Famed bassist Oteil Burbridge was born in Washington D.C. on this date in 1964. Burbridge first came upon the scene as a founding member of Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit and then joined The Allman Brothers Band in 1997 and Dead & Company in 2015. JamBase celebrates Oteil’s birthday with a look at the final ABB show at Red Rocks.
Oteil’s run in The Allman Brothers Band spanned from 1997 through the group’s final shows in 2014. While the group changed lineups a few times over the course of the bassist’s first few years in the band, they settled in on a lineup in 2001 that lasted through the end of their 45-year career. The incarnation featured Oteil on bass, Gregg Allman on keys, Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes on guitar, percussionist Marc Quinones and drummers Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson.
The Allman Brothers Band’s final act included a number of standout concerts, their annual residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre and the release of studio album Hittin’ The Note. 2009 was one of the best years of ABB History and certainly for the last lineup as the band celebrated their 40th anniversary. On September 5, 2009, The Allman Brothers Band played what turned out to be their farewell concert at the scenic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The group made their Red Rocks debut on August 4, 1979 and returned 25 times over the next 20 years as per Setlist.FM.
After opening with the beloved pairing of “Don’t Want You No More” and “It’s Not My Cross To Bear,” the ABB treated fans to a performance chock full of classics. Oteil shined on such numbers as “Rocking Horse,” “Dreams” and “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.” The latter was a showcase for Burbridge from the time he joined the band and the version at Red Rocks was no exception. Additionally, the group was joined by Derek Trucks’ wife, Susan Tedeschi for covers of Derek & The Dominos’ “Anyday” and Blind Boy Fuller’s “Lost Lover Blues.” The Allman Brothers Band ended their final show at Red Rocks with an encore of “Melissa” and “One Way Out.”
Listen to an audience recording of the ABB’s September 5, 2009 concert below:
[Originally Published: August 24, 2020]
Setlist
The Allman Brothers Band at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Don’t Want You No More
- It’s Not My Cross to Bear
- Done Somebody Wrong
- No One to Run With
- Rocking Horse
- Soulshine
- Midnight Rider
- The Same Thing
- Anyday
- Lost Lover Blues
- Into the Mystic
- Come On in My Kitchen
- Dreams
- In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
Encore
- Melissa
- One Way Out
