Acoustic bluegrass guitar

10 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Bluegrass, FOLK: Alternative Folk



Details:
Ladyâs Fancy liner notes

One of the things you should never do is write the liner notes for your own album â or so Iâve been told. Thatâs just one more thing Iâve done that I wasnât supposed to! But I couldnât pass up the chance to say a couple things I think need to be said about this record.

First, itâs dedicated to two of the nicest âLadiesâ for whose âFancyâ music was ever played: My daughters, Jenny & Julie Crary.

Second, I want to say thanks to a group of musicians who are among my most favorite in the world. They includeâ¦

BYRON BERLINE fiddleâ¨This big guy over there with the bigger smile, and hair all messed up from the headphones, is also the legendary fiddle player, band leader, and studio artist in some of the greatest sessions in musical history. He has not only played brilliantly, but has worked in assisting with every aspect of the music and production of this album.

CURTIS BURCH rhythm guitarâ¨Possessing the soft spokeness and politeness of a Deep Southerner and the concentration of an out-and-out guitar man, Curtis does the tough job of a dynamite lead player on straight rhythm â and does it beautifully.

SAM BUSH mandolinâ¨Lanky and ironic, Sam has an intensity about him that people sometimes call âPresence.â Besides a well-earned fame as master of mandolin and fiddle, Sam brings to these sessions his gift of capturing the essential feeling of many different kinds of music.

SKIP CONOVER Dobroâ¨A musician who is perhaps better known on the west coast as a radio announcer, Skip is a Dobro player of very tall stature, musically and otherwise. His single-minded dedication to that difficult instrument produces powerful Dobro music.

JOHN COWAN bassâ¨John is another of those rare and inspiring bass man for whom music is never just another gig. He gets into the track with a level of talent and commitment that makes things hang together and happen right.

VINCE GILL mandolin, Dobroâ¨Although he may appear about to doze off, behind that languid look is a musician who lights musical fire to many instruments and every kind of music. At the age when I was just learning which end of the guitar to put in the wide end of the case, Vince had already become a giant.

JOHN HICKMAN banjoâ¨While banjo aficionadi made him into a legend and the rest of the world listened to all those other guys, John, one of the all-time best banjo players, has been living quietly in Redondo Beach. But in the last couple of years, people have started to notice. And as soon as heâs finished his cold coffee and Camel regular, John is about to open up a whole new chapter in the history of banjo playing.

COURTNEY JOHNSON banjoâ¨If Courtney doesnât say a lot, it may be because heâs planning his next amazing moves. And when heâs finished with a fiddle tune, youâve heard the dual languages of fiddle and banjo spoken eloquently and together.

JOE VILLEGAS bassâ¨Joe lives up to the role of the bass player as the unsung hero of music who keeps sessions (and bands) together and coherent. He plays with the same even-handedness and adaptability that people appreciate in him personally.

ALLEN WALD rhythm guitarâ¨If ever there were a man who walked and talked guitars and music, itâs Allen. Outstanding on guitar and steel, here he graciously takes an unprominent but important role in playing rhythm. Take a good listen, though, and be sure to hear him sometime when all the leads arenât being hogged by somebody like me.
â Dan Crary

Players:
01. Huckleberry Hornpipe â Byron, Vince, John H., Joe & Allen
02. Lime Rock â Byron, Vince, John H., Joe & Allen
03. If The Devil Dreamed About Playing Flamenco With A Flatpick ⨠â To My Friends At the Devilâs Dream, Hiroshima, Japan
04. Jennyâs Waltz â Byron, Skip, Vince, John H., Joe & Allen
05. Sally Goodân â Byron, Vince, John H., Joe & Allen
06. Julieâs Reel â Curtis, Sam, John C. & John H.
07. Dill Pickle Rag â Byron, Curtis, Sam, John C. & John H.
08. Pretty Little Indian â Byron, Sam, Curtis, John C. & Courtney
09. Grey Eagle â Curtis, Sam, John C. & Courtney
10. Ladyâs fancy â Curtis, Sam, John C. & Courtney

Writers/Publishers
01. Huckleberry Hornpipe 4:20 ⨠(B. Berline/United Artists Music Co., Inc. â Yard Dog Music, ASCAP)
02. Lime Rock 6:10 (Trad. arr. D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
03. If The Devil Dreamed About Playing Flamenco With A Flatpick 2:45⨠(D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
04. Jennyâs Waltz 4:30(D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
05. Sally Goodân 9:00 (Trad. arr. D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
06. Julieâs Reel 3:54 (D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
07. Dill Pickle Rag 4:29 (Trad. arr. D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
08. Pretty Little Indian 4:55 (C. Cline/Jaclyn, BMI)
09. Grey Eagle 5:23 (Trad. arr. D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)
10. Ladyâs fancy 6:45 (Trad. arr. D. Crary/K/CA Publishers, ASCAP)

Produced by Dan Crary.

Recording:
Better Music Bureau, Studio City, California (tracks 1-5), engineered by Scott Norton.
Music Grinder Studios, Los Angeles, California (tracks 6-10), engineered by John Kovarek.
Mastered by Toby Mountain at NDR, Southboro, MA.

Cover design by Ron Johnson.
Photography by Jeff Smith.

Dan Crary first won recognition in 1969 as a member of a Kentucky band called The bluegrass Alliance, a history-making band that made several recordings now considered classic. Dan was hailed for helping to re-establish the flat-picked guitar as a prominent bluegrass solo instrument at a time when it had lapsed into a rhythm-keeping role. In addition to his recordings, Danâs personal appearances and workshops all over North America, and in Europe, Britain, Ireland, Japan, Australia and the South Pacific have led to his acclaim as one of the all-time greatest virtuosi of the steel string guitar. The Washington Postâs comment, âThey donât come any betterâ¦,â was seconded by the Augusta Chronicle Heraldâs calling him ââ¦a true masterâ¦legendary.â

I have followed Dan Crary from the beginning. He is constantly showing us that there is always more that can be done with a flatpick and a guitar. Dan plays clearly and distinctly. His arrangements are exciting, his phrasing is perfect and his dynamics are gripping. Dan is one of the few flatpickers of our time that can perform in the studio with the same excitement as we have heard from him on stage. This is a rare feat that displays his inner power as well as his confidence and prowess with a guitar. Danâs Ladyâs Fancy recording is complimented by an incredible cast of musicians: Byron Berline, Curtis Burch, Sam Bush, Skip Conover, John Cowan, Vince Gill, John Hickman, Courtney Johnson, Joe Villegas and Allen Wald. As you listen to this classic recording you get a sense of tonal sharing by all of the cast. The original recording came out on vinyl in 1977 and quickly set a high standard for all flatpickers. Many of the tunes recorded on this session have become favorites of the flatpickerâs repertory. Danâs brilliant arrangement of Byron Berlineâs classic tune, âHuckleberry Hornpipe,â is now one of our most popular flatpicking tunes. âLime Rockâ and âLadyâs Fancy,â two Texas fiddle tunes, show Danâs remarkable speed and agility. Both of these tunes along with the up tempo âDill Pickle Ragâ and the bouncing âGrey Eagleâ should be enough to satisfy the taste of any avid guitar listener or practitioner but Dan adds in two original tunes. Written for his daughters â âJennyâs Waltzâ and Julieâs Reel,â Curly Ray Clinesâ tune â âPretty Little Indian,â the longest and hottest âSally Goodânâ ever recorded (coming in at 9:00 minutes flat), and Danâs own unique arrangement to âDevilâs Dreamâ now entitled âIf The Devil Dreamed About Playing Flamenco With A Flatpick.â

Danâs own words on the original record jacket gives us a little insight into this recording session: âThe sessions with Sam, Curtis, Courtney and John (Cowan) were recorded in December of 1976 at some very strange hours of the night and very short notice. The sessions with Byron, John (Hickman), Vince, Skip and Joe happened in early 1977 at more civilized hours, but at times when everybodyâs very-busy musical career didnât really need any grueling studio sessions added in. To say that everybody rose to the occasion and worked unselfishly and long is to underplay the great talent and effort they each brought to these cutsâ

I hope that these notes have been beneficial to you by giving a little history about Dan and his music. He in considered a pioneer by many and still at the top of this field. This kind of longevity can only be accomplished with talent, genius, and a genuinely kind soul. Dan had all of these. I know you all will enjoy his Ladyâs Fancy for years to come as I have in the years past.

â Steve Kaufman, 1978, 1984 and 1986â¨National Flatpicking Champion