Aquarium Rescue Unit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aquarium Rescue Unit
Country	Atlanta, Georgia USA
Years active	1989–1997, 2004, 2006 status = Occasionally Active
Genres	Rock, Jazz fusion, Progressive Rock
Labels	Capricorn Records
Members	Col. Bruce Hampton Jimmy Herring Oteil Burbridge Jeff Sipe Matt Mundy Paul Henson Jeff Mosier Count M'butu Charles Williams Dr. Dan Matrazzo John Roberts Kofi Burbridge

The Aquarium Rescue Unit was an experimental jazz rock group, originally founded as a backup band for Col. Bruce Hampton, consisting at various times, of Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Herring, Matt Mundy, Charles Williams, Kofi Burbridge, Jeff Sipe, and Hampton himself. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, with its constantly changing lineup, was a cornerstone member of the early jam band scene, with players that eventually became members of the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Leftover Salmon, Frogwings, and most recently Widespread Panic. Although the band was never commercially successful, the band's combination of bluegrass, rock, Latin, jazz, and impeccable chops became a template for future bands in the genre.

The band originated from a weekly Atlanta jam session hosted by Hampton (from the Hampton Grease Band), playing in the same clubs night after night having a whole routine that the audience knew, and eventually toured around the Southeast United States, with a lineup including Jeff Mosier of the Blueground Undergrass, and Charles Williams of Chateau Debris and The Bonaventure Quartet, eventually settling on the lineup that produced their two albums released on Capricorn Records; Eeepee, in 1991, and In a Perfect World, in 1993.

During the summers of 1992 and 1993, the group joined on the H.O.R.D.E. tour, meeting like-minded bands such as Phish, the Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Widespread Panic. Members of these bands would frequently tour, perform, and record with one another. John Popper did so several times, on several Aquarium Rescue Unit albums.

In 1993, Matt Mundy retired from music, and Hampton retired from touring due to health reasons (although he later toured with the Fiji Mariners and The Codetalkers. The band went on, first substituting Oteil Burbridge but eventually recruiting Paul Henson as frontman.

The band, without the leadership of Hampton, eventually fell apart, releasing two poorly-received albums. As they began to stop touring in 1996, Jeff Sipe joined with Jonas Hellborg and eventually with Leftover Salmon. In 1997, Oteil Burbridge replaced Allen Woody in the Allman Brothers Band. Burbridge played bass in former Phish keyboardist Page McConnell's side project Vida Blue as well as on Phish guitarest Trey Anastasio's Surrender to the Air. Jimmy Herring has toured with Jazz Is Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, and the Dead. He is now playing guitar in Widespread Panic.

On 10/20/04 the band reunited with an almost complete original lineup including Col. Bruce Hampton, Oteil Burbrige, Jimmy Herring, Jeff Sipe aka Apt Q-258 and Count Mbutu for a show at Georgia Theater in Athens, GA. In 2006, the band performed again - this time without the Count and with Bobby Lee Rodgers on banjo and vocals. They played two shows at Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO in January before Col. Bruce underwent heart surgery later in the year. Following the Col.'s recovery, the band is playing occasional shows as "Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit" featuring Oteil Burbridge, Col. Bruce Hampton, Jimmy Herring and Jeff Sipe. 2006 show highlights include Allgood Music Festival and 10/28/06 at Variety Playhouse Theater in Atlanta, GA.