NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREGS

Following some critical success and an extended tour throughout the States, Dixie Dregs were up to release a few live pieces for the first time.Their next album ''Night of the living dregs'' was actually a mix of studio material, recorded in different studios, and live tracks, captured during the performance of the band at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978.It was also the last album of Dixie Dregs on Capricorn Records and the first to by the band to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, eventually released in April 1979.

The studio material shows the band following a more conventional style of playing, now offering lots of happy tunes and pleasant melodies, but the performances are still kept in a good level, featuring again some sudden breaks, American-styled rockin' grooves and impressive violin work by Allen Sloan.''The Riff Raff'' actually sounds more like an American Folk interpretation, based exclusively on acoustic guitars and violin, while the rest of the studio tracks suggest again Dixie Dregs' strong influences by MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and Country Music.The guys produced emphatic, jazzy music with a good bunch of interplays and tight structures, somewhat misdirected by their love for rural flavors.

Live tracks are coming in the already familiar style of the Fusion band, maybe sometimes with a more pronounced Southern Rock/Country taste like on ''The bash'' or ''Patchwork'', but tracks like ''Leprechaun promenade'' and the eponymous one show Dixie Dregs' love for dense, instrumental Jazz/Fusion, led by powerful drumming, instrumental interactions and a constant change of tempos.For the first time some nice keyboard parts, including Moog synthesizer and Hammond organ, come in evidence, and the personal sound of the band is displayed with great energy.

Not exactly up there with thr fantastic ''What if'', still this well-played Jazz/Fusion with soaring violin and rich instrumentals, developing from enjoyable themes to complex ideas.Recommended.