South Dakota native Jared Finck began his musical journey at the age of twelve, playing mandolin and dobro with his family band. By his teenage years he was creating his own instrumental tunes. Though Steppin’ Into It from Engelhardt Music Group is Finck’s sophomore release, it holds a few points of significance. Not only is it his first since 2012’s Daunting Task, it also marks the beginning of his musical journey as a full time pursuit.
The album kicks off with Cloud Base, a soothing melody that places Finck’s mandolin work front and center. With the exception of Matt Menefee on banjo, Steppin’ Into It consists of the same supporting cast that appeared on Finck’s previous release. These players include Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Byron House on bass.
Quick Stream is an up tempo piece which has fine displays of Finck’s clean, articulate approach to mandolin, along with the melodic banjo stylings of Matt Menefee.
Soni’s Rag is a swingy tune that allows Jared to display his powerful ability on dobro. While his mandolin playing is first rate, his approach to the resophonic instrument is not to be missed! A Hymn To The Unknown is a solo piece that provides a beautiful example of this.
The Spanish Miner is a particularly intriguing composition. Played in a minor key and consisting of a change in tempo, this is a tune that allows every single instrumentalist to bounce ideas off of each other. It offers a fine display of improvisation.
Iditarod is a barn burner that allows Jared to go all out on the mandolin and dobro. A tour de force not just for him, but for Leftwich and Menefee as well.
A Place Of Happiness is the perfect follow up tune as it slows the pace down, while also keeping the energy of both the players and the listeners up.
The title track, Steppin’ Into It, sounds like something that could easily have been inspired by the classic recordings of the David Grisman Quintet. Cody Kilby in particular really shines on this tune.
Steppin’ Into It is an excellent display of both Jared Finck’s musicianship and his compositional ability. It’s obvious that the decision to devote his full energy to making music has brought a great sense of inspiration. That passion comes through on this recording.
