No matter which way you look at it, Deke Dickerson is cut from a rare musical cloth. Guitarist, vocalist, producer, bandleader, recording engineer, independent record label owner, musical archeologist and rock 'n' roll fanatic are just a few of the hats he wears, and he seemingly tosses more onto the rack on a daily basis. To the uninitiated, attending one of his shows or buying one of his albums is like spinning a musical roulette wheel in a casino where everybody wins and the prizes are the 20th century's greatest forms of American musical expression. His band the Ecco-Fonics might include a steel guitar, a saxophone, a fiddle or a piano player, or it might just consist of Deke, his doubleneck guitar and a rhythm section. Chances are he'll thrash and twang like Link Wray, finger pick like Merle Travis, go for broke with the speed and dexterity of Joe Maphis or Larry Collins or head for outer space like Les Paul all in one set, while his rock solid rhythm and electrified energy keep the dance floor filled at all times. His set list might consist of the Easybeats' Aussie garage stomper "She So Fine," Hollywood honky-tonker Skeets McDonald's "Don't Push Me Too Far," Donald Jenkins' '60s Chi-Town soul gem "Wang Dang Dula," the Coasters' "The Hatchet Man" or the Treniers' X-rated R&B opus "Poon-Tang." You might hear the best version of "White Lightnin'" this side of George Jones or the most slamming rendition of "Mexicali Rose" this side of Jerry Lee Lewis, Grandpa Jones' rock 'n' roll heartbreaker "Hello Blues," Ernie Chaffin's Johnny Cash-esque "Feelin' Low," an undeservedly obscure Elvis song like "Adam and Evil" and once in a while, even a rare dose of Joan Jett or Van Halen. But no matter which page of the great American songbook Deke's raiding at the moment, you can be sure that you'll also get a heavy dose of some of the finest songwriting to come along in years, that being his own. Calling him a singer-songwriter would be a misnomer -- simply because the term brings to mind the likes of Neil Young rather than Buddy Holly -- but when you get right down to it, Dickerson's song craft, like his technical ability, is on the same level as those from whom he draws his inspiration. Dickerson grew up in the small town of Columbia, Missouri, where he formed the legendary garage-surf band the Untamed Youth when he was still in high school. After three albums on Norton Records, the Youth headed for the bright lights of California, only to break up approximately two weeks before the film Pulp Fiction popularized the exact genre of music that they'd been expertly purveying for years. Never one to look back, Deke was already knee deep in his next project the Dave and Deke combo, a group that combined the hillbilly harmonies of the Delmore Brothers with the rockin' country swing sound that infused the West Coast during the '50s. Dickerson unveiled the Ecco-Fonics on New Year's Eve of 1997, bringing together all of the styles that he'd mastered with both of his previous bands and seemingly throwing in more with every new record.