Kofi Burbridge - Rest in Peace

[Blooby]

Probably not a musician many recognize but what an absolutely huge loss for me. I'm still stunned from the news my girlfriend gave me about a half hour ago.

The Aquarium Rescue unit was a quirky Atlanta jamband that was featured on many (all?) HORDE tours. The Horde tours grouped jambands together and toured back in the nineties. Musicians in the ARU went on to play (off the top of my head) in The Allman Brothers (Jimmy Herring and Oteil Burbridge), Warren Haynes (Jeff Sipe), Susan Tedeschi (Sipe), Widespread Panic (Herring), the Derek Trucks Band (several but mostly Kofi Burbridge), Shawn Lane (Sipe), the latest incarnation of what was the Grateful Dead (Oteil) and the Tedeschi Trucks Band (both Oteil and Kofi).

As an aside, during a 70th birthday bash for the Aquarium Rescue Unit's founder Colonel Bruce Hampton, Bruce had a heart attack on stage during the encore and ended up dying that night. The odd thing is that the band was known for doing weird stuff on stage so the band kept playing for a spell after Bruce went down. In jamband circles, it has been rationalized as a bizarre but beautiful end to his life. If you want weirdness, check out one of the 2-3 movies on the colonel (he was the weirdo spouting poetry with Dwight Yoakam's band in the movie Slingblade.

Fast forward, and Kofi was one of the original members of the 12-piece behemoth that is the Tedeschi Trucks Band, what I believe to be the best thing out there right now (at least for my musical tastes).

Kofi had heart surgery about a year and half ago, came back to the band, but was currently taking the spring tour off due to complications. He died I believe yesterday.

He was an unpredictable virtuoso on keyboards and flute player. Can't tell you how many times I've seen how sit with bands at festivals, etc. Just a huge loss.

Here is Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, and Kofi on flute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3sL3DBaRFU

[The Gobi Desert Canoe Club]

Always sad when a well loved and respected musician passes but i'm sure it's how he would have wanted to go, still gigging.    Willie

[Mike_S]

No hadn't heard of him but to share a stage with some of those musicians he must have been good and I do like the Tedeschi Trucks Band... Derek Trucks is top drawer.

R.I.P. Kofi

Mike