Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". Listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, they have sold over 100 million records worldwide.
Kansas is an American rock band that formed in 1973 in Topeka, Kansas, and became popular during the decade initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums, one other platinum studio album (Monolith), one platinum live double album, and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US Billboard charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997.
Steve J. Morse is an American guitarist, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the longest serving guitarist for Deep Purple from 1994 to 2022. Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s. Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors.
Mark O'Connor is an American fiddle player, composer, guitarist, and mandolinist whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards and was a member of three influential musical ensembles: the David Grisman Quintet, The Dregs, and Strength in Numbers.
Dixie Dregs is an American rock band from Augusta, Georgia. Formed in 1970, the band is known for instrumental music that fuses elements of rock, classical music, country, jazz and bluegrass into an eclectic sound that is difficult to categorize. Recognized for their virtuoso playing, the Dixie Dregs were identified with the southern rock, progressive rock and jazz fusion scenes of the 1970s.
Free Fall is the debut studio album by the Dixie Dregs, released in 1977. It was their first release on the Capricorn Records label. Three of the songs from this album are re-recordings from the band's demo release The Great Spectacular (1976).
What If is the second studio album by the Dixie Dregs, released in 1978.
Jerry Goodman is an American violinist known for playing electric violin with The Flock and the jazz fusion ensemble Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Feeding the Wheel is the fifth studio album by keyboardist Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Dixie Dregs fame. Many other musicians perform on tracks on this album including Terry Bozzio, Steve Morse, and Dream Theater bandmate John Petrucci, who also worked with Rudess on Liquid Tension Experiment.
Purpendicular is the fifteenth studio album by the English rock band Deep Purple, released on 5 February 1996. It is their first album with guitarist Steve Morse from Dixie Dregs, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore. The album entered the UK Charts on 17 February 1996, where it peaked at No. 58.
Son of a Son of a Sailor is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was initially released in March 1978 as ABC Dunhill AA-1046 and later re-released on its successor label, MCA.
Industry Standard is the sixth studio album by The Dregs, released in 1982. The album garnered the group their fourth Grammy nomination. This was the final album by the Dregs before their split in 1983, and their last one for 12 years until the release of Full Circle in 1994.
Night of the Living Dregs is the third album by Dixie Dregs, released in 1979. The first half of the album was recorded in the studio, and the second half at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978.
Terry "T" Lavitz was an American keyboardist, composer and producer. He is best known for his work with the Dixie Dregs and Jazz Is Dead.
Dregs of the Earth is the fourth studio album by Dixie Dregs, released in 1980. It was the band's first release on Arista Records, their last one before changing its name to the Dregs, and contains a re-recording of one of their earlier songs, which appeared on their 1976 demo The Great Spectacular.
Unsung Heroes is the fifth studio album by the Dixie Dregs, released in 1981. This was the band's first album released under the moniker The Dregs. It also received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Andy West is an American bass guitarist and composer who is an original founding member of the Dixie Dregs along with Steve Morse. Since the breakup of the original band in 1983, West has been on albums with Mike Keneally, Henry Kaiser, Paul Barrere, Vinnie Moore, and many others. His frequent style of playing bass is with a guitar pick, although he has performed in fingerstyle on several occasions. Since 1985, West has simultaneously pursued a career in the software industry while continuing to release albums sporadically. He currently works as a vice president for Analytics and Adaptive Learning at Pearson Education.
Sarah Spencer is an American singer, songwriter and pianist.
Full Circle is the seventh studio album by the Dixie Dregs, released in 1994. This was their first studio album in over a decade, since 1982's Industry Standard, and the first album released under The Dixie Dregs since 1980's Dregs of the Earth, whereas Unsung Heroes and Industry Standard were released under the moniker The Dregs. It includes an instrumental cover of The Yardbirds song, "Shapes of Things". Although the Dixie Dregs have continued to be active in the years after its release, Full Circle is the last studio album by the band as of 2022.
