Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

Yup me too!! I think they were one of THE BEST Ever! The elements they incorporated in their brand of "fusion" was second to none!
Albums like "Dregs Of the Earth" and "What If" are absolute masterpieces IMHO
Now that"DP" is pretty much done I was hoping Ole Steve would pull them back together and do a reunion!
I think the world can use some
"Fresh Dregs" right about now!
Andy West and Rod Morgenstein were/are one of THE Best Rhythm Sections on the Planet!!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mLFyYpK-kz89Ye2zKW3RBjySLFh9StmhY

I had no idea they'd been on TV! What a great medley. And they even played Freebird. 8^O I'd love to hear them do the whole of Mississippi Queen. Or better yet, Nantucket Sleighride.

 

[TBird1958]

“no grass, no gas…..”

I have legs

 

[GonePlaid]

I have legs

But do you "know how to use them"?(ZZ Top)

 

[TBird1958]

But do you "know how to use them"?(ZZ Top)

"Oh my"

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Those are my favs too. "Odyssey" and "I'm Freaking Out" are their best prog epics.

I also have this self-released reissue of their self-released debut:
View attachment 4712602

My favorite Dregs song is "Take it Off the Top". Steve used to tear that up in concert. Liquid love out of that guitar.

I saw them in a dive bar shortly after they started performing as Dixie Dregs rather than Dixie Grit. They made a big deal out of having a song with lyrics because "everyone always asks us if we can't sing or something, so here it is". It was, of course, "Ice Cakes", and two or three times during the song, Andy stepped up to the mic to go, "Ice Cakes" in that deep voice. We were dying.

 

[Stealth57]

I have legs

And a perverted sense of humor...no wonder you are our Queen

 

[Miles_ONeal]

But do you "know how to use them"?(ZZ Top)

Have you not seen those photos???

 

[PhR75]

My favorite Dregs song is "Take it Off the Top". Steve used to tear that up in concert. Liquid love out of that guitar.

I saw them in a dive bar shortly after they started performing as Dixie Dregs rather than Dixie Grit. They made a big deal out of having a song with lyrics because "everyone always asks us if we can't sing or something, so here it is". It was, of course, "Ice Cakes", and two or three times during the song, Andy stepped up to the mic to go, "Ice Cakes" in that deep voice. We were dying.

Great story. Did Andy have the Alembic already or was he playing the black Jazz he has on "The Great Spectacular" sleeve?
It's fascinating that some of the songs ended up to their first four albums and one ("T.O. Witcher") to a Kansas album much later!

 

[TBird1958]

Had my makeup done professionally the other day - not a cheap date!

 

[dagrev]

I recall reading that Jaimoe was the one who introduced Coltrane's "All Blues"* to the band and "Dreams" was loosely based on that. Jaimoe also used the trad. grip.

From wiki:
According to The Wall Street Journal, Jaimoe's "passion for jazz helped form the nascent Allman Brothers Band's improvisational approach, which incorporated blues, country and Western swing into a unique musical approach that nodded toward the Grateful Dead's West Coast explorations but never became as loosey-goosey."[4]

“Music is music, and there's no such things as jazz or rock ’n’ roll,” Jaimoe told the WSJ. “I wanted to be the world's greatest jazz drummer, and I thought rock or funk were too easy—then I got a chance and couldn't play what needed to be played. I had to learn, and music was everything to me.”

*Miles Davis' "All Blues". Shows how much I know about jazz...

Thanks for the information! I'm certain I heard/saw that someplace and am curious now where I ran across this. And possibly I have dyslexia of hearing!

 

[dagrev]

But do you "know how to use them"?(ZZ Top)

Wrong forum. Must be that other forum you visit.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Great story. Did Andy have the Alembic already or was he playing the black Jazz he has on "The Great Spectacular" sleeve?
It's fascinating that some of the songs ended up to their first four albums and one ("T.O. Witcher") to a Kansas album much later!

It was before Andy bought the Alembic. 1973 or 74. Pretty sure Andy & Steve were both playing Fenders, but that's all I've got on that. Sorry.

 

[PillO]

I played in a few different bands with multiple drummers: Miami Edison High School Marching Band(10), Combined Miami area H.S. Bands plus University of Miami Marching Band-Pro Bowl @ Original Orange Bowl Stadium ~1963(~115), All-Miami Youth Symphony(6 "percussionists"), USN Combined Marching Band-Rose Bowl Parade, 1/1/1967(8). Shall I go on? [No Thunderbird involved. One Martin Tenor Sax]

Suddenly I reminded of this.

 

[JIO]

I have some regrets like that. But the one guy I didn't miss was Muddy Waters. He could burn the paint off an unpainted ceiling.

Yah, I saw Muddy in KC in the '70s. I was walking in my neighborhood and a big caddy was slowly following my pace. I looked over at it and the window rolled down and a guy said "you like Muddy Waters?" !!! Hell yah! - and he gave me two free tickets for the show later that day. (a Friday) They were with his organization and just wanted to make sure there were a lot of people in the audience! Great show!

 

[Stealth57]

Wrong forum. Must be that other forum you visit.

Starting to see why we are getting all those girly ads in this forum...

 

[JIO]

Good sunday. Great photo of Paul Jackson in Finland 1976:

I'm pretty much coming to a conclusion that a Tele -type bass is my favourite Fender -style bass. Either stock or modified (usually the latter).

He must be tall - that bass looks small in his hands! Sorta' like Pino -

 

[JIO]

Stiff felt "jazz picks" (these days they seem to be known as "ukelele picks") are what I started out with when I was learning, and I still have a bit of a fondness for the sound.
But I never liked how quickly they deteriorate, and all the white-ish dust they leave behind, when used with roundwounds.....
View attachment 4710871

I have some felt picks - the thick red one I bought decades ago, like you when I was new to bass-playing - along with the green hard-rubber one. The blue & white one is vintage - I bought a couple more recently. I have used them occasionally and they have a very specific sound. I never heard them referred to as a jazz picks, but do know them to be called uke picks. After taking this pic, I've been playing with the blue & white one and it sounds really good. The red one is too thick/soft/floppy.

 

[Gaolee]

Yah, I saw Muddy in KC in the '70s. I was walking in my neighborhood and a big caddy was slowly following my pace. I looked over at it and the window rolled down and a guy said "you like Muddy Waters?" !!! Hell yah! - and he gave me two free tickets for the show later that day. (a Friday) They were with his organization and just wanted to make sure there were a lot of people in the audience! Great show!

I saw him in the late 1970s or early 1980s in a sweaty, smoky little bar. His band was about to go off stage on for an intermission between sets. A guy in the audience yelled "Hey Muddy Waters, wanna blow a joint?!?" Muddy Waters looked at the bouncers and in that voice and with his accent, said "Let that man through." It doesn't sound like much of an exchange to type it out, but it was a great moment.

 

[Gaolee]

Starting to see why we are getting all those girly ads in this forum...

Whatever it is, I'm perfectly OK with it continuing to happen.

 

[JIO]

NRs are less of one trick pony….
​

I saw VT years ago and their bass player used Fender P's (a few on stage)

Forgot I had this pic of Chris Kuffner's custom Gary Fried "Goldie" Gildaxe gilded bass on stage. The band he was playing with (Greg Holden Band) opened for VT.