Take a Step Over by Dan Crary, released in 2006, represents a late-career statement from one of the founding architects of bluegrass flatpicking guitar. Crary, who emerged in the 1960s and helped establish the legitimacy of the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass, brings decades of refinement to this record. His tone is authoritative and his phrasing elegant — he never sounds as though he is working hard, even in technically demanding passages. The album draws on the fiddle-tune and ballad repertoire that Crary has engaged throughout his career, and it rewards comparison with his earlier influential records on Rounder. As a document of mature flatpicking, Take a Step Over shows how much musical ground a guitarist with a fully developed voice can cover without relying on novelty.
Tracklist
- 1 Bugle Call Rag alt version 2:45
- 2 Take A Step Over 2:38
- 3 Crazy Creek alt version 2:57
- 4 Raleigh and Spencer alt version 4:15
- 5 Come Hither Go Yonder Source Recording 3:19
- 6 Willie, The Wandering Gypsy & Me 4:11
- 7 Hot Canary 3:34
- 8 Fishin' Creek Blues 5:02
- 9 Lord Build Me a Cabin alt version 3:51