“I just had to say, ‘I don’t want to work on this unless you’re comfortable with having it torn to shreds,’” says
five-time Grammy-nominated virtuoso
Steve Morse about the writing sessions for
the self-titled debut of Flying Colors—his
new supergroup with fellow Dixie Dregs
bassist Dave LaRue, ex-Dream Theater
drummer Mike Portnoy, former Spock’s
Beard keyboardist/vocalist Neal Morse,
and Alpha Rev vocalist Casey McPherson.
“Otherwise, it’s just like somebody’s
solo album.”
Morse can speak authoritatively about
walking that fine line between solo work
and a true group effort. With 48 album
releases over the course of almost as many
years, he’s enjoyed both an illustrious solo
career and stints as a team member in vari-
ous high-profile bands. For the Steve Morse
Band and the Dregs, he meticulously wrote
out parts for all the instruments, leading
critics to describe it as “electric chamber
music.” Conversely, when he plays with
iconic classic-rock bands Kansas and Deep
Purple, compromise is the order of the
day. “If you’re in a group of five and you
get your way 20 percent of the time, that’s
pretty good,” says Morse.
