Vida Blue Returns with “Crossing Lines,” Featuring Oteil Burbridge
Phish keyboardist Page McConnell’s supergroup Vida Blue has returned with their first new album since 2003. Crossing Lines reunites the trio of McConnell, drummer Russell Batiste (The Funky Meters), and bassist Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit) while adding guitarist Adam Zimmon (Shakira, Ziggy Marley).
McConnell formed the band in 2001 during a Phish hiatus to explore more synthesizer work and electronica. After seeing his friends at concerts with their respective bands, he reached out to jam. Crossing Lines is aptly named as the songs range greatly in genre and texture. Part of that is thanks to Burbridge, says McConnell.
“[Oteil is] arguably the greatest electric bass player on the planet. One can make that argument pretty easily,” he told Rolling Stone. “And I think it’s funny because when I first met him I want to say it was 91, 92 something like that I saw him play a small club in Athens Georgia, and his background was more fusion. He loved Jaco Pastorius, Alphonso Johnson, guys like that. And since then, he’s sort of become the de facto bass player for jam bands, whether it’s the Allman Brothers or the Dead. Calling them jam bands kind of diminishes them, these guys who were pioneers in rock improvisation, which is not where he came from at all. Oteil as just furthered the depth of [it], it’s been great for me.”
Hear the song “Checking Out” with some tasty grooving by Burbridge:
Crossing Lines is available now on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).
Crossing Lines Track List:
- Analog Delay
- Checking Out
- Where Did It Go
- Phaidon
- Weepa
- Maybe
- Real Underground Soul Sound
- If I Told You
