Oteil Burbridge: Intention First. Instrument Last
From Wong Notes by Premier Guitar
March 25, 2026 · 1h 5m · Season 9 · Episode 8
About this episode
Cory Wong interviews bassist Oteil Burbridge about musical philosophy and his experiences with various bands.
Cory Wong sits down with the legendary bassist Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, Tedeschi Trucks Band) for a deep dive into musical philosophy, Col. Bruce, and more. Burbridge has been driven by a simple, radical lesson he learned from Col. Bruce Hampton: Intention comes first, the instrument is last. He tells Cory how he learned to channel his entire life—including the “mirror of embarrassment”—into his playing to develop a singular voice—scat singing and all. Burbridge also breaks down how he maintains deep groove while adding melodic freedom, and the power a bassist has to drive a soloist to “40,000 feet.” Plus, you’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories from the Allman Brothers Band, advice on dealing with creative pushback, and details on his upcoming album recorded in Iceland. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong Visit Oteil: https://www.oteilburbridge.com/ Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong Presented by DistroKid
People in this episode
Host: Cory Wong
Guest: Oteil Burbridge
Topics covered
- musical philosophy
- bassist techniques
- creative process
- groove and melody
- personal stories
- upcoming album
Keywords
- Oteil Burbridge
- musical intention
- Allman Brothers
- bassist techniques
- creative pushback
- upcoming album
- DistroKid
Sponsors
DistroKid
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Premier Guitar
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