The Dixie Dregs

The Dixie Dregs
Andy West and Allen Sloan of the Dixie Dregs live in 1999
Background information
Also known as	Dixie Grit (1970-1971) Rock Ensemble II (1973) The Dregs (1981-present)
Origin	Augusta, Georgia
Genres	Hard rock, country rock, Progressive metal, southern rock, progressive rock
Years active	1970–present
Labels	Capricorn, Anthem
Website	Steve Morse
Members	Steve Morse Rod Morgenstein Dave LaRue Jerry Goodman
Past members	Andy West Frank Brittingham Dave Morse Johnny Carr Mark Parrish Allen Sloan, M.D. Bart Yarnall Gilbert Frayer Frank Josephs Steve Davidowski T Lavitz Mark O'Connor

The Dixie Dregs is an American band formed in the 1970s. Their mostly instrumental music fuses Hard rock, southern rock, Progressive metal and classical forms in an often unique style.

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.

At the time, the University of Miami hosted a lively musical community, including future greats Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Danny Gottlieb, T Lavitz and Bruce Hornsby. Rod Morgenstein was asked to fill in as drummer after a surfing accident disabled Yarnal. In 1974, during the school years at UofM, keyboardist Frank Josephs was added to their lineup. In 1975, the group's first effort, The Great Spectacular (named by ex-"Dixie Grit" second guitarist and singer, Frank Brittingham) was recorded at the University. Approximately 1,000 copies of the original LP were pressed. The album was reissued in 1997 in CD form.