Slingin' Rhythm

A **Wayne “The Train†Hancock** album is as refreshing as a beer pulled from a tub of ice on a hot summer’s day; dang if it ain’t always a kick how surprisingly JUST RIGHT it is. *'Slingin’ Rhythm'* is just right, a finely honed brand of juke joint rhythm sitting in the sweet spot of American music invention between Country, Hillbilly, Jazz, and Western swing. And while Wayne is indeed a throwback, the funny thing is, the more retro he gets, the fresher he sounds. His songs about the everyday and the every man, with their driving rhythm and live-in-the-momentvibe, have a character and passion that go beyond a particular time. With its emphasis on organic interplay and extended soloing, Wayne and his band drive the centerline between tight and loose. Like a latter day Bob Wills, spontaneously calling out encouragement, or Hank Sr and Ernest Tubb effortlessly knocking out smile(and dance)-through-the-pain Honky Tonk, **Wayne Hancock** delivers an unvarnished, BS-free restorative.