WAYNE HANCOCK

"Wayne Hancock has more Hank Sr. in him than either I or Hank Williams Jr. He is the real deal.” —Hank III

The undisputed king of Juke Joint Swing — that alchemist’s dream of honky-tonk, western swing, blues, Texas rockabilly and big band — Wayne “The Train” Hancock has been, in his own words, “the stab wound in the fabric of country music” since his stunning debut, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, in 1995. He may be an anomaly among his country music peers, but his uncompromising interpretation of the music he loves is in fact what defines him: steeped in traditional but never ‘retro’; bare-bones but bone-shaking; hardcore but with swing. Like the comfortable crackle of a Wurlitzer jukebox 45, Wayne is the embodiment of genuine, roof-raising, hellbent music that defies genres and expectations and just plain delivers the goods with a kick in the ass and a twist of the hips.

The artist’s latest effort, Tulsa — his third for Bloodshot Records and first studio record since 2001 — is a testament to the version of America he loves, once populated with lonesome desert highways, cheap hotels, dancehalls, and lost loves. Hancock combines the two great American inventions of jazz and country to create his own style of uncompromising western swing: as much Gershwin as Hank; equal parts Art Blakley and Bob Wills. Tulsa is another addition to Wayne’s stellar canon of musical documentation of an America not spliced into red and blue states, but one where in any town, on any given night, with the right soundtrack, a guy can still take a real top-shelf girl out for a spin and knock back a couple of cold ones.

In typical Wayne fashion, Tulsa was put to tape in two-and-a-half days, capturing the band at their livest and loosest. Recorded by longtime producer and ally Lloyd Maines (Wilco, Joe Ely, Richard Buckner, Uncle Tupelo), Tulsa is spurred on by Wayne’s signature ‘call-outs’ to his stellar cast: Eddie Biebel, Dave Biller, Paul Skelton (lead guitar), Chris Darrell (doghouse bass), Eddie Rivers (steel guitar), Bob Stafford (trombone), John Doyle (clarinet).

Perhaps no landscape has a more apt ambassador than the open road has in Wayne Hancock: he routinely tours 200-plus days a year in his trusty Swing van, bringing his traveling juke-joint revival to every town between Portland, Maine and Portland, Oregon. Wayne and his band can turn any club into a dance hall where tables and chairs are not only not a necessity, but an outright hindrance. With every call-out, every horn burst, every improvised, seat-of-the-pants two-hour show, Hancock becomes something bigger than just ‘country’, or just ‘retro’ — something so vintage American that the two can’t be separated.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR WAYNE HANCOCK:

“Wayne Hancock ain't retro — he's the lonesome freight train real deal.”—Tulsa World Weekend Entertainment Guide

“He is truly one of the last independents: Hancock has been self-managed since 1998, driving himself, literally and figuratively, from town to town, living up to his nick name of a hard core honky-tonk Johnny Appleseed on a mission. His unwillingness to compromise, soften or sell out his music has earned him a loyal following of fans who are passionate and devoted about his self-described “juke joint swing.” —Nate Lippens, The Stranger

“Wayne Hancock is a guy known for playing marathon three hour sets, and filling up the dance floor with beer-chugging night owls and eager swing dancers.” —Chrissie Dickinson, Chicago
Tribune

“A rare breed of traditionalist, one who imbues his retro obsessions with such high energy and passions that his songs never feel like the museum pieces he's trying desperately to preserve.” —allmusicguide.com

“Anyone this authentic has a lot to offer in these unauthentic times.” —No Depression

DISCOGRAPHY:

Swing Time (Bloodshot, 2004) Wayne's second release for Bloodshot Records, recorded live at the stage of Austin's fabled roadhouse the Continental Club. Produced by Lloyd Maines and Wayne himself, the release also features appearances by Paul Skelton, Dave Biller, Eddie Rivers, Rick Ramirez, Dan Enriquez, Bob “Texaco” Stafford, and Rebecca Snow.

A-Town Blues (Bloodshot 2001) Wayne's first release with Bloodshot Records.
Highlights range from originals that sound like long-lost Hank Williams classics (“Sands of Time,” “Route 23”) to revived chestnuts including Jimmie Rodgers's “California Blues,” and Fats Waller's “Viper”. In Wayne's own words: “If you like music that moves and the trash on the radio can't satisfy your wanderlust then try this CD and burn a thousand miles.”

Wild, Free and Reckless (1999 ARK21) More vintage American sounds, as Wayne lays down his patented brand of “Juke Joint Swing.” Recorded in San Marcos, Texas, in only 16 hours, this blend of honky tonk, jumpin' jazz, rockabilly and big-band swing make this a must-have CD for anyone who desires listening to music that is played as it should be — without compromise, and from the soul.

That's What Daddy Wants, (1997, Ark 21) As you listen to these songs about barrooms, bedrooms, and badlands, you find yourself thinking not about the history of the bygone honky-tonk and rockabilly styles that Hancock draws on, but about “that gal with the blue dress on” and “a thousand miles of open desert road.” “Johnny Law” and the haunting “Highway 54” are crowd favorites at Wayne's relentless live shows.

Thunderstorms and Neon Signs (1996 Ark 21) Wayne's debut release contains some of the most chilling and heartfelt music since Mr. Hank Williams. But yet, moving easily from heartbreak to dancehall honky tonk (“Juke Joint Jumpin'), Wayne and the band shine. The title track, covered by Hank Williams III, is classic Hancock.