The Quark Alliance
Encyclopedia
Col. Bruce & The Quark Alliance is a band formed in 2006 by musician Col. Bruce Hampton that recorded and toured through 2010. Hampton has been a part of the Southern music scene since the 1960s fronting such acts as The Hampton Grease Band
, The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit
, and The Fiji Mariners.
The Quark Alliance toured nationally and also included guitarist Perry Osborn, bassist Kris Dale, and drummer Duane Trucks.
Perry Osborn joined the band in 2008. He teaches music at Florida State University
and has toured with Grant Green, Jr.
, Jeff Sipe
, and Gary Gazaway.
Kris Dale graduated from the University of Miami's School of Music with a degree in studio music and jazz performance. Kris played in many touring bands including Tongo-hiti, The Lost Continentals, Kingsized, Bernadette Seacrest
, and The Johnny Knox Trio. Along the way he picked up pedal steel guitar
and recorded on the theme song for Adult Swim
's "Squidbillies
."
Duane Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida
. He began playing drums at the age of two. Coming from a musical family, he was able to learn from some of the best musicians in the country and take lessons from the legendary Bernard Purdie
. After graduating high school he toured with his brother Derek Trucks
's band, Soul Stew Revival. His jazz trio 'The Sixes' still plays occasionally around Atlanta.
Former member Jeff Caldwell has been playing clubs in the South and L.A. for years. For a while he was at the Musicians Institute
in California with John Frusciante
and Aquarium Rescue Unit
guitarist Jimmy Herring
. Jeff wrote seven songs on the band's 2007 CD.
The Quark Alliance's only CD, "Give Thanks To Chank" released in November 2007.
1. Give Thanks To Chank
2. It's Not Over
3. Nicole
4. Susan T
5. I'm Not Listening
6. Them Dickinson Boys
7. You Hold Me The Best
8. The Den Is In Heaven
9. All Simplicity
10. Open The Door
11. Talk So Loud
12. Lanerville
13. Threnody To The Victims Of Louisiana
Hampton Grease Band
The Hampton Grease Band was an American rock band, beginning as a blues-rock group in the late 1960s in Atlanta, Georgia. They performed with several major bands in this period, including Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. The band gained a reputation for wacky stage antics, and eventually...
, The Late Bronze Age, The Aquarium Rescue Unit
Aquarium Rescue Unit
Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit is an experimental rock group originally founded by Col. Bruce Hampton. The band gained popularity in the Atlanta club scene in the early 1990s and went on to tour with the first H.O.R.D.E. Tour. During the initial years, the band was composed of...
, and The Fiji Mariners.
The Quark Alliance toured nationally and also included guitarist Perry Osborn, bassist Kris Dale, and drummer Duane Trucks.
Perry Osborn joined the band in 2008. He teaches music at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
and has toured with Grant Green, Jr.
Grant Green, Jr.
Grant Green, Jr. is a jazz guitarist and son of the late jazz guitar legend Grant Green. He is a member of the group Masters of Groove, along with drummer Bernard Purdie and B3 organ player Reuben Wilson....
, Jeff Sipe
Jeff Sipe
Jeff Sipe is an American drummer. He is a rock and jazz fusion drummer, however, he is proficient in many other styles which he has demonstrated in his decades of drumming. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit along with Col. Bruce Hampton...
, and Gary Gazaway.
Kris Dale graduated from the University of Miami's School of Music with a degree in studio music and jazz performance. Kris played in many touring bands including Tongo-hiti, The Lost Continentals, Kingsized, Bernadette Seacrest
Bernadette Seacrest
Bernadette Seacrest is an American vocalist born in San Francisco, California.-Career:In 2001 Seacrest began singing for The Long Goners, a Rockabilly band originating in Albuquerque, New Mexico that shared the stage with Hank Williams III, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, Jonathan Richman and...
, and The Johnny Knox Trio. Along the way he picked up pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
and recorded on the theme song for Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
's "Squidbillies
Squidbillies
Squidbillies is an animated television series about the Cuylers, an impoverished family of anthropomorphic hillbilly squids living in the Appalachian region of North Carolina's mountains. The show is produced by Williams Street Studios for the Adult Swim programming block of Cartoon Network and...
."
Duane Trucks was born in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. He began playing drums at the age of two. Coming from a musical family, he was able to learn from some of the best musicians in the country and take lessons from the legendary Bernard Purdie
Bernard Purdie
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie is an American session drummer, and is considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk...
. After graduating high school he toured with his brother Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks
Derek Trucks is a Grammy Award-winning, American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He founded The Derek Trucks Band and worked as a session musician when he was still in his early teens. Throughout those teenage years, he toured with The Allman Brothers Band primarily as a slide...
's band, Soul Stew Revival. His jazz trio 'The Sixes' still plays occasionally around Atlanta.
Former member Jeff Caldwell has been playing clubs in the South and L.A. for years. For a while he was at the Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
in California with John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
and Aquarium Rescue Unit
Aquarium Rescue Unit
Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit is an experimental rock group originally founded by Col. Bruce Hampton. The band gained popularity in the Atlanta club scene in the early 1990s and went on to tour with the first H.O.R.D.E. Tour. During the initial years, the band was composed of...
guitarist Jimmy Herring
Jimmy Herring
Jimmy Herring is an American guitarist who is currently the lead guitarist in the band Widespread Panic. Herring is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz is Dead...
. Jeff wrote seven songs on the band's 2007 CD.
The Quark Alliance's only CD, "Give Thanks To Chank" released in November 2007.
Track listings
"Give Thanks To Chank" - 2007 - BratoGanibe Records1. Give Thanks To Chank
2. It's Not Over
3. Nicole
4. Susan T
5. I'm Not Listening
6. Them Dickinson Boys
7. You Hold Me The Best
8. The Den Is In Heaven
9. All Simplicity
10. Open The Door
11. Talk So Loud
12. Lanerville
13. Threnody To The Victims Of Louisiana