Night Train is a competent journeyman set of old school-style R&B, mixing covers with
Terry Hanck originals. The covers give a good sense of where
Hanck is coming from, as he selects songs from the catalogs of
Sam Cooke,
Fats Domino,
Hank Ballard, and
Little Willie John. He plays good smoky saxophone in the spirit of
Junior Walker, "Junior's Walk" being an obvious homage to that Motown great. As a singer, he's not as good; the vocals are only adequate. With its mix of New Orleans rock & roll, early soul, and some blues, it's very much a record steeped in 1950s and 1960s forms of R&B, though one that keeps the torch burning rather than igniting it with a distinctive creative voice. ~ Richie Unterberger