"The Dregs Reaching Their Peak", South Bay Review, 15th January 1983
by Doug Engfer

Seeing a band play at the limit of its ability can be a bittersweet experience. At the show, caught up in the tension and excitement of the moment, one is awed by the mastery of the performance. But afterward, upon reflection, one realizes that the members face important, difficult, perhaps painful decisions about their futures. Such was the case in 1975, when Genesis performed 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'-the band was at its creative peak, and has since lost two of its most challenging members while pursuing commercial success. A second example, with a different aftermath, is that of Pink Floyd's total disbanding after 'The Wall.' The members of that band decided that they had no more to say as a unit. Finally, there is the case off Gentle Giant, whose 1976-77 tour (which yielded the album 'Playing the Fool') was a triumph in every way, and whose members decided to stay together - with dissatisfying results. I offer these three illustrations in order to show the alternatives with which 1 believe the Dregs are now faced, for they did indeed strain the limits of their collective ability at the Saddle Rack Night Club on Monday, 10 January.

There can be no doubt that the Dregs are good, very good, at what they do, which is play a flavor of jazz­fusion that is ever so slightly tinged with the hint of the South. The band's rhythms are infectious; the melodies, creative; the presentations, breathtaking. But, as a band, they seem to have taken their genre about as far as they can and still maintain a creative edge to their product. Sure, the band can continue to craft tunes like 'Cruise Control' and 'Punk Sandwich,' and 'Blood-sucking Leeches' is a new song in that vein, but how long will it be before their audience, or, more likely, they themselves, look for something more? And further, when that time comes, how many of the band's members will be of the same mind about what course to follow?

Presently, the band truly belongs to its stellar guitarist, Steve Morse. Let me take this opportunity to add my vote to that groundswell of opinion that seeks to elevate him to the mythical title of 'Best Popular Guitarist.' The man is a technical and musical genius. But therein lies the Dregs' basic problem, in my opinion: the rest of the band members cannot keep pace. During the obligatory drum solo (the only part of the show which I found tedious), percussionist Rod Morgenstein made his shortcomings abundantly clear. He had nothing new to say. Bassist Andy West does an excellent job of providing a heavy bottom to the Dregs' sound, and is definitely an asset to the band. But he is playing the same riffs he was playing two years ago; Morse has just shot by. Only the keyboardist, T. Lavitz, provides any challenge for Morse anymore, and that stimulus is offered only occasionally. The bulk of the show consists of the band supporting Steve Morse, as he pushes himself to new limits of inventiveness. This was not the case in the summer of 1981, when the Dregs (then the Dixie Dregs) played a free concert at San Jose State. At that time, they played more as a band, less as 'Steve Morse and the Dregs.' They displayed more playfulness in their music,' a greater sense of humor in their composition. Like Brand X, the Dregs are becoming a little too serious, perhaps because of Morse's challenging role. Should Morse decide to try something new, there is the strong possibility that the rest of the band will simply be unable to follow.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Morse is trying new things. At one point in the show he traded his electric guitar for a classical and played his recent composition 'Northern Lights,' a very pretty piece whose nuance was lost on much of the audience, who talked through the song. Such is the reception we all too often accord the more challenging members of our society. He is also exploring the softer (not to say 'mellower') sounds which an electric guitar can produce, much in the style of Allan Holdsworth, a guitarist who has never received his due. This Morse was able to do within the context of a band number, though the other members mainly lagged behind. All in all, Morse seems to be pushing his craft in order to broaden his virtuosity beyond what has become the jazz-fusion tradition. (During his final solo, he even segued briefly into 'Whole Lotta Love').

All this leads me to the conclusion that Steve Morse and the Dregs face an imminent decision between three options: one, they can go on doing what they are doing now. This is the route that would lead to the greatest commercial success, in all likelihood, but would also mean stagnation for Morse-his development would be cramped by the rest of the band. Two, they can disband, freeing Morse to pursue his talent, but leaving the rest of the members rather in the lurch. Three, they can combine options one and two, by giving Morse the latitude to become another of the small, highly mobile units which have long typified jazz and are beginning to be more prevalent among rock musicians, while continuing to perform as a band. This last strikes me as the most likely, and the most pleasing. A talent like Steve Morse's needs to be cultivated and challenged in order to develop; a band like the Dregs needs a little less emphasis on the serious for its best quality to come through - its sense of humor.

Many thanks to Scott DuBose for contributing this article.