trumpet; however, bass guitar and drums became his instruments of choice (while Kofi developed a love for both flute and keyboards).<ref name="Seaman">Seaman, Marley ''Hittin' The Note'' {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130125190054/http://www.hittinthenote.com/kofi.asp Kofi Burbridge: Side Man]}}</ref> Burbridge was also interested in the theater and became the co-host of a local children's television show called "Stuff". He was enrolled in the [[Sidwell Friends School]], graduating in 1982.<ref name="Hittin1"/>

Burbridge was born and raised in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref name="BassPlayer.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bassplayer.com/artists/oteil-burbridges-long-strange-trip|title=Oteil Burbridge's Long, Strange Trip|work=BassPlayer.com|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en-us}}</ref> to an African American family with some Egyptian heritage. His name, Oteil, means "explorer" or "wanderer".<ref name="Hittin1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oteilburbridge.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2#q7|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715020530/http://www.oteilburbridge.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=FAQ&file=index&myfaq=yes&id_cat=2|url-status=dead|title=Oteil Biographical FAQ Hittin' the Web|archivedate=15 July 2011|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref> When he and elder sibling Kofi showed talent for music, their mother encouraged them with [[Classical music|classical]] and [[jazz]] courses 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. Oteil gained proficiency on the bass clarinet, violin, and trumpet; however, bass guitar and drums became his instruments of choice (while Kofi developed a love for both flute and keyboards).<ref name="Seaman">Seaman, Marley ''Hittin' The Note'' {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130125190054/http://www.hittinthenote.com/kofi.asp Kofi Burbridge: Side Man]}}</ref> Burbridge was also interested in the theater and became the co-host of a local children's television show called "Stuff". He was enrolled in the [[Sidwell Friends School]], graduating in 1982.<ref name="Hittin1" />

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 became part of the [[Atlanta]] musical scene, where he played with different musicians and also became fluent in other genres of music.<ref name="BassPlayer.com"/>

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 became part of the [[Atlanta]] musical scene, where he played with different musicians and also became fluent in other genres of music.<ref name="BassPlayer.com"/>

=== The Aquarium Rescue Unit ===

=== The Aquarium Rescue Unit ===

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-, five-, and eventually the six-string bass guitar, enjoying the less commercial aspects of playing with Atlanta-area musicians. During its initial years, the band was composed of Bruce Hampton, Oteil Burbridge, [[Jimmy Herring]], [[Jeff Sipe]], [[Matt Mundy]], and [[Count M'Butu]]. Although the band was never commercially successful, their unique combination of [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]], [[rock and roll|rock]], [[Latin music (genre)|Latin]], [[Blues music|blues]], jazz, and [[funk]] (along with the impeccable chops of the members) led to their becoming an influence on other bands and served as a kind of template for their own future musical endeavors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jambase.com/article/making-peace-with-the-low-end-oteil-burbridge-talks-dead-co-allmans-more|title=Making Peace With The Low End: Oteil Burbridge Talks Dead & Co, Allmans & More|date=2016-06-16|website=JamBase.com|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

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-, five-, and eventually the six-string bass guitar, enjoying the less commercial aspects of playing with Atlanta-area musicians. During its initial years, the band was composed of Bruce Hampton, Oteil Burbridge, [[Jimmy Herring]], [[Jeff Sipe]], [[Matt Mundy]], and [[Count M'Butu]]. Although the band was never commercially successful, their unique combination of [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]], [[rock and roll|rock]], [[Latin music (genre)|Latin]], [[Blues music|blues]], jazz, and [[funk]] (along with the impeccable chops of the members) led to their becoming an influence on other bands and served as a kind of template for their own future musical endeavors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jambase.com/article/making-peace-with-the-low-end-oteil-burbridge-talks-dead-co-allmans-more|title=Making Peace With The Low End: Oteil Burbridge Talks Dead & Co, Allmans & More|date=2016-06-16|website=JamBase.com|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Musical collaborations==

==Musical collaborations==