One Step Ahead (Rounder 11661 0497 2, 2003) arrived at the peak of Rhonda Vincent's reign as the dominant figure in contemporary bluegrass — she won IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year every year from 2000 through 2006. The album showcases the full depth of her band and guest network: Bryan Sutton (guitar), Ron Stewart (banjo, fiddle), Stuart Duncan and Luke Bulla (fiddle), Aubrey Haynie (mandolin), Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent (vocals), with Sam Bush and Alison Krauss among the guests. The opening track "Kentucky Borderline" won IBMA Song of the Year in 2004, and the album reached #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart, confirming Vincent's status as the genre's top commercial and artistic force.
Tracklist
- 1 Kentucky Borderline Source Recording 3:32
- 2 You Can't Take It With You When You Go 3:31
- 3 One Step Ahead of the Blues 2:34
- 4 Caught in the Crossfire 3:41
- 5 Ridin' the Red Line 2:21
- 6 Pathway of Teardrops 2:55
- 7 An Old Memory Found Its Way Back 2:42
- 8 Missouri Moon 3:46
- 9 Walking My Lord Up Calvary's Hill 3:17
- 10 Fishers of Men 2:36
- 11 Frankie Belle 3:19
- 12 If Heartaches Had Wings 3:37
- 13 The Martha White Song 0:26