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Renowned Jazz Rock exponents fronted by guitarist Steve Morse, a man of such incredible talent that he has been awarded the 'World's best guitarist' accolade no less than six times. Such is his prowess it was rumoured that he was asked to not make himself eligible for future polls in order to give someone else a chance!
Dixie Dregs evolved in the early 70's from Dixie Grits, an act founded by guitarist Morse, bassist Andy West and keyboard player Mark Parrish. By 1975 the handle Dixie Dregs had been adopted with Parrish making way for Frank Josephs as the band were brought up to full strength with violinist Allen Sloan and drummer Rod Morgenstein. With this line up the band recorded the projected 'The Great Spectacular' album although this was shelved.
By the time of their first official debut, Free Fall in 1977, Josephs place had been taken by Steve Dawidowski. However, Parrish was to make a return the same year for the next brace of albums 1978's 'What If' and 1979's 'Night Of The Living Dregs'. By this time both Morse and Morgenstein were being lauded as among the very the best in their respective musical fields... ~ Rock Detector



Free Fall was the Dixie Dregs first record, released in 1977. Overall, many critics consider this album one of the band's best efforts. Free Fall features a good mix of southern rock, bluegrass and jazz styles but sounds more jazz oriented and funky than other Dixie Dregs recordings. "Refried Funky Chicken" is just that--funky--as guitarist/songwriter Steve Morse makes use of a well-oiled wah-wah pedel throughout the tune. "Holiday" has very fluid, rolling feel with drummer Rod Morgenstein and bassist Andy West providing a very tight rhythm backing. "Moe Down" showcases the southern/pickin' sound that the Dregs practically patented. The CD closes with the quiet and fluid "Northern Lights". For a first album, this one is a killer, one of the Dixie Dregs best. ~ Guitar Nine Records


The first Dixie Dregs released record. The members of this band are all gifted artists that play an intricate music highly influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra with a touch of Allman Brothers. Guitarist extraordinaire Steve Morse wrote every song. His guitar solos were not as bursting as on his further records within the Steve Morse Band, but with this album he demonstrated that he was a great composer. Steve conceived every Dixie Dregs album as a patchwork of very different kinds of music, ranging from classical to fusion, via country, rock and ballad. However, he is not the only astonishing musician on this record, violinist Allen Sloan and drummer Rod Morgenstein are as much as him. Complex compositions and great melodies make for a fantastic debut album. If you like Mahavishnu Orchestra, with a bit more fun and the spirit of Bruford's solo work, check out this record. ~ Prog Archives


Tracklisting:
1. Free Fall (4:41)
2. Holiday (4:25)
3. Hand Jig (3:18)
4. Moe Down (3:50)
5. Refried Funky Chicken (3:18)
6. Sleep (1:57)
7. Cruise Control (6:16)
8. Cosmopolitan Traveler (3:04)
9. Dig The Ditch (3:51)
10. Wages Of Weirdness (3:47)
11. Northern Lights (3:14)

Total Time: 41:41



Line-Up:
- Rod Morgenstein / drums, percussion
- Andy West / bass guitar
- Allen Sloan / electric violin, viola, strings
- Steve Morse / guitars, guitar synthesizer, banjo
- Steve Davidowski / synthesizer, keyboards