There has always been a discernible blues component in Tom Waits' work, and that's what singer-guitarist John Hammond picks up for his Wicked Grin, where he covers 13 Waits songs (many not so familiar) with Tom's blessing and assistance.
Hammond doesn't try toreplicate Waits' creak'n'grind style but emphasises the melodies and rhythm section of these 13 songs.
With Waits' occasional bassist Larry Taylor, drummer Stephen Hodges, keyboardist Augie Meyers and others (Waits on guitar in many tracks), these are often unexpectedly good treatments of material which most Waits fans might have thought couldn't exist in any other version than Waits' own.
So here are a gruff blues version of Heart-attack and Vine, a moody and melodic Clap Hands (Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica), a finger-pop 16 Shells, a rural blues slide guitar take on Buzz Fledderjohn, a highly likeable Shore Leave and so on.
As with the Johnson tribute, these tracks were never going to be quite as distinctive and seminal as the originals but more than repay the efforts and interpretations offered.
And Waits and Hammond look very happy in the sleeve photo. That must tell you something.
