Oteil Burbridge smiles as if he came into this world with the same ear to ear grin on his face that shines while he plays with the Peacemakers, the Allman Brothers Band, Vida Blue and Gov't Mule. He keeps that smile strong, even when talking about painful memories, and even while we both shiver in the cold basement under Canopy Club in Urbana, Illinois. People know about Oteil's playing, with his scatting silkily smooth over the tone of his bass, tweaked slightly with an envelope filter, and many other acrobatic bass techniques. To see the man play live is to witness how warm a human being can be not just from the simple joys in his or her life, but after they found a way to make joy out of pain.