Waylon Sings Hank Williams

This fine album presents material that’s been utterly Waylonized. In 1985, Jennings recorded several songs by the legendary singer/songwriter Hank Williams — Jennings once said he got chills the first time he heard Williams sing “Lonesome Highway” — and two decades later the fruits of those sessions were finally released. (The album also includes three tunes that weren’t penned by the legendary Alabama-born songsmith.) In their original versions, Williams’s high, haunted vocals underscore the often heartbreaking quality of his lyrics. Jennings deep, gruff voice creates an entirely different effect when he tackles these classics: it’s as if we’re getting a peek at what’s beneath the Texas outlaw’s ornery exterior. The band, which includes Jennings mainstay Jerry Bridges, has the classic Waylon sound: sturdy, upfront bass lines, a clear rock influence (including phase-shifted electric guitar), and hints of folk music. The whole album is of a piece — a gripping version of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and Jennings’s tough take on “Blues Come Around” are especially compelling. The closing spoken word track, which finds Waylon talking about his life, is a nice wrap-up for this personal project.