Wayne “the Train’ Hancock put on a spirited show late Sunday night at the Beale on Broadway.

He and his trio (upright bass, honky-tonk guitarist) were energized, playing deep into the night. They covered a nice broad section of Hancock’s catalogue as slow-moving locomotives rumbled by behind the outdoor stage. Playing upbeat, danceable honky-tonk music, the band’s tempo  far outpaced the trains in the background.

Highlights included Juke Joint Jumpin’, Johnny Law, Railroad Blues, Route 66 and original tunes from his strong 2006 LP, Tulsa. When Hancock sang Your Cheatin’ Heart, you could have closed your eyes and pictured Hank Williams himself singing it, it was spooky. Indeed, Hancock is friends with Hank III and speaks of him often onstage. A voice like this doesn’t come around very often, and Wayne seems to have been taking care of it lately, with his yodel in fine form.

The outdoor seating was filled to capacity once again, as these visits by the Train have solidified into a guaranteed large crowd for the Beale. The crowd responded lustily as each song ended and there was sporadic dancing up front. Wayne noted that “one of these times we’re going to play here on a Friday or Saturday night,” alluding to the string of Sunday engagements he’s made here over the last several years.

Among his future stops, Hancock will play an American roots festival in the Netherlands in October. Future St. Louis stops will be mentioned in this space.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/waynehancock