Kofi Burbridge (September 22, 1961 – February 15, 2019) was an American keyboardist and flautist of the blues and blues rock group

Tedeschi Trucks Band The Tedeschi Trucks Band () is an American blues and blues rock group based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 2010, the band is led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their debut album, '' Revelator'' (2011), won the 2012 Gramm ...

. Burbridge was a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who provided keyboards, organ,

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, and backing vocals for various bands throughout his career. He was previously part of the Grammy Award-winning

Derek Trucks Band The Derek Trucks Band was an American blues rock group founded by young slide guitar prodigy Derek Trucks, who began playing guitar and touring with some of blues and rock music's elite when he was just nine years old. After experimenting as an a ...

. He was also the brother of bass player

Oteil Burbridge Oteil Burbridge is an American multi-instrumentalist, specializing on the bass guitar, trained in playing jazz and classical music from an early age. He has achieved fame primarily on bass guitar during the resurgence of the Allman Brothers Ban ...

, who is known for his work in the

Allman Brothers Band Allman may refer to: Music *The Allman Brothers Band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame southern rock band, formed by Duane and Gregg Allman *The Allman Joys, an early band formed by Duane and Gregg Allman *The Gregg Allman Band People *Allman (surnam ...

, Aquarium Rescue Unit,

Dead & Company Dead & Company is an American rock band consisting of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir (guitar and vocals), Mickey Hart (drums), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums), along with John Mayer (guitar and vocals), Oteil Burbridge (bass, percussion, and ...

, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Oteil Burbridge cites his brother as his biggest influence and mentioned Kofi was found to have

perfect pitch Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (2018 film), a science ...

around the age of seven.

Early life

Burbridge was born to William and Carol Burbridge in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York, United States, although the family moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

two years later.

Musical career

Burbridge joined his first band in the Atlanta region called Knee-Deep, and the lineup included his brother Oteil and

Jeff Sipe Jeff Sipe (born January 31, 1959), also known as Apt. Q258, is an American drummer. He is a rock and jazz fusion drummer but is proficient in other styles. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit with Bruce Hampton. He was a member of Le ...

on drums. The band broke up after less than a year but introduced him to other notable musicians in the area like

Bruce Hampton Bruce Hampton (born Gustav Valentine Berglund III; April 30, 1947 – May 1, 2017) was an American musician. He was a key figure in the Atlanta, Georgia music scene, mentoring numerous other musicians who became national stars. His own musical ...

. He eventually joined the Aquarium Rescue Unit shortly after Col Bruce Hampton left, which reunited him with his brother and with Sipe.

The Derek Trucks Band

Burbridge joined the Derek Trucks Band in 1999. Both Trucks and Burbridge's brother Oteil were members of the Allman Brothers Band and Kofi occasionally guested with that band. In 2010, Derek Trucks announced a hiatus for his solo band and formed a new group with his wife,

Susan Tedeschi Susan Tedeschi (; born November 9, 1970) is an American singer and guitarist. A multiple Grammy Award nominee, she is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks’ and other musicians. Early li ...

, called the

and both Burbridge brothers became members.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band

In 2010, Kofi joined his brother Oteil Burbridge in the new group, Tedeschi Trucks Band, which merged some former members of

The Derek Trucks Band The Derek Trucks Band was an American blues rock group founded by young slide guitar prodigy Derek Trucks, who began playing guitar and touring with some of blues and rock music's elite when he was just nine years old. After experimenting as an a ...

and Susan Tedeschi's former backing band. The band performed at Eric Clapton's

Crossroads Guitar Festival The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a series of music festivals and benefit concerts founded by Eric Clapton. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center in Antigua. The concerts showcase a variet ...

2010 and appears on the DVD release with two of their songs, "Midnight in Harlem" and "Comin' Home". The Tedeschi Trucks Band released their debut album, '' Revelator'' in 2011, which won the

Grammy Award for Best Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Blues Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the blues genre. Honors in severa ...

at the 54th Grammy Awards. In 2012, the band released their second album, ''

Everybody's Talkin' "Everybody's Talkin (Echoes)" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Fred Neil in 1966 and released two years later. A version of the song performed by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson became a hit in 1969, reachin ...

'', a double live album compiled from their 2011 world tour. In August 2013, their third album, and second studio album, ''

Made Up Mind ''Made Up Mind'' is the second studio album from blues-rock group Tedeschi Trucks Band. It was released August 20, 2013 by Masterworks Records. In 2014, it won a Blues Music Award in the 'Rock Blues Album of the Year' category. Reception Thom ...

'', was released.

Death

On June 20, 2017, Kofi Burbridge suffered a heart attack, and had surgery to repair an aortic rupture. After four months of recovery, Burbridge returned to the band in October 2017, but suffered a health setback that was announced on January 4, 2019, by the band. Burbridge died at the age of 57 on February 15, 2019, the day that Tedeschi Trucks Band's fourth album, '' Signs'', was released.

Discography

With The Aquarium Rescue Unit

* ''

In a Perfect World In a Perfect World may refer to: * ''In a Perfect World'' (Aquarium Rescue Unit album), 1994 * ''In a Perfect World'' (Kodaline album), 2013 * '' In a Perfect World...'', a 2009 album by Keri Hilson * "In a Perfect World", a song by Bananarama fr ...

'' (1994) * '' The Calling'' (2003)

With Naked Jazz

* ''Naked Jazz Takes Off'' (1997)

With The Derek Trucks Band

* '' Joyful Noise'' (2002) * '' Soul Serenade'' (2003) * '' Live at Georgia Theatre'' (2004) * ''

Songlines A songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) within the animist belief systems of the Aboriginal cultures of Australia which mark the route followed by localised "creator-beings" in the Dr ...

'' (2006) * ''

Songlines Live ''Songlines Live'' is the seventh album and second commercially released live recording and first DVD by American jam band The Derek Trucks Band, released in 2006 (see 2006 in music). It was recorded at the Park West in Chicago, Illinois. Tr ...

'' (2006, DVD) * '' Already Free'' (2009) * '' Roadsongs'' (2010)

With The Tedeschi Trucks Band

* '' Revelator'' (2011) * ''

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2013) * '' Let Me Get By'' (2016) * '' Live from the Fox Oakland'' (2017) * '' Signs'' (2019)

Other

* ''

Surrender to the Air Surrender to the Air was a free jazz ensemble led by Trey Anastasio of Phish that included Marshall Allen, Damon Choice, and Michael Ray of the Sun Ra Orchestra, John Medeski, Marc Ribot, Oteil Burbridge Oteil Burbridge is an American multi ...

'' -

, an instrumental collective organized by Trey Anastasio of Phish (1996) * '' Love of a Lifetime'' - Oteil and the Peacemakers (1998) * ''

Croakin' at Toad's ''Croakin' at Toad's'' is a live album by jam band supergroup Frogwings. The group's sole release, it was recorded at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut and Wetlands Preserve, The Wetlands in New York, New York, and was released on CD in 2000 b ...

'' -

Frogwings Frogwings was an American jam band supergroup founded by Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks. Despite the fact that they were popular on the jam band circuit and at festivals, the group released only one album. Background In mid-1997, duri ...

(2000) * ''Go There'' – Scott Sawyer (2007) * ''

Lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...

'' -

Jimmy Herring Jimmy Herring (born January 22, 1962) is the lead guitarist for the band Widespread Panic. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz Is Dead and has played with The Allman Brothers Band, Project Z, Derek Trucks Band, Phil Lesh a ...

(2008) * ''Deep Elem Blues'' - The Acoustic Company (2017)

References

External links

Tedeschi Trucks Band official website

Interview with Kofi Burbridge

Kofi Burbridge's personal bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burbridge, Kofi 1961 births 2019 deaths American keyboardists Entertainers from the Bronx American flautists Grammy Award winners Tedeschi Trucks Band members The Derek Trucks Band members Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit members Surrender to the Air members