Oteil has been the bassist for the Allman Brothers Band since 1997. Later the same year, he joined the supergroup Frogwings, which featured a number of familiar faces: Butch Trucks and Marc Quinones of the Allman Brothers on drums and percussion respectively, and Oteil's longtime guitar-player friends Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring. In the early incarnations of the band, Edwin McCain sang and play ...
show all Oteil has been the bassist for the Allman Brothers Band since 1997. Later the same year, he joined the supergroup Frogwings, which featured a number of familiar faces: Butch Trucks and Marc Quinones of the Allman Brothers on drums and percussion respectively, and Oteil's longtime guitar-player friends Derek Trucks and Jimmy Herring. In the early incarnations of the band, Edwin McCain sang and played guitar, and John Herbert handled the keyboards. Later, McCain was replaced by singer/harpist John Popper of Blues Traveler, and Oteil's older brother Kofi took over on keys as well as playing the flute. Frogwings' only album was a live release called Croakin' at Toad's; it came out in August of 2000. Frogwings did not last much longer than that, but the musical partnerships did: Derek Trucks joined the Allmans in 1999, and Jimmy Herring played guitar with them during them summer 2000 tour. Also in '99, Kofi joined the Derek Trucks Band, and his virtuosity on the flute and keys (and his songwriting) would help take the band in new directions. In 2000, Oteil formed a solo band called Oteil and the Peacemakers. They released their first album, Love of a Lifetime, that year, and have been touring when the Allmans are off the road. Oteil played bass on "Worried Down with the Blues" on Gov't Mule's album The Deep End, Vol. 1, and he spent the Fall of 2001 on the road as the guest bassist for the band on their Off the Deep End tour. Later the same year, Oteil became part of the band Vida Blue, a trio named for the Oakland A's pitcher and featuring Page McConnell (Phish) on keyboards and vocals and Russell Batiste (the Meters) on drums. The band's self-titled debut came out in 2002. The Family Secret, Oteil and the Peacemakers' second album, came out in February of 2003. The following month saw Hittin' the Note, the Allmans' first studio album in nine years, hit the stores. The track "Instrumental Illness," written with Warren Haynes, marks Oteil's first writing credit with the band. The first Aquarium Rescue Unit album in nearly the same amount of time - The Calling, which was recorded almost a decade earlier - finally broke out in September, and Vida Blue's sophomore effort, The Illustrated Band, followed in October. As usual, Oteil spent March of 2004 in New York City, playing with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theatre. His spring and summer schedule are already filling up with dates with the Allmans and the Peacemakers, and a few gigs with Vida Blue. Oteil will turn 40 this summer, and he is clearly not slowing down. Instead, he is reaching new heights as a musician.
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