Steve Morse has had an amazing career, both as a solo artist and as a member of various groups (perhaps best known as the lead guitarist for rock legends Deep Purple).
This morning, however, we're going back to his musical roots and a group he formed in the 1970's called Dixie Dregs. They played instrumental music that combined country, folk, rock and bluegrass into a unique sound that's hard to categorize.
To introduce the group to those who don't know them, I've selected four early tracks. Let's begin at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1978 with "The Bash".
Next, from 1981, here's an improvised "jam session" where the band just fool around together. Despite a relatively poor-quality recording, it's a lot of fun.
From the same year, here's "Pride O' The Farm".
And finally, from the Dawn Of The Dregs reunion tour in 2018, here's "Go For Baroque".
And - just because I can - here's Steve Morse and Deep Purple at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1996, performing the group's classic "When A Blind Man Cries". Just listen to his guitar technique, and marvel.
It's hard to believe Steve Morse is currently 69 years old. Where did the time go?
Peter
6 comments:
Great guitar player, but I still think that Deep Purple Mark VII and later lacks something in their musical expression, something rooted in Ritchie Blackmore's neoclassical style rather than Morse's more folksy style.
Still a great musician, too bad he had to quit playing to support his wife's fight with cancer...
saw the dreggs in fox theater Atlanta in 1983?Never heard of before but been a fan since
It was an article in Modern Recording and Music about Dreggs' Unsung Heroes that put me in the path to be a recording engineer. Morse' music makes it every day in my phone.
Blackmore and Morse were both outstanding guitarists. They just had somewhat different styles. I still miss Jon Lord. It's a shame that cancer got him. As CGR17 noted, Blackmore's was more of a neoclassical style. That is why he fit so well on Lon Lord's classical and rock classical fusion compositions.
I had forgotten about the Dixie Dregs. Thank you for the musical reminder.
Saw The Dregs and Steve Morse band in Nashville in a two week time span back in the early nineties. Two awesome shows, especially with Steve squatting at the front of the stage chatting with a man in the crowd, all while still playing.The talent in all the players is phenomenal.
I remember them best for 'Take it off the top'.
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