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Dixie Dregs

The Dixie Dregs evolved from an Augusta, Georgia band called Dixie Grit, formed by Steve Morse and Andy West in 1970. The band featured Morse’s older brother Dave on drums, Frank Brittingham (guitar and vocals) and Johnny Carr (keyboards). Carr was later replaced by Mark Parrish. Shortly after Steve Morse’s enrollment at University of Miami’s School of Music in 1971, Dixie Grit was disbanded. Morse and West continued performing as a duet, calling themselves Dixie Dregs (the “Dregs” of “Dixie Grit”).

In 1973, Steve Morse (guitar), Andy West (bass), Allen Sloan (violin) and Bart Yarnal (drums) met while students at the University of Miami’s School of Music to play as Rock Ensemble II. West also attended Georgia State University for a year while studying cello and music theory & composition along with Parrish. Parrish remained at GSU during the academic school years only to return to Augusta, Georgia during summer breaks – re-establishing the guitar/bass/keyboards/drums quartet with Morse, West, Parrish, and Gilbert Frayer (drums) performing as opening acts for concerts and headlining local gigs as the Dixie Dregs.

During subsequent academic school years, the remaining members of the Dregs — including Andy West — returned to the University of Miami and Mark Parrish returned to Atlanta, Georgia to complete his degree in music performance and composition at Georgia State University under the study of William Masselos, with additional studies of electronic music at Columbia University in New York City under Alice Shields – a protégé of Wendy Carlos.

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Radio & Podcasts

'70s to the '80s with Return To Forever, Dixie Dregs, Brecker Brothers and Miles Davis

Read "'70s to the '80s with Return To Forever, Dixie Dregs, Brecker Brothers and Miles Davis" reviewed by Len Davis


Music from the '70s to the '80s from Return To Forever, Dixie Dregs and Bill Bruford. Brecker Brothers, Tony Williams, Miles Davis and The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Playlist Return To Forever “Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant" from Romantic Warrior (Columbia) 00:00 Dixie Dregs “I'm Freaking Out" from Dregs Of The Earth (Arista) 07:49 Bill Bruford “Joe Frazier" from Gradually Going Tornado (Polydor) 15:37 Brecker Brothers “Some Skunk Funk" from Brecker Brothers (Arista) 23:25 Tony Williams “Hitting' on ...

2
Live Review

Dixie Dregs at Lincoln Theatre

Read "Dixie Dregs at Lincoln Theatre" reviewed by Eric Thiessen


The Dixie Dregs Lincoln Theatre Washington, DC March 7, 2018 Back in the 1970s, many aspiring young guitarists yearned to play like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page or Jimi Hendrix, but truly inspired musicians wanted to be as good as John McLaughlin or Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs (later just The Dregs). While the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever defined guitar driven jazz rock fusion with an emphasis on jazz, the Dregs leaned more on the rock ...

1
Live Review

The Dixie Dregs at Scottish Rite Auditorium

Read "The Dixie Dregs at Scottish Rite Auditorium" reviewed by Geno Thackara


The Dixie Dregs Scottish Rite Auditorium Collingswood, NJ March 9, 2018 They've always remained one of the most under-the-radar of fusion bands. The Dixie Dregs' every-damn-thing- at-once musical stew could have hardly been better designed to elude widespread exposure--too much jazzy complexity for a group of rockers, too much country and folk for a jazz combo, a tinge more classical than you'd expect from either, all without any singing to grab the ears of radio ...

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Album Review

Dixie Dregs: California Screamin'

Read "California Screamin'" reviewed by Dave Hughes


The Dixie Dregs (also called simply “the Dregs") produced muscular southern rock/fusion during the late seventies and early eighties. They reunited briefly in the early nineties, and reunited again in August, 1999, for a series of concerts at Los Angeles' famed Roxy Theater. The best performances from these hot nights have now been released on California Screamin'. All of the original members are present (Morse, Lavitz, Morgenstern, Sloan, West), as well as more recent band members Jerry Goodman (of Mahavishnu ...

105
Album Review

Dixie Dregs: California Screamin'

Read "California Screamin'" reviewed by Dave Hughes


The Dixie Dregs (also called simply "the Dregs") produced muscular southern rock/fusion during the late seventies and early eighties.  They reunited briefly in the early nineties, and reunited again in August, 1999, for a series of concerts at Los Angeles' famed Roxy Theater.  The best performances from these hot nights have now been released on Zebra records.  All of the original members are present (Morse, Lavitz, Morgenstern, Sloan, West), as well as more recent band members Jerry Goodman ...

173
Album Review

Dixie Dregs: California Screamin'

Read "California Screamin'" reviewed by Ed Kopp


In this age of snooze jazz radio and the retro mainstream, kick-ass fusion is all but dead. Given the climate, it's great to have the Dixie Dregs back in action and rocking the house down. California Screamin' is a live overview of the Dregs' sporadic 25-year existence. The players really seemed to enjoy this reunion, which was recorded over three concerts at the Roxy in Los Angeles last August. The qualities that originally made this band so effective ...

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Album Review

Dixie Dregs: California Screamin'

Read "California Screamin'" reviewed by Glenn Astarita


Perhaps no other band has successfully integrated 1970's style British progressive rock with fusion and jazz improvisation while at times incorporating the finer virtues of the “Southern Rock scene than the “Dixie Dregs ! Their latest, California Screamin captures the band, “live at the legendary “Roxy Theater located in Los Angeles, California as we only wish we could have been there during those 3 nights after listening to this vivacious, hard driving exposition and altogether explosive affair.

Steve Morse's infamous ...

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Industry Standard

Dregs Records
2011

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The Best Of Dixie...

Dregs Records
2002

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Night Of The Living...

Dregs Records
2002

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California Screamin'

Zebra Records
2000

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In Concert - King...

Dregs Records
1999

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What If

Dregs Records
1998

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