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2006-05-02
7:30PM
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"Like Jaco Pastorius with his Word Of Mouth big band or Marcus Miller with his trusty sextet, Oteil Burbridge takes it up a notch with his group, the Peacemakers. His signature sing-along solos seem boundless, his pulsing grooves roam more freely, and even his trademark 6-string chords ring a bit more densely...The Peacemakers' best lineup to date."
- Bass Player Magazine
"Oteil Burbridge is a true virtuoso...the Peacemakers are very much an ensemble and The Family Secret is proof of that. This music thrives on teamwork...The comfortable, relaxed interplay between the musicians'is what makes this disc worth seeking out."
- Relix Magazine
"One of the greatest electric bassists of all time."
- AllAboutJazz.com |
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FEATURING:
Oteil Burbridge - 6-string bass
Chris Fryar - drums
Paul Henson - vocals
Mark Kimbrell - guitar
Matt Slocum - keyboards |
Derek Trucks calls him "The Michael Jordan of the bass." That's probably the best place to start. For, although OTEIL AND THE PEACEMAKERS is made up of incredibly talented musicians, as evidenced by their new release, 'Believer', the music and the story always come back to Grammy-nominated OTEIL BURBRIDGE.
'Believer', produced by Burbridge, Chris Tyler and Penn Robinson, features a blend of jazz, jam, funk and gospel grooves--and tremendously catchy words and melodies--that promises to propel this band into the jam--and jazz--forefront. In addition to Burbridge, the band consists of Chris Fryar on drums, Paul Henson on vocals, Mark Kimbrell on guitars and Matt Slocum on keys. The album will be released on Rattlesby Records on October 11, 2005, and is available online now at www.oteilburbridge.com.
Burbridge's influences include jazz greats such as Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke and Ron Carter, along with funk masters Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins and George Porter, Jr. In fact, cognoscenti and press who witnessed Oteil's virtuoso performance of Pastorius' "Three Views of a Secret" at last year's Beacon Theater tribute uniformly called it the high point of the evening. Burbridge has always been in demand as a session and live sideman - recently, he was simultaneously a member of six different bands! His first step into the national spotlight came in 1991, when he became a founding member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, a legendary jam outfit that still does the occasional reunion gig. He is probably best known, though, for his membership in The Allman Bros. Band since 1997. He was an immediate success with ABB fans, earning raves for his six string bass version of "Little Martha." His work with the band also earned him two Grammy nominations for best rock instrumental, in 2004 and in 2005. Along the way, he found time to collaborate with Phish's Paige McConnell and The Funky Meters' Russell Battiste on the jam unit Vida Blue and to replace the late Allen Woody in Gov't Mule.
Burbridge has dropped all of his side projects recently, preferring to focus on the Allman Bros. and Oteil and the Peacemakers. A reduced Allmans Bros. schedule in 2006 will leave him with plenty of time on his hands, which he intends to fill with as many Peacemakers gigs as possible. Although Burbridge's resume must dominate any story about the Peacemakers, each of the members of the band brings important elements to the whole. Paul Henson is known as the lead singer of The Aquarium Rescue Unit from Col. Bruce Hampton's departure in 1993 until the band's demise in 1997. He also sang on ARU's third and fourth albums. Henson's soulful vocals have been favorably compared to Lenny Williams (Tower of Power) and David ClaytonThomas (Blood, Sweat and Tears). Drummer Chris Fryar played with the blues-rock touring group Gravy. He has also done session/side work with acts as diverse as Robert Moore and the Wildcats, Charles Neville and Victor Wooten. Keyboardist Matt Slocum was classically trained, attending the New England Conservatory of Music. As the newest member of the band, he adds precise musicianship to the mix. Guitarist Mark Kimbrell is also a veteran of the session scene, and brings astounding guitar virtuosity to the album.
With "Believer", Oteil and the Peacemakers finally captured the live-in-the-studio sound, which eluded them on previous releases. "I wanted to make a live album...this was as close as we could get to the live stage sound in the studio," says Burbridge. "I am also really proud of the fact that I could invest a lot of spirituality in the lyrics while maintaining jazzy grooves people could latch on to. It's my mission to show you how funky God can be."
http://www.oteilburbridge.com/ |
