If you don’t know who the Dixie Dregs are, I can’t help you.  My guess is that many of you do though, and/or know of the various solo artists who blossomed out of the original line-up, especially guitar legend Steve Morse.  If you don’t, check out some of the cuts from their debut album, Free Fall and join the club.

What you’ll find is a unique blend of southern rock, jazz-fusion, classical, and dare I say “country”?  Whatever the genres are, these guys produce one of a kind music and it was exciting to see them re-create the album live after over 40 years.  I’ve seen Steve a couple times years ago–he is always exciting to watch shred away with his trademark howling bends and double-time triplet riffs.  Rod Morgenstein (drums) has played with a plethora of different acts, and was (still is?) the go-to guy for rock and jazz-fusion drums.  He has played along side Steve for many years and is a lifetime Dregs member.  Bassist Andy West, keyboardist Steven Davidowski and violinist Allen Sloan are not as well known–but they add the essential elements that help create and synergize the original (and often imitated or stolen from) “Dixie Dregs” sound.

To say it was a real treat to see them live in concert (in New Orleans too!) is a vast understatement.  This show was so much fun, not only because these guys are great players tackling impressive compositions, but because of the nostalgic value–it was like time-traveling back to the 70’s, when fusion was fun and creative.  They performed much of the original album sprinkled in with newer compositions from more recent years.  Some of my personal favorites were “What If” (this is the point in the show where Steve really started to open up), “Leprechaun Promenade” (which got really spacey) and “Day 444” (which has some great time signatures).  “Go for Baroque” showcased the group’s  classical roots, featuring Steve, Andy and Allen performing a beautifully arranged counterpoint piece in the spirit of a classical baroque trio or quartet.  They closed the show with “Cruise Control”, which basically lit the place on fire and featured a killer drum solo from Mr. Morgenstein.  By then Steve was so amped up that he had surpassed the red area on the shred meter and blew everyone’s doors away.

The crowd, while definitely an older ‘jazzfest’ crowd, was really into it the whole time, hanging on every note.  There  were definitely lots of fans in that building.  I sincerely hope that these guys do another tour, as this one looked pretty successful and they guys appeared to be having a blast on stage.  I definitely want to see more of the Dixie Dregs in the near future!

5 out of 5 stars.