Steve Morse Band - Cotati Cabaret, Cotati, CA - Aug 2, 1984 [AUD] FLAC

Artist: Steve Morse Band
City: Cotati, CA, USA
Venue: Cotati Cabaret
Source: AUD

Discs: 2

Lineup:
Steve Morse, guitar
Rod Morgenstein, drums
Jerry Peek, bass

Supporting "The Introduction"

DISC 1 44:17
01 - The Introduction
02 - Odyssey
03 - Pride O' The Farm
04 - Refried Funky Chicken
05 - Steve Talks
06 - Mountain Waltz
07 - On The Pipe
08 - Steve Talks
09 - Northern Lights
10 - The Whistle
11 - Dregs Medley (cuts out)

DISC 2 46:25
01 - Steve Talks
02 - VHF
03 - Steve Talks
04 - T.O Witcher
05 - Steve Talks
06 - Jesu, Joy Of Mans Desire
07 - Dregs Medley
08 - Huron River Blues
09 - General Lee
10 - Cruise Missile

Total playing time: 91 min


Steve Morse: Older, Wiser

Guitarist Steve Morse has more talent than he knows what to do with. That was always the
problem with his last group, the Dixie Dregs, who later became the Dregs. Those
Southeastern virtuosos let their proficiency become an end in itself rather than a means to
something more expressive. After the Dregs split up in 1982, Morse formed a new trio under
his own name with Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein and newcomer bassist Jerry Peek.

Their debut album, "The Introduction," opens with "Cruise Missile," an exercise in "how fast
can we play?" that reprises all the Dregs' self-indulgence. "On the Pipe" falls prey to the same
temptations, but the rest of the album shows encouraging signs that Morse is finding something
to express with his talent. He seems to be moving in two directions: toward pastoral jazz and
toward a progressive country-jazz hybrid. The influence of his friend, guitarist Pat Metheny, is
obvious on the sustained-note lyricism of the title tune and "V.H.F.," and on the acoustic-
guitar-against-synthesizer reverie of "The Whistle." There's a yearning in these tunes that puts
Morse's control of tone and harmony to good use. Morse's roots in rural Georgia show up
in the two country tunes: "General Lee," which boasts a delightful country-funk duet with guest
guitarist Albert Lee, and the self-descriptive "Mountain Waltz," which features a cameo by
Dregs pianist T. Lavitz.


About the venue: Cotati Cabaret, Cotati California (north of San Francisco)

The Cotati Cabaret was housed in a building on La Plaza in Cotati that was built 1910 and was originally the Ladies’ Club Hall. The building was used for community events and meeting until 1977 or 1978 when the Cotati Club opened. Many Bay Area and national and international performers played at the venue between 1978 and the closing of the club in 1991. The building is now (2008) the home of the synagogue Ner Shalom.