Hey folks, I thought some of might enjoy this really cool interview with Oteil. He's very funny and talks about Col. Bruce. There are some great stories- I never get tired of Col. Bruce stories!:
Enjoyed the mushrooms....er....I mean the interview. Otiel is a very talented and intelligent musician. Butch Trucks once said Otiel is probably the best musician ever in the band. But Otiel said the way Berry Oakley played was the way the instrument should be played to help create the classic Allman Brothers sound.
Otiel held the bass guitar chair in the ABB from 1997 to 2014. The longest of any of the bass players.
In the late 2000s Gregg wanted Otiel dismissed but Warren said he would quit if that happened. I'm not sure or remember what the issue was but it did get in the press at a few places. Didn't it have something to do with Zac Brown?
Great read! I love that Oteil cites Col. Bruce, that creation and inspiration come from nothingness. Necessity is the mother of invention. He briefly mentions a Birmingham guitarist named Davey Williams. Davey played in an experimental/avant garde blues band (seriously!) Called Trains in Trouble. Oteil mentions artists like Col. Bruce and Sun Ra "clearing the room" of the types of folks who ain't ever gonna get what they do. Davey (via Trains in Trouble) had a pretty good hand at this, too. The clip below is fairly normal and standard, but they could release some caterwauling that would end folks running for the doors ... when they wanted to run out the unhealthy souls! 😉
@rusty Wow that is some kind of music from Trains 'N Trouble!!
Back in the late 1960's I had a good sized condo with a real good turntable/amp/Acoustic Research AR3 speakers in stereo and was often asked to provide the location for a Friday night gathering. I had several records to put on when it was late and I wanted to end it. One was an album of best hits by Kate Smith. If God Bless America didn't get them all out of the house, Shine On Harvest Moon did!!
Enjoyed the mushrooms....er....I mean the interview. Otiel is a very talented and intelligent musician. Butch Trucks once said Otiel is probably the best musician ever in the band. But Otiel said the way Berry Oakley played was the way the instrument should be played to help create the classic Allman Brothers sound.
Otiel held the bass guitar chair in the ABB from 1997 to 2014. The longest of any of the bass players.
In the late 2000s Gregg wanted Otiel dismissed but Warren said he would quit if that happened. I'm not sure or remember what the issue was but it did get in the press at a few places. Didn't it have something to do with Zac Brown?
Good question , I remember Gregg saying Oteil was no longer in the band.
@fender31 Yes it was in the late 2000s I think. Gregg Allman wanted Otiel out and made it public. Apparently Butch and Jaimoe had not voted for that to happen. I think it was connected to Zac Brown. Something angered Gregg.
But a couple of places in the media reported Gregg backed off because Warren announced if they voted Otiel out Warren would quit.
Also Warren, Derek and Gregg apparently thought they had agreed the band would be retired in 2009 which wasn't that far ahead when this happened to Otiel.
It may have been Otiel was planning to join Zac Brown because he too thought the band would retire in 2009. But Butch Trucks decided he wanted the band to go another five years and talked them into giving him and the band five more years.
But as we know, after those five years (2014), Butch decided he wanted to keep going but Warren and Derek resigned and Gregg Allman also said he was leaving the ABB at the end of 2014. Butch then lobbied for one more big summer tour doing the big sheds before hanging it up. I'm not sure the others even considered that but Gregg's health was beginning to interfere with any big tour.
Apparently Butch needed another big paycheck for his tax problems. It's a shame it couldn't happen. RIP brother Butchie!!
Read that Otiel is a big Dave Brubeck fan. It was a fine band. Just the four of them.
