Steve Morse

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Steve Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer best known as the maker of the Dixie Dregs; and, since 1994, Deep Purple's guitarist and composer.

Morse's career has spanned rock, country, funk, jazz, classical, and fusion of these musical styles.

In addition to his lucrative solo career, he served as a member of Kansas in the mid-1980s for a short time.

Morse's most recent joiner, Dave LaRue, became a member of the Flying Colors supergroup.

Early life

Steve Morse was born in Hamilton, Ohio. Morse's family moved to Tennessee shortly and then to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he grew up. Morse later became a guitarist after being familiar with piano and clarinet.

Morse and his older brother Dave were playing in a band called the Plague for a brief period until they moved to Augusta, Georgia. He performed in a band called Three with his older brother and a junior high school classmate, William Gerald (Jerry) Wooten, who played keyboards. The three children appeared at a local psychedelic youth club, the Glass Onion, and at Legion Halls and church functions.

Morse began to play in the Academy of Richmond County and formed the Dixie Grit, featuring keyboardist Johnny Carr and guitarist and vocalist Frank Brittingham, as well as guitarist and singer Frank Brittingham. This short-lived group performed covers of bands such as Led Zeppelin and Cream. West and Morse continued to play as a duet until Morse's expulsion from class in the tenth grade for refusing to cut his hair.

Steve attended the 11th grade at a local Catholic school and was eligible for early college enrollment. He enrolled at the University of Miami School of Music.

The University of Miami hosted a number of future famous musicians, including Bruce Hornsby, Pat Metheny, and Jaco Pastorius during the 1970s. Andy West, a student at the University of Miami, joined Morse, keyboardist Bart Yarnold, keyboardist Frank Josephs, and violinist Allen Sloan in a laboratory experiment called Rock Ensemble II. In 1975, the group assembled a video that was used for advertising campaigns. It first appeared on vinyl in 1976 and then on CD in 1997 as "The Great Spectacular."

Morse worked as a commercial airline co-pilot from 1987 to 1988. He has been living in Ocala, Florida, where he is active in hay raising.

Morse and West officially named their group Dixie Dregs after Morse's graduation from the University of Miami in 1975. Rod Morgenstein, a University of Miami alumnus, and the band returned to action often; with some of their own songs, as well as covers of John McLaughlin and southern rock favorites. An ever-busting performance schedule drew the attention of Capricorn Records recruiters, including Twiggs Lyndon and, later 1976, the group was signed by the southern rock brand.

Morse's first attempt for Capricorn, Free Fall, established him as a key newcomer to the fusion genre, and for his writing skills (having written all 11 tracks) and his musicianship. Despite receiving critical praise for its pivotal jazz fusion album, the album did not do well.

What If was released in 1978? Writing credits were more collaborative, and the band's sound had diversified into more than what was previously considered fusion at the time. The sound of Southern rock, classical, folk, and country elements were woven to create a cohesive and listenable piece of music. Despite being boosted by a tour, record sales remained flat, but Morse and the band were given an invitation to perform at Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978. On Night of the Living Dregs, the video was released the following year. In late 1979, Capricorn went bankrupt, and the Dixie Dregs were left homeless, with no identifying information.

Arista Records debuted three albums in 1979 before the band was signed to three. Morse was given production control, and Dregs of the Earth were first introduced in May 1980. Morse produced all eight songs, and the album debuted at number 27 on Billboard's Jazz Album Chart.

Arista became increasingly concerned about Dixie Dregs' album sales, and she was coerced by the band to change their name to simply Dregs in an attempt to boost the band's name in the public eye. In early 1981, Unsung Heroes featured eight new Morse compositions, but the name change did not do much to address Arista's concerns. The Dregs felt compelled to add songs to their next release, which was appropriately named Industry Standard.

Morse's compositions on Industry Standard began to sound more like his evolving solo work than Dregs' collaborations, and the album has received critical and public accolades. In a recent reader's poll that year, the Industry Standard was voted "Best Guitar LP" by readers of Guitar Player magazine. In addition, Morse was named "Best Overall Guitarist" in the same poll, an award he would keep for five years (which ended his eligibility by excluding him from the "Gallery of Greats), which was only shared by Steve Howe and Eric Johnson. The Dregs' members, who had a bit of fatigue from touring, were disbanded in early 1983 after fulfilling their obligations to Arista.

Former members Morse, Morgenstein, Lavitz, and Sloan returned to the group in the late 1980s for a tour. Their return was accompanied by the publication of Divided We Stand, a "Best of" series. Dave LaRue, a bassist, appeared on a seven-date tour that culminated in the 1992 live album Bring 'em Back Alive.' Sloan was notably absent due to his medical condition. Violinist Jerry Goodman of the Mahavishnu Orchestra stepped in for him. In 1994, the singers signed a Capricorn Records recording for their first studio album in years named Full Circle.

Morse formed the Steve Morse Band after the Dregs' breakup in 1983, a bassist Jerry Peek and drummer Doug Morgan (formerly a member of Glass Moon). Morgan resigned due to previous commitments after the first tour of the eastern United States; Rod Morgenstein was the one to replace Morgan; Morgan was dissatisfied with the decision. They began recording The Introduction in September. Morse, a young doctor, worked in Germany in early 1984, and Elektra Records, who released The Introduction mid-year, purchased the company. In December 1984, a second German tour began, and Stand Up was introduced in 1985. This project featured guest vocalists and guitarists (Eric Johnson, Alex Ligertwood, Peter Frampton, Albert Lee, Van Temple) as well as violinist Mark O'Connor. On their Power Windows tour, he toured with Rush as a main opener.

Morse formed the rock band Kansas in 1986. They released two albums, Power and In the Spirit of Things, during his time with the band. While he was with the band, Kansas had its last big hit, "All I Wanted," which debuted on the Billboard Top 20 and for which Morse received co-writing credit. Morse left the band after touring behind the previous album. He rejoined the band for a piece of 1991.

Morse reformed the Steve Morse Band with new members (bassist Dave LaRue and drummer Van Romaine) and has released several more albums since joining Deep Purple.

Morse Blackmore joined the British hard rock band Deep Purple in 1994, replacing Ritchie Blackmore (after Joe Satriani had initially replaced Blackmore on a temporary basis for the final leg of The Battle Rages On Tour in Japan and European dates the following summer). Morse was their longest-serving guitarist and appeared on eight studio albums with them between 1996's Purpose and 2021's Turning to Crime, as a member of the band for 28 years.

Deep Purple's resignation from Deep Purple was announced on July 23, 2022, and was triggered by his wife Janine's illness.

Living Loud began in 2003, in addition to playing with Deep Purple, Morse, with Jimmy Barnes, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, and Don Airey. In 2004,/2005, the corporation released one studio album and a live DVD. Steve Morse and Bob Daisley began recording on a new studio album that was supposed to be released in 2011, but no one knew anything about it.

Morse's debut in 2007 was called Angelfire, in honor of singer Sarah Spencer. On August 10, 2010, Radiant Records released the album, which had the same name. Dave LaRue and Van Romaine of the Steve Morse Band appear on bass and drums respectively on the album. Morse's latest album has a textural, acoustic sound to it. Several shows in California (January) and Florida (March) of 2010 opened for the Steve Morse Band.

Morse joined Flying Colors, an American supergroup made up of Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue, Casey McPherson, and Neal Morse, whose debut eponymous album was released on March 26, 2012, debuting at No. 1 in 2011. On Billboard's Hard Rock chart, 9 is the highest and No. 1 position, and No. 9 is No. 1. On the BBC's Rock Album charts, 11 is number 11 on the list. In 2014, Flying Colors released their second album, Second Nature, and its third album, Third Degree, in 2019, which received critical attention.

Education

Steve attended an 11th grade at a local Catholic school and was eligible for early college enrollment. He attended the University of Miami School of Music.

During the 1970s, the University of Miami hosted a number of young musicians, including Bruce Hornsby, Pat Metheny, and Jaco Pastorius. Andy West was also enrolled at the University of Miami, and together with Morse, keyboardist Bart Yarnold, keyboardist Frank Josephs, and violinist Allen Sloan, a lab project titled Rock Ensemble II was completed. The group assembled a collection of promotional material in 1975. It was first released on vinyl in 1976 and then on CD in 1997 as "The Great Spectacular."

Morse worked as a commercial airline co-pilot from 1987 to 1988. Since 1991, he has been living in Ocala, Florida, where he is involved in hay raising.

Morse and West officially announced their group Dixie Dregs upon his arrival from the University of Miami in 1975. Rod Morgenstein, a University of Miami alumnus, and the band resumed regularly; with some of their own songs, John McLaughlin, and southern rock favorites. Capricorn Records recruiters like Allman Brothers Band manager Twiggs Lyndon, were eventually attracted by a more demanding schedule, and the firm was officially registered by the southern rock label in late 1976.

Morse's first attempt for Capricorn, Free Fall, established him as one of the most influential newcomers to the fusion market, and he was recognized for both his compositional skills (having written all 11 tracks) and his musicianship. Despite receiving rave reviews for this pivotal jazz fusion album, it did not do well.

What If was published in 1978? The band's sound had progressively evolved into more than what was merely considered fusion at the time, and writing credits were more collaborative, and the band's sound had morphed into more than what was purely fusion at the time. The union of southern rock, classical, folk, and country elements were mixed to produce a cohesive and listenedable piece of music. Despite being supported by a tour, record sales stayed stagnant, but Morse and the band received an invitation to perform at Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978. The recording was released the following year on Night of the Living Dregs. Capricorn went bankrupt in late 1979, and the Dixie Dregs were left homeless.

In 1979, Arista Records signed the band to produce three albums. Morse was given production control, and Dregs of the Earth was first introduced in May 1980. Morse's album debuted at number 27 on Billboard's Jazz Album Chart, with all eight tracks being recorded.

Arista became increasingly worried about Dixie Dregs' album sales and eventually begged the band to change their name to simply Dregs in an attempt to raise the band's public view. In early 1981, Unsung Heroes featured eight new Morse compositions, but the name change did not do anything to solve Arista's doubts. The Dregs were compelled to include lyrics in their next release, which was appropriately named Industry Standard.

Morse's compositions on Industry Standard began to sound more like his evolving solo work than Dregs' collaborations, and the album received critical and public praise. In their annual reader's poll this year, the industry Standard was named "Best Guitar LP" by readers of Guitar Player magazine. In addition, Morse was named "Best Overall Guitarist" in the same survey, an honor that he would keep for five years (which ended his eligibility by removing him from their "Gallery of Greats), which was only shared by Steve Howe and Eric Johnson. The Dregs' members, who had been sick of touring, were disbanded in early 1983 after fulfilling their commitment to Arista.

The group reformed in the late 1980s for a tour that featured former members Morse, Morgenstein, Lavitz, and Sloan. Their return was complemented by a "Best Of" collection titled Divided We Stand. Dave LaRue, a bassist, appeared on a seven-date tour that culminated in the 1992 live album Bring 'Em Back Alive.' Sloan was mainly absent due to his medical work, and Violinist Jerry Goodman of the Mahavishnu Orchestra was recalled to replace him. In 1994, they signed a full Circle contract with Capricorn Records, their first studio album in years.

Morse formed the Steve Morse Band, a trio with bassist Jerry Peek and drummer Doug Morgan (formerly a member of Glass Moon) following the Dregs' breakup in 1983. Morgan left for previous commitments after his first tour of the eastern United States; Rod Morgenstein was the right choice to replace Morgan; he wanted to replace Morgan. In September, they began recording The Introduction. Morse performing clinics in early 1984, the group was touring Germany, and Elektra Records, who released The Introduction mid-year, continued it. In December 1984, a second German tour began, and Stand Up was introduced in 1985. This project featured guest vocalists and guitarists (Eric Johnson, Alex Ligertwood, Peter Frampton, Van Temple), as well as violinist Mark O'Connor. On their Power Windows tour, he appeared as a primary opener on Rush's main tour.

Morse was a member of Kansas's rock band in 1986. During his time with the band, they released two albums, Power and In the Spirit of Things. Although he was with the band, Kansas's last big hit, "All I Wanted," debuted on the Billboard Top 20 and gained co-writing credit. Morse left the band after touring behind the new one. He rejoined the band for a portion of its 1991 tour.

Morse resumed the Steve Morse Band with new members (bassist Dave LaRue and drummer Van Romaine) and has released several more tracks since joining Deep Purple.

Morse Blackmore was a member of the British hard rock band Deep Purple in 1994, replacing Ritchie Blackmore (after Joe Satriani had initially replaced Blackmore on a temporary basis for the final leg of The Battle Rages On Tour in Japan, and European dates the following summer). Morse, the band's longest-serving guitarist, appeared on eight studio albums with them between 1996 and 2021's Turning to Crime, as well as numerous live albums.

Deep Purple's resignation was announced on July 23, 2022, and was prompted by his wife Janine's illness.

Living Loud began in 2003 as an alternative to playing with Deep Purple, Morse, and Joe Barnes, Bob Daisley, Lee Kerslake, and Don Airey, together with Jimmy Barnes, John Carter, Brendan, and Don Airey, created Living Loud. In 2004,/2005, the company released one studio album and a live DVD. Steve Morse and Bob Daisley started recording on a new studio album that was supposed to be released in 2011, but no one knew about it.

Morse began working with singer Sarah Spencer in 2007 with the name Angelfire. On August 10, 2010, Radiant Records released the album, which bore the same name. Dave LaRue and Van Romaine of the Steve Morse Band perform on bass and drums respectively on the album. Morse's latest work has a textural, acoustic sound to it. Several shows in California (January) and Florida (March) of 2010 opened for the Steve Morse Band.

Morse debuted on April 26, 2012, and the American supergroup formed of Mike Portnoy, Dave LaRue, Casey McPherson, and Neal Morse appeared in 2011 and debuted at No. 1 in the United States. No. 9 on Billboard's Hard Rock chart, and No. On the BBC's Rock Album charts, 11 of the 11 artists have appeared. In 2014, Flying Colors released its second album, Second Nature, and its third album, Third Degree, which received critical acclaim.

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