Col. Bruce Hampton To The Rescue

During the Q&A Hampton talked about the band’s upcoming live album, the possibility of a new studio LP, astrology, and why joy is better than happiness.   

The Aquarium Rescue Unit’s AllMusic bio notes that while the group wasn’t known for its commercial success, its “hilariously fun fusion of bluegrass, rock, Latin, jazz, and impeccable chops became a template for much future work in the genre.”

The Aquarium Rescue Unit features Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Herring and Jeff Sipe. The musicians will be joined on the road by keyboardist Matt Slocum, who performed at the group’s one-off reunion show with Hampton in 2011 and who has played with Susan Tedeschi and Rich Robinson.

After Hampton parted ways with the band in 1993, the surrealist musician continued creating tunes with several other acts including Fiji Mariners, The Quark Alliance and Col. Bruce Hampton and The Pharaoh Gummitt.  

The other members carried on touring and recording as the Aquarium Rescue Unit for several years with a rotating group of musicians.  Herring went on to play with Widespread Panic, The Dead, Jazz is Dead, The Ringers and his own solo project. Burbridge’s resume includes The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and his own band, The Peacemakers. In addition to playing drums in his own trio, Sipe has worked with a long list of artists including Phil Lesh, Bela Fleck, Susan Tedeschi, Trey Anastasio and Jazz Is Dead.

The reunion tour – Aquarium Rescue Unit’s first full-fledged run of dates with Hampton since 2007 – officially launches with two nights in Boulder, Colo., July 29-30. Hampton and the band got the party started in June with a gig at Baltimore’s Rams Head Live! featuring special guests John McLaughlin and the Paul Reed Smith Band with Dennis Chambers on drums and Rhonda Smith on bass.

Why was 2015 the right time for the Aquarium Rescue Unit to return to the road?

Just [trying] to put some spirit in the room. It just felt right. And our great manager was pretty much responsible and we had a window where everybody was open so that was real lucky.

That’s nice it worked out like that.

Yeah, well they collapse into place (laughs). I’m not sure anything works out – it just collapses where it’s supposed to be.

In June the band took the stage in Baltimore for its first reunion show. How did that gig go?

It was just absolutely 100. You know, I mean John McLaughlin and Dennis Chambers. You’re not going to get any better. And we just had a blast. We played for two and a half, three hours nonstop.

You must have been pretty exhausted after that.

No, we were energized! We were ready to keep going. The music put a lot of adrenaline in us.

Now, another night I would be lying to you, Sarah (laughs). But that night it was wonderful.

Are you looking forward to getting on the road?

Yeah, we are. I mean Jimmy Herring is always on the road it seems. And Oteil [Burbridge] is always on the road. And I stay on the road. So, you know it’s the first time I think we’re doing 18 dates in 20 days or something. So we’re going to be moving and doing a lot.

What was the rehearsal schedule like to get ready for the tour?

You know what, I’ll tell you the truth half the time (laughs). We’ve actually never had a rehearsal in our life. We know the heads of the tunes and someone will start it and we go from there. But sometimes we don’t have endings and they may go on for days. So, you know. But we don’t think we’ve ever had a full-time rehearsal. We were in Athens, Ga., about three weeks ago and did sort of a rehearsal. But it keeps us fresh and makes us also fall on our face.

Not being over-rehearsed must keep the music fresh.

It does. It’s very dangerous and it’s not conducive to marketing and business. But when it takes off, it takes off and when it falls on its face, it falls on its face (laughs).

We’re either disappointing or a mystery. (laughs) Nothing in between.

It seems like that spontaneity is what fans have come to expect.  

Yeah, yeah. But it’s not the only way we could do it. We started out in 1989 just exploring, experimenting and [doing] anything that you’re not supposed to do. The rules are play the exact opposite of what you think you’re going to do. And we never really changed. … That’s fresh stuff. And they’re such good players, the guys in the band. And that always help. So even on an off night, they still sound great.

Had you kept in touch with the rest of the band since the last tour?

Yeah, yeah. We stay in touch and I play with everybody quite a bit. I probably do four or five jobs with Jeff [Sipe] a year, and Oteil two or three, and Jimmy two or three. But we stay in touch, yeah.

Some performances from the tour or going to be recorded for a live album. Do you have any idea which shows are going to be recorded?  

I think all of them, once we get back on the East Coast. We’re going to do from Birmingham through New York. So they’ll be 10 or 12 nights recorded.

Have you guys set a release date for the album?

No, but it should be pretty soon. Pretty quick.

Probably a week or two after the last gig. I don’t understand the music business anymore to … I mean, you’re in it. Your finger’s on the pulse. Do they put out records still? (laughs) I mean, it’s an amazing thing, isn’t it? And by the way, you’re the fourth Sarah Pittman I know.

Really? How funny!

I know two in Chicago – one 35 and one 66 years old. And they’re both born in October. Are you born in October?

Nope, I’m April.

OK, you’re an Aries, for sure. So you get mad for 45 seconds and then you’re cool after that? People better run for those 45 seconds and then you’re cool like nothing ever happened. I bet. (laughs)

You know your astrology signs! So, going back to the album, will each show be recorded and released individually as a digital download after the show? Or will individual tracks from various shows be compiled into a live album?  

I think it’s going to be an actual album. I just found out about it about three hours ago. … Been talking about it, just asked me what my vote was and I said yes, of course, yeah.

You know, I mean, it will show how much slower we’ve gotten in 26 years (laughs). We used to play fast but you know, it catches up. Gravity wins all the time.

Is there any chance the Aquarium Rescue Unit will record a studio album in the near future?

Yeah, we’re writing. We’re going to Colorado to spend about four days of writing.

Our basic goal is to do one tune and have it go for about a year. (laughs) We haven’t got to that point yet, but that’s at least a goal.

When are you hitting the studio?

I don’t know if we’ll have time [in 2015]. I think everybody is going to real busy the rest of the year. I know Oteil is. And of course Jimmy is. Probably next January or something when the time lets us do it.

But you’re working on songwriting.

Yeah, we’ve already got ideas to come at. I think we can write everything real quick and learn it. You know, we’re going to do it.

I’m sure fans will be excited to hear it because I know it’s been a while since Aquarium Rescue Unit has put out a new studio album.

Yes, ma’am. Yep. But basically our material is one song. I don’t know what it is. We’ll call it Sarah Pittman. (laughs) Ode to Sarah Pittman. That’s a great name. (laughs) Well, I win with you and I win with the other three. So, you know. So, it’s a win, win situation. I’ll do it. It’s done. OK? You want Ode to Sarah Pittman? Or what should the title be?

Yeah, let’s go with that one.

That sounds pretty good. Yeah! I don’t know what an ode is, but it works. (laughs)  

I’ll have to check back in with you to see if that happens.

Yep. Ode to Sarah Pittman. God, that’s good. We will do that. I will start on that today. Yes, we will play it. (laughs) I’m sorry, I’ve ruined many lives. You’re the next. (laughs) It will be good!

And plus, we’re just a carnival. We’re a moving mental institute. It’s basically what it is. … (laughs) Weird stuff happens. Yeah, it’s like a mix between the Three Stooges and The Marx Brothers (laughs). But we have a great time. We have a lot of joy every day. That’s hard to find. I think happiness is horrible. I don’t know what it is, but I love joy. Happiness can be marketed (laughs). I think it’s for sale. You can buy it different places. But joy is, you know, that’s neither here nor there or anywhere permanent or fixed.

Upcoming dates for Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit:

July 29 – Boulder, Colo., Fox Theatre           
July 30 – Boulder, Colo., Fox Theatre           
July 31 – Bellvue, Colo., Mishawaka Amphitheatre  
Aug. 1 – Denver, Colo., Ogden Theatre        
Aug. 5 – Birmingham, Ala., Iron City
Aug. 6 – Nashville, Tenn., Cannery Ballroom           
Aug. 7 – Atlanta, Ga., The Buckhead Theatre           
Aug. 8 – Athens, Ga., Georgia Theatre         
Aug. 9 – Asheville, N.C., The Orange Peel    
Aug. 12 – Raleigh, N.C., The Ritz      
Aug. 13 – Richmond, Va., The National        
Aug. 14 – Washington, D.C., The Howard Theatre   
Aug. 15 – Port Chester, N.Y., The Capitol Theatre   
Aug. 16 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Brooklyn Bowl

Please visit TheAquariumRescueUnit.com for more information.