Oteil Burbridge on “The Offering,” the Grateful Dead, John Scofield, and Finding the Magic

Oteil Burbridge has had an incredible career that, just like the bassist himself, keeps on evolving. That’s proven in his latest studio album The Offering, a collaborative effort with vocalist Lamar Williams, Jr. that grew from learning the banjo. We caught up with Burbridge between dates to talk about the record, but our conversation got much deeper.

Burbridge opened up about working with Colonel Bruce Hampton, Dead & Company, Bob Weir’s passing, his upcoming tour with John Scofield, and his current bass setup. In telling his story, the bass phenom also revealed the musical philosophy that has developed throughout his life.

Watch our full interview, or catch up with the highlights below. The Offering is out now on vinyl and digital formats (Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Amazon Music). Burbridge has a busy year of touring ahead, starting with four special concerts with LaMP that will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation in October and continuing with Scofield’s Electrospective tour. Visit his website for his full itinerary.

Oteil Burbridge on The Offering: How Banjo Changed His Bass Playing

The seeds of The Offering began 13 years ago when Burbridge began to learn three-finger banjo. Although the banjo is often associated with bluegrass, its origins trace back to West African instruments and traditions. Many of the album’s grooves derive from that sound. Burbridge devised his own exercises to teach himself and figure out how to apply the roll of the three-finger style into different meters. Those exercises bloomed into compositions. The process changed his approach to the bass, especially on songs like “If You See Their Lips Moving” and “Water Under the Bridge.”

“When it actually became a song, the bass line would come out much different than normal most of the time because it wasn’t written from that perspective,” he explains. “It was written like for me, you know, as if I was standing on my head.”

It’s not too different for Burbridge, though, who explains he takes a holistic approach to writing.

“In a way, it’s like the banjo record, but in another way, I don’t really think of things in terms of bass,” he said. “I’m originally a drummer. So if anything, I think in terms of drums and rhythm first. But I tend to think more in terms of music, in terms of harmony and rhythm. And the instrument is the instrument.”

Burbridge has long worked with Williams, Jr., who collaborated on turning his instrumental ideas into fleshed out songs.

“We were writing other songs too, like just while I’m trying to learn the banjo,” the bassist says. “But once we started doing the banjo, was like, ‘Hey, you think you can hear anything on this?’ And then when he did, it just like, well, that kind of took over. It was just something completely new. Neither of us had really heard anything like it before.”

How Colonel Bruce Hampton Changed Oteil Burbridge’s Approach to Music

Before Burbridge joined Aquarium Rescue Unit, he already had a broad musical education through his father, who exposed him to Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and even classical composers like Krzysztof Penderecki. Working with Colonel Bruce nevertheless filled in gaps with Southern blues, gospel, bluegrass, country, and more. The emotional force of singers like Howlin’ Wolf had him rethinking what matters in music.

“That level of emotion and energetic output catalyzes all these things inside of you and changes your world,” he said. “This is not about chops. This is about energy transference. Like, it’s about magic, man. It’s about magic.”

The period prepared him for the higher-profile gigs that would come.

“And then I was ready for the Allman Brothers. And then I was ready for the Dead. Because otherwise, I would have been ready to play like instrumental jazz rock fusion, which is where my head was at.”

Could Aquarium Rescue Unit Ever Play Again?

As an avid Aquarium Rescue Unit fan, I had to ask: would there be a possibility of an Aquarium Rescue Unit reunion?

“You know, it’s funny. I talked to Jimmy [Herring] and [Jeff] Sipe about that. Jimmy, he says, ‘I don’t play like that anymore.’ And I get that,” Burbridge says. “Actually, the the last time we did a reunion, I kind of felt like I wanted to do something different. I don’t want to do the old stuff, really, for the same reason because I don’t play like that anymore. And then I was like, ‘Well then just play it like you would play it now: play it differently.’ But it’s not the same. And you can’t replace the Colonel. Like, what are you going to do about that part? It’s not doable, really.”

There was, however, some hopeful news for fans. The trio recorded together in Athens, Georgia at John Keane’s studio. It was the last session before Keane shut the space down.

“So that was really cool to play together again and to be together again, because we’re still alive. So, I mean, who knows? You never know.”

“Brokedown Palace” and Finally Understanding the Weight of the Dead

Burbridge has been part of Dead & Company since the Grateful Dead spinoff began in 2015. The band played its final shows last August at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California to celebrate 60 years of the Grateful Dead. Guitarist Bob Weir died in January 2026, leaving the group’s future in a gray area. The weight of it all came to a head for Burbridge in a rush of emotions sitting at the piano.

Burbridge did not grow up a Deadhead, but grew to love the repertoire. Sitting at the piano, he was playing “Brokedown Palace” when he had an epiphany.

“I hadn’t played it since the pandemic, but halfway through it I started losing my breath. It was the first time it really hit me with Bob’s passing and Phil’s passing and the fact that Bill’s not playing anymore,” he said. “I finally connected with Jerry’s passing through that line. When Jerry passed, I wasn’t in the culture. Now being able to see it from this perspective was just mind blowing, man. Talk about time travel, right? And being able to live in two different times at once and feel all the immensity of that. When I was playing that ‘Brokedown Palace,’ that chord went all the way back to then, to that young Oteil. It just all came out, man. I just started crying.”

He went on to enumerate the things he learned from the Grateful Dead: zero boundaries, insatiable curiosity, and pathological anti-authoritarianism.

Oteil Burbridge on Playing with John Scofield

Burbridge is getting ready to hit the road with John Scofield’s Electrospective, which will also feature drummer Adam Deitch and keyboardist Larry Goldings. Even with all his experience, the magnitude of the band is not lost on Burbridge.

“John Scofield is the first of my like childhood teenage heroes that called me for one of his gigs,” he said. “It’s a long time coming for me to get called for a gig like that and be nervous and excited like a kid, you know?”

The Dire Wolf Bass and His Current Gear

Of course, we had to get nerdy about bass gear. Burbridge has a plethora of incredible instruments, but his new six-string Dire Wolf takes the cake. He says there’s a mystic quality to it.

“It’s alive almost,” he says. “It’s supposedly inanimate, but it feels like there’s a vibration or something going on. I don’t know, I don’t have words for it.”

As far as amplification, he continues to be a dedicated Epifani user. He uses the company’s amps and cabinets, but tells us the Boost Da Bass DI is his latest secret weapon. The preamp makes “anything I’m using an Epifani,” he says. He even uses it with his own Epifani amps to get the sound.

He’s not into using pedals and effects, though one player in particular changed his mind about effects. He turned the corner at the NAMM Show one year and saw a bassist with a huge collection of pedals lined up. His initial reaction was, “Well obviously this dude can’t play,” but he was quickly proven wrong after a friend convinced him to check it out.

“It was a band that had Vinx, the singer, and Will Calhoun on drums. Man, that was one of the deepest things I ever saw in my time. And Doug Wimbish blew my mind. It was like an orchestra.”

The full interview includes much more, from wild Colonel Bruce stories to influences and memories, so be sure to give it a watch.