Restless and going strong

Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Larry Stewart, seated, Paul Greg and Dave Inness, and, standing, Greg Jennings,and John Dittrich are Restless Heart.

Nevada Daily Mail

Thirty years of performing together and members of Restless Heart still find themselves playing and singing and "having more fun every day."

What's different?

"We don't travel as much," said lead guitarist Greg Jennings, comparing the 70 to 80 shows on a typical tour now to the 150 or more shows during the early years. They have already paid those dues.

"That's for the younger guys," he said. "We've also smoothed out some rough edges."

Sure, some things are indeed different -- some of them naturally came about because of age and maturity.

But some things have not -- will not -- ever change. The sound -- the rich harmonies -- that spirited the band to the top of country charts some 30 years ago is still there. The band members are -- as the title of their tour suggests -- still restless.

Still Restless Heart.

Concerts are still "packed with power," said Jennings, who took time out of a busy schedule for a quick interview.

Jennings said concert goers at Bushwhacker Days and similar venues will hear some of the band's biggest hits, such songs as "I'll Still be Loving You," "The Bluest Eyes in Texas," and "That Rock Won't Roll."

But it won't all be familiar. Like the band's newest album, released just May 21, the concert will also offer some things fans "have never heard before."

So far, reception has been good, Jennings said.

Their audiences are diverse and Jennings doesn't expect that to be any different when they take to the stage Saturday on the Square in Nevada.

"We have a lot of people who were original fans and then some of the children who were forced to listen to us by their parents ... and then became fans themselves," Jennings said. "It's all range of ages."

One of the characteristics that has made Restless Heart so popular and has given it "staying power" is that it is a "self-contained band," meaning simply that the band performs all its own tracks, Jennings said, comparing Restless Heart to its iconic older brother, Alabama.

"A lot of singers use session musicians, then when they are out on the road, it sounds like something completely different," Jennings said.

Being self-contained means "when we go out on the road, we are able to replicate" the studio tracks and have a more consistent identity.

Jennings thinks another reason for the band's longevity is that it "made good choices" early on with regards to material selection and songs to include on albums.

"We like our material actually," Jennings said. "We haven't had any forced on us."

Not too surprising, one of Jennings favorites is "Dancy's Dream," which he had a hand in writing.

"It's always good to have a part in creating a song and then seen it get on the album," he said.

Then there's the classic, "I'll Still Be Loving You," which is another favorite.

"It's very special to a lot of people," Jennings said.

Jennings, like two of his fellow band members, is from Oklahoma. So are Paul Gregg and Dave Inness. Larry Stewart is from Paducah, Ky., and John Dittrich hails from Syracuse, N.Y., but Jennings said Dittrich had already moved to Nashville long before the band was formed.

While at Oklahoma State, Jennings played in a band with producer Scott Hendricks and Tim DuBois who managed the band and later became head of Arista Nashville. The trio later moved to Nashville, and formed Restless Heart after connecting with Stewart and Inness, who had gone to Belmont College in Nashville together, along with Gregg and Dittrich.

When the members got together to cut a demo, they were taken with what Jennings calls a rich "chemistry of vocals."

"We decided to give it a chance and 30 years later, its still going strong," he said.

Those 30 years weren't always good. Stewart, who sang lead vocals, left the band in 1990 to try a solo career. Both he and the remaining four -- who kept performing as Restless Heart -- had some success apart, but the band ended up disbanding in 1994, only to come together again in 1998 on a limited basis.

Finally, in 2002, Restless Heart was back together, creating that old sound and launching into some new projects.

One of those new projects the band's version of cover songs -- songs orginally recorded by someone else -- with the original artist singing with the band. Kenny Loggins is one of those performers and so is Peter Noone, of Herman's Hermit's fame.

Noone was so taken with the results of his collaboration with Restless Heart that he wants to do his own version -- with all the proceeds going to Nashville Rescue Mission.

The mission's offering food, clothing and shelter to the homeless and recovery programs to residents of Middle Tennessee.

Restless Heart has become a strong supporter of the mission, even hosting an event called Restless Heart & Friends -- Music With A Mission that it does at the Schermerhorn Center with the Nashville Symphony.

And band members are touring again.

And making music

Being restless.

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