Yesterday, the world got their first taste of the All Brothers Band in the studio with the release of a recording from drummer Alan Evans (Soulive, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe). Evans and his brother, Neal Evans (Lettuce, Soulive, Jack White), started the band with brothers Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, Allman Brothers) and the late Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Derek Trucks Band) back in 2016. The quartet entered the recording studio one time only, and made their live debut at the second annual Brooklyn Comes Alive in 2016 then played only once more in New Orleans during Jazz Fest.
Recorded at Alan Evans’ Iron Wax Studios in rural Western Massachusetts, the All Brothers Band never officially released any of the music from their lone session together in the studio. In the wake of the passing of Kofi, Alan Evans decided that the brothers’ music needed to be shared with the world. Head here to listen to and download the All Brothers Band’s newly released track, “In The Beginning”.
Evans wrote about the song title:
After the initial tracking session, Kofi finished some overdubs at home on this song, sent me his files and we all went off to do our thing. The night I learned of Kofi’s passing, I decided to open up the sessions to have a listen. I ended up mixing this song and I swear I could feel Kofi next to me smiling as we both listened back to a truly amazing time. After everything was mixed, I sent it around to Neal and Oteil and we all knew this had to be shared with the world. I had one problem, there were no song titles. I was racking my brain trying to come up with a name and something told me to check my emails. There it was!!! I found the email from Kofi that contained his overdubs and he wrote in a song title, ‘In The Beginning’. So funny because I don’t remember seeing that when he originally sent it out but I imagine he’s the one who told me to check my emails.
He continues, “I don’t think there will be a day that goes by that I won’t think of him. I’m just so grateful we all got to play together, even if it was just for a brief moment in time.”
Today, Evans shared more content from the one-time-only recording session in the form of some videos. In the Instagram post, Evans writes:
I came home last night after being in the studio all day with every intention of going directly to sleep. I had to dig around a drive for something and stumbled on this video footage that I never saw. I honestly didn’t know I had it at all. ‘In The Beginning’ was the second song we recorded on the first day of our session. In fact, it was the second song ever recorded at Iron Wax Studios. I moved into the space just days before and I was finishing wiring the studio up as Neal, Kofi and Oteil were pulling that morning. Funny thing is, we probably spent more time talking and laughing than we did playing music but that’s what happens when family gets together.
In addition to never-before-seen footage of the session, there are videos of both sets of brothers explaining what brotherhood means to them.
Kofi: “Wow…”
Oteil: “Things go together easier” [with an almost-giddy laugh next to his big brother]
Kofi: “Wow…” [laughs]
“There’s a natural film that runs through I think all of us actually, that tunes into frequencies–and depending on the state of your frequency or wherever you’re at, that’s how your music will come out and that’s how your communication will come out… And for us, with the intensity that we have with music, it makes it immediate for us when we play together. The communication we have there, it makes it… It’s valuable to be able to grow up with someone this talented, as a kid, as a child.”
Oteil: “Yeah, I think it’s like never having to explain yourself…which is musically the same. It’s a great lesson.”
Watch the new videos below and head here to listen to and download the All Brothers Band’s newly released track, “In The Beginning”.