#50- STEVE MORSE

Steve Morse (born July 28, 1954 in Hamilton, Ohio) is an American guitarist, best known as the guitarist for the Dixie Dregs and the current guitar player in Deep Purple. Morse's career has encompassed rock, country, funk, jazz, classical, and fusions of these musical genres. In addition to a thriving solo career, he enjoyed a brief stint with Kansas. Morse has been a member of Deep Purple since 1994.

Early years
Morse's father was a minister and his mother a classically trained pianist; both were also psychologists. The family moved to Tennessee, then Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Morse spent his childhood. Although familiar with piano and clarinet, Morse ultimately became interested in guitar. Morse worked briefly with his brother Dave in a band called The Plague until the family moved to Augusta, Georgia. In the late 60s, he played in a band called Three with his older brother. Enrolled in the Academy of Richmond County, he met bassist Andy West and, together, they formed the nucleus of the Dixie Grit, adding keyboardist Johnny Carr, guitarist and vocalist Frank Brittingham with Dave Morse drumming. However, this effort was short lived, since covering Led Zeppelin, Cream and the like limited their ability to get higher-paying jobs at local dance halls. West and Morse continued to play as a duet billed as the Dixie Dregs until Morse's expulsion from school in the 10th grade (for refusing to cut his hair) enabled his enrollment at the esteemed University of Miami School of Music. During the 1970s, the University of Miami played host to a number of future influential musicians, including Bruce Hornsby, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius and others. Andy West also enrolled at the University of Miami and, with Morse, drummer Bart Yarnall, keyboardist Frank Josephs and violinist Allen Sloan, collaborated in a lab project entitled Rock Ensemble II. Rehearsing and performing Morse's compositions at the University of Miami brought some attention to his credibility as a composer and player. The group compiled a recording used for promotional efforts in 1975. This recording was eventually released as The Great Spectacular in 1997.

Dixie Dregs
Upon Morse's graduation from the University of Miami in 1975, he and West officially named the group Dixie Dregs. A fellow University of Miami alumnus, Rod Morgenstein, replaced the injured Bart Yarnall and the band commenced performing on a very regular basis, interspersing their compositions with covers of John McLaughlin and of southern rock gems. Despite their decidedly non-commercial intent, an increasingly heavier performance schedule eventually led to the attention of Capricorn Records recruiters including Allman Brothers Band manager Twiggs Lyndon and, in late 1976, the group was signed by the vaunted southern rock label. Their first effort for Capricorn, "Free Fall", established Morse as an important newcomer to the fusion genre, and he was recognized both his compositional skills and his consummate musicianship. Considered a pivotal jazz fusion piece in a genre gone cold, his tunes are bright, complex and fresh. Critically acclaimed, the album showed little commercial promise and, in 1978, "What If" was released. Widely considered The Dixie Dregs' finest work, Morse's playing had matured into something a bit more than what defined fusion at the time. Southern rock, classical, folk and country elements combined to form a cohesive and complex pastiche of passionate and highly listenable music. Though supported by a tour, record sales remained flat, but gained Morse and the band an invitation to perform at Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978. The recorded performance was released the following year on "Night of the Living Dregs". Capricorn went bankrupt in late 1979, and the Dixie Dregs were stranded without a label. Arista Records stepped in to sign the band to record three albums in 1979. Production control was handed to Morse, and "Dregs of the Earth" was released in May 1980. All eight tracks were written by Morse, and the album peaked at number 27 on Billboard's Jazz Album Chart. Arista became increasingly concerned about Dixie Dregs' album sales and pressured the band to change their name to simply The Dregs in an attempt to address the band's visibility in the public eye. Unsung Heroes brought eight additional Morse compositions forward in early 1981, but the name change did little to address Arista's worries. The Dregs were compelled to add lyrics to their next effort, appropriately titled "Industry Standard" (1982), an apparent reference to executive and management oversight of their creative process. Despite this, Morse's compositions on "Industry Standard" are often considered more akin to his evolving solo work than Dregs' collaborations, and the album stands out to critical and public praise. "Industry Standard" was voted "Best Guitar LP" by readers of Guitar Player magazine in their annual reader's poll that year. Additionally, Morse was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in the same poll, an honor that he would enjoy for five consecutive years (which ended his eligibility by retiring him into their "Gallery of Greats", a distinction shared only by Steve Howe of Yes.) Having fulfilled their commitment to Arista, the band succumbed to the pressures of constant gigging, and disbanded in early 1983. In the late 1980s, the group reunited for a tour featuring former members Morse, Morgenstein, Lavitz and Sloan. Their return was complemented by a "Best Of" release entitled "Divided We Stand" (1989). Bassist Dave LaRue completed the line-up for a seven date tour culminating in the 1992 live album "Bring 'em Back Alive". Violinist Jerry Goodman, of The Mahavishnu Orchestra fame, filled in for Sloan, who was frequently absent as a result of his busy medical career. They signed a deal with former label Capricorn Records for their first studio album in years entitled "Full Circle" in 1994.

Steve Morse Band and Kansas
Morse began putting together the Steve Morse Band, a trio with Jerry Peek (bass) and Doug Morgan (drums). Rod Morgenstein soon replaced Morgan, and they began recording "The Introduction" in September. The group toured Germany in early 1984 with Morse conducting clinics, and the group was signed by Elektra Records, who released "The Introduction" mid-year. A second German tour began in December 1984 and "Stand Up" was released in 1985. This effort included guest vocalists and guitarists (Eric Johnson, Alex Ligertwood, Peter Frampton, Albert Lee, Van Temple), and violinist Mark O'Connor. He toured with Rush as a main opener on their "Power Windows tour" becoming lifelong friends with Alex Lifeson, a fellow guitarist and pilot, the 2 men would fly to a few performances together in Lifeson's private plane. In 1986, Morse joined the rock group Kansas. While with the band, they released two albums, "Power" (1986) and In the "Spirit of Things" (1988). Morse left the band after touring behind the latter album. He again played with the band for part of their 1991 tour. From late 1987 - early 1988, Steve worked as a commercial airline co-pilot.

Deep Purple
During the 1993 Deep Purple tour supporting their "The Battle Rages On" album, Ritchie Blackmore quit the band in the middle of a tour. Before they settled on Morse as a permanent replacement, Joe Satriani served as a short-term replacement to finish the tour. Since then, Morse has played four Deep Purple studio albums, as well as seven of their live albums. In addition to playing with Deep Purple, Morse, together with Jimmy Barnes, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake and Don Airey, formed "Living Loud" in 2003.

Influence and Technique
Morse is considered one of the most accomplished guitarists, playing in a wide variety of genres in only thirty years. He is known for his stylistically diverse compositional skills and virtuosic abilities, and was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" by Guitar World magazine for five years in a row, qualifying him for their "Guitar Player Hall of Fame", the only other member being Steve Howe of Yes. He is regularly cited by John Petrucci as a major influence, and has proven himself throughout his career as capable of playing highly complex chord structures in classical sequences, as well as being able to play fast, shredded arpeggios.

Source: Wikipedia

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