Jammed If I Do

JAMMED IF I DO is a flatpicker's delight, in more ways than one. First, it features the precise and bright picking of Dan Crary with a fine ensemble of bluegrass pros. Second, it features duets with Crary and four other leading guitarists--Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Norman Blake and the improbable Italian bluegrass star Beppe Gambetta. Along the way Crary and company fly through a series of rags, reels, hornpipes and old fiddle tunes, all offered up with elan and good cheer. The spoken introductions to the guest appearances are charming, especially Doc Watson describing his feature, "Whistlin' Rufus": "...he whistled the notes out of that, and then back into it again, I'm tellin' you right now..." Watson proceeds to play the notes right out of this tune, and back into it again. The duet with Gambetta, a rollicking "Foggy Mountain Special," sparkles with crystal clear runs. Crary's playing, as well as that of his distinguished guests, is positive, aggressive, and relentlessly swinging.