Chris Hillman & Desert Rose Band/ JD Maness 1986

[tom anderson]

Here’s an early Desert Rose Band show before their first album that’s very good. It was from the Strawberry Festival and features a couple of Hillman unreleased originals, a John Jorgensen original, a couple of Herb Pedersen originals and a cover or two not usually in their sets. It’s also got good 3 camera video. I like how the sound isn’t as compressed as later shows by them, but The vocals sometimes distort. That’s my only complaint.
https://youtu.be/hJqzV4S1Z0M

[Frank Freniere]

Great "time capsule" video - thanks!

Chris Hillman introduces JayDee at 34:44.

[Bob Carlucci]

Wonderful-Loved the Byrds tune Rock and Roll Star.. One of my favorite tunes of all time.

Jeez, Jorgenson won the genetic lottery. Looks like a movie star/male fashion model, plays at a world class level, sings wonderfully, and is a good writer as well... And me here, with just my good looks going for me

[Roger Rettig]

What a fabulous band!!!! Their James Taylor 'cover' was worth the price of admission on its own.

JayDee is truly a monster, isn't he?

[Dave Hopping]

Always did say the DRB was the ultimate expression of that whole country-rock genre. Ace players, ace songwriting, ace performances.

...And the frosting on the cake is we get to rub shoulders right here with their steeler!

[Dave Mudgett]

I think the country-rock bands that took in heavier amounts of bluegrass, like DRB, Emmylou's Hot Band, and a few others, really did take the form to a different level. Bringing in that bluegrass-level musicianship really did change things.

[Bob Carlucci]

I think the country-rock bands that took in heavier amounts of bluegrass, like DRB, Emmylou's Hot Band, and a few others, really did take the form to a different level. Bringing in that bluegrass-level musicianship really did change things.

The Hot Band was great, as was Ricky Skaggs band in the 80's... In my book though, neither of them was quite as good as the DRB.
JD's steel, and JJ's guitar simply sent them up to another level.

The only thing "missing" in the DRB sound was a fiddle, but I never even thought about it, as it just wasn't needed for what they were doing... bob

[Roger Rettig]

Sorry, Bob - 'no fiddle' is one of the aspects of the DRB that I love!

They sound just great. The two acoustics underpinning the tight harmonies and the brilliant solo work on guitar/mandolin and steel is perfect.

I have played with far more fiddlers than I care to recall over the years; very few of them have played in tune.

[Ron Pruter]

I sure agree with Roger on this one!!