Way Out Yonder

Way Out Yonder, the 12th album from Clovis, Calif., cowboy musician trio Sons of the San Joaquin, features mostly originals by Uncle Jack Hannah, who is described by cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell as “one of the very best cowboy songwriters.” The record brings forward the wholesome Western sound of the Hannah family’s vocal harmonies—Lon Hannah on vocals and guitar, Lon’s dad Joe Hannah on vocals and Jack Hannah on vocals, guitar and songwriting. The gentle bravado of “Ridin’ Up the Glory Trail” (“Ridin’ up the glory trail/ Goin’ at a high lope/ Swingin’ my lariat wide … Afraid is what I’m not … The harder it gets/ I’m-a cinchin’ up tighter still/ Oh Lord, I’m glad it’s true/ It’s best to lean on you/ Ridin’ up the glory trail”) gets right to the heart of a cowboy’s reverence for God and for what country music DJ Johnny Western describes in the liner notes as “God’s greatest creation, The American West.” Jack’s “Ballad of Joaquin Murrieta” is a loping, history lesson of a song that vividly evokes life in very early California.