DOORS 6:30PM • SHOWTIME 7:30PM
The Vogel • Basie Center Campus • 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank

The Dixie Dregs

For guitar aficionados, Steve Morse needs no introduction, and his place in the pantheon of guitar greats is certain. But in fact, his career started with the Dixie Dregs.

The band traces its true beginnings back to Morse’s high school days, alongside fellow Dixie Dregs bassist, Andy West.  An early progressive rock quintet featuring vocals, the band’s first iteration settled on the name Dixie Grit while joking about being from the South.  Dixie Grit morphed into the instrumental Dixie Dregs at the University of Miami School of Music, where Allen Sloan (violin) and Rod Morgenstein (drums) joined up with Steve and Andy, the remaining “dregs” of Dixie Grit.

After moving back to Augusta, where Steve Davidowski (keyboards) completed the Dixie Dregs, the band established themselves in the firmament of American instrumental music, seamlessly fusing rock with progressive and jazz elements to create a uniquely instrumental-driven style that stands the test of time.

Based on a short demo and a tip from former Allman Brothers keyboardist Chuck Leavell along with legendary Allman/Dregs tour manager Twiggs Lyndon, Capricorn Records signed the Dixie Dregs to record Free Fall (1977). The success and critical acclaim of Free Fall announced the Dixie Dregs to the world, and after its release, they would become a cult favorite band that provided a lasting influence on modern rock.

Over the course of 40 years, the Dixie Dregs have released eleven commercial albums of original material, and a number of compilations, reissues, and countless live bootlegs. Along the way, they have garnered six GRAMMY nominations, an acknowledgement of their elevated status among the musical community. The band has played with several well-known alumni and guests — among others, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra) Alex Ligertwood (Santana), as well as original band members playing and recording on well over 300 releases including Deep Purple/Kansas/Flying Colors/Steve Morse Band (Steve Morse) and Winger/Jelly Jam/Jazz is Dead (Rod Morgenstein).

2018’s “Dawn of the Dregs” tour saw the original lineup return to the stage for the first time in well over a quarter of a century.  Six years later, in 2024, an amended lineup featuring original members Morse, West, Sloan and Morgenstein alongside familiar contemporary Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater, returns once again.  A GRAMMY winner and Music Radar Magazine’s “Best Keyboardist of All Time”, the Juilliard School of Music-trained keyboard wizard will now rejoin some of his longest-tenured peers for a can’t-miss celebration of music.  The “Anachronicity Tour 2024” brings some of music’s most legendary performers to intimate stages, offering an up close and personal opportunity for long-standing and new fans alike to revel in musical proficiency and history, night after night.

Steve Morse Band

Reunited and performing together for the first time in over 10 years, the Steve Morse Band returns with a long-awaited live set including fan favorites from the band’s illustrious career.  Featuring a trio of some of the world’s most notable instrumentalists – Steve Morse, Dave LaRue, and Van Romaine – this evening with the legendary act promises to be a can’t-miss event in music history and a true testament to their status as the original gold standard in rock fusion.

The night brings together three icons, beginning with the band’s namesake and Guitar Player Hall of Famer Steve Morse, songwriter and bandleader of The Dixie Dregs, member of supergroup Flying Colors, as well as former guitarist of Deep Purple, Kansas and more.  Morse’s bandmates feature Dave LaRue, also of Flying Colors and The Dixie Dregs, as well as Van Romaine, one of the most in-demand percussionists throughout his extensive career playing live and recording with legendary names like Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Joel, Naughty by Nature and many more.  It’s a can’t-miss celebration of musical prowess and unparalleled instrumental songwriting, undoubtedly poised to be a music lover’s dream come true.

Presented by Count Basie Center for the Arts