Guest Book

All right! All right! I was tired last night give me a break. I hope nobody gets the wrong idea. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way in what I percieved as a slight slagging of Dickey or at least his band ... OK the drummer, Frankie Lombardi, who I happen to like. I just felt that (how do I say it) in bad taste that the slagging was here on this site. Some of y'all brought out some excellent points. Rick T after your performance at last years Jam For Duane you could pass any audition for Dickey should he need another drummer. And I concur to some extent with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" scenario with percussion in ABB style music. However, you can run in danger of stagnation. It's ironic that Mr. Betts I believe was one of the proponents of Oteil, one of the best six string bassists around, go back to using four so he would sound like Berry. Also I don't know who said it but Dickey was not big on practice. Perhaps Frankie Lombardi could have used more. However DB & GS is getting alot of practice on this tour on stage. I'll still stand by my statement that if DB & GS can put on a consistantly good show as good as the one I saw then he will be back in the spot light. Dickey and Dan were hittin'the note as good as Derek and Warren have in the past. Also on the Beacon shows from this year not counting opening night, Derek's tone pretty much puts Warren's to shame IMHO. The bottom line though is Dickey's success or failure will rest in his hands not that of his drummer. ------------------------------------------------- "So many roads. So many trains to ride." - Otis Rush

We saw DB+GS May 30 in St Louis outdoors at Ribfest. Their scheduled 2 hour set (longest scheduled set of the weekend) started an hour late due to high winds and rain that swept through the city, so we "only" got 90 minutes, and I figured that meant no Donna Maria which they did drop, but it was a pretty enjoyable performance. Being a drummer, I was naturally tuned into Frankie's playing, but also because I have the tour opener from March in Falls Church where he did actually loose it briefy during one of the peaks of Liz Reed, I was listening closely. (But not too closely, cuz it's really the voicing instruments I listen too the most.) Anyway, I thought Frankie aquitted himself well, he was fun to watch, he was obviously working hard, and I thought his style fit fairly well. I agree that Frankie and Mark were really good together, they had that floating, flowing two-drummer approach going that serves the music well. And I wish he still had both of them. That said, it was a fine show, the crowd very into it but a bit low-energy, I mean sitting down instead of standing up, on Sunday evening of the long holiday weekend, but as I walked through the crowd all the heads were bobbing. By the way, it rained again and flashed lightning right before the band came on...but during Dickey's solo in Back Where It All Begins the blue sky appeared. He played slide on 3 of the first 5 tunes, giving the show a nice laid back bluesy feel. The harmonies on Change My Way of Living were particulary nice. Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes was the only new tune we got but it was well done, with a different intro from March. "Kitchen" was especially nice (and acoustic-y) from the grass by the trees. Liz Reed has hardened a bit, always room for changing it up some, what a great tune to hear live. Those patented crescendo endings of Blue Sky and Jessica were there in all their beauty. The keyboardist adds a lot to this band, both vocally and with his playing, which is quite tasteful and moving. Dangerous Dan is playing some nice intricate leads with an interesting tone and has a good rapport with Dickey. (Last year after the St Louis show I told Dan he'd "really expanded his palette" to which he replied with a smile "I had to do something!") Jessica was really nice, with Frankie nailing the ending. (During Jessica's space breakdown/ workup into Circle, Dickey called Frankie off as he started the beat a little too soon, but Dickey motioned after only 1 beat from Frankie, who went back to the cymbals, no problem, and they went into a nice variation of Circle.) No One To Run With with Dickey on Fender was a powerful encore. While this show didn't have quite the thrill for me of last year's Mississippi Night's club show with two drummers and sax and a High Falls opener and a standing/dancing crowd, it was fun, and nothing beats the sound of Dickey's guitar in the great outdoors. I will go see this band again and again whenever I can.

Frankie Lombardi is one of the most talented drummers around. The band is so pumped an tight right, you would be the only one missing out if you didnt go. If you get a chance, get out there and see this band and I am sure you will not be dissapointed

I caught Dickey's Atlanta show and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Ran into some great folks from here which always makes it more fun. I also picked up Dickey's Collector's #1 CD at the show. Excellent work. Has a bit of a "Highway Call" feel to it. Sounds like it was recorded in an empty hall, which gives it a big sound for an acoustic CD. Plus, Dickey on acoustic with a harp & fiddle player seems so natural. As for Dickey's band, I have to agree that the drummer didn't do it for me. Too 80s hard rock for me. Talented guy (and I like some 80s hard rock), but it he didn't fit with Dickey's band nearly as well as Mike Kach did on keys...on different tunes he can absolutely nail the Gregg vocals and then nail the Chuck piano. I also like the upbeat, electric arrangements of Steady Rolling Man and Come in My Kitchen. Those would have fit well with the ABB freight train rhythm section, ala Statesboro or One Way Out. In the end, there is some "joy" in the Dickey sound that I sometimes miss in the ABB now-adays and there is some of that freight train yet stop-on-a-dime precision missing at times in Dickey's band. I bet if you go with an open mind and are open to change, you will thoroughly enjoy yourself at both. I did.

The problem/disappointment I personally (my two cents) have with DB & GS is that the band gets a good groove going and then the rug gets pulled out - band members leave/change and it starts all over again. I have heard that DB does not like to practice and sometimes it shows. I have been to the Atlantic City show and it needed work, again in my opinion, and am considering Irving Plaza at the end of the month, but I'm afraid of getting disappointed again. Frankly, I miss the sax, but with all of the good reviews coming in - irregardless of the drummer comments - maybe this time this incarnation of DB & GS will kick some ass!! I certainly hope so. Like someone else said, we expect so much - more so than the average concert goer.

Frankly, the recent posts related to Dickey and his drummer (mine included) don't appear to me to come across at all as kicking the Brother.... Rather, it would appear to me that several well-meaning and interested fans take the time and effort to spend their money supporting Dickey and commenting their opinions relative to what he is putting out there. The point is, its all supportive because the fans paid to attend the gig and then choose to articulate their views. Granted, its a high standard. I think in general we as fans of the ABB and DB that post here probably place the enjoyment bar higher than the occasional fan, and in my view, that is cool because something good can come from that. I guess it begs the question do we "push" these guys? Of course we do! And that, would be the greatest thing a fan can do......actually pay attention! Play on... Rick Tomlinson

Seeing Dickey with the Great Lonnie Mack is a real treat. I saw them with Roy Buchanan during the "Great American Guitar Assault" tour at the Park West in Chicago back in '86-the only time I've seen Lonnie or Roy, who of course is now deceased. Roy was definitely crazed. He had a light in his eyes (which I could see because I had a table right at the stage dead center) that was almost eerie in its intensity, just like his playing. The tour originally started at Carnegie Hall with Albert Collins and it was filmed. It is now a collector's item on VHS. Luckily I snagged a copy right when it came out. If there was ever something that should be released on VHS this is it. That and the Dickey Betts and Great Southern show from Musickladen in '78.

Rick and Scott, Thanks for your comments. Charlesinator, I hope you don't think I'm anti-DB&GS. Has matter of fact, I do like the band and have seem then three times in the last couple of years and will probably be seeing them again this coming Sunday. But I still stand my comments about their drummer. As good as the band sounds, they would be a lot more tighter if he would play more to the groove, and be a less flashy and that doesn't mean that it has to be boring. Matt Abts, for example, is very groove oriented drummer, and I dare you to find someone who thinks his drumming is boring. One of finest things to hear is a good rhythm section (bass/drums) locked in together and laying down a nice fat, driving groove, as it really open the door for the other players in a band to do their solos. Go back and listen to Blue Sky off EAP as that's a prime example of what I'm talking about. Unfortunately when it comes to DB&Gs, I don't hear a lot of that happening. I guess I'm a "old school" type of guy, who thinks that when it comes to bass and drums that being able to play a good groove is a lot more important than flashy technique.

Warren and Derek both wail