From Roadhouse to Your House—Live!

After 16 years of playing at the California State Fair each summer, tenor sax man Terry Hanck finally got around to documenting one of his visits in July 2015 when he and his longtime band (Johnny “Cat” Soubrand, guitar; Tim Wagar, bass; Butch Cousins, drums) were joined by ex-Robert Cray pianist/organist Jimmy Pugh. From Roadhouse to Your House gets right down to business: Hanck’s own “Good Good Rockin’ Goin’ On” is a seven-plus-minute intro to the musical wonders that make up the disc’s 13 tracks. His powerful sax rips on “Flatfoot Sam,” a high-energy hard-luck tale primarily of Sam’s financial problems, that’s also enlivened by Pugh and Soubrand’s contributions. Hanck’s soulful singing is as forthright as his playing and mixed in with the blues is a batch of original songs like the ballad “Smilin’ Through My Tears” and the uptempo “Cupid Must Be Stupid.” He and the band really jump on Louis Jordan’s lively “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman.” Hanck’s at his best in front of an audience, and this CD doesn’t disappoint.