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Walnut Valley Festival ::
Sons of the San Joaquin
By Rex Flottman
RockKansas guest columnist
Winfield, Kansas… With less than two weeks till the start of the start of the 30th Annual Walnut Valley Festival, days are tumbling by like the tumbling tumbleweeds across the Kansas prairie.
In a style true to the great western singers of the past, The Sons of the San Joaquin, Jack Hannah (guitar), Joe Hannah (bass), and Lon Hannah (guitar), will be riding in from the west to grace the Walnut Valley stages with harmony vocals that give them their distinctive sound, a sound that has carries them from local church and community gatherings to such far-flung locales as Switzerland and Japan…where traditional cowboy music is esteemed above contemporary country music.
Here at home their wide spread acceptance is an indication both of the rich durability of the traditional Western music they present, as well as the outstanding original cowboy songs of Jack Hannah, whom cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell calls "one of the very best cowboy writers alive."
The Sons dedication to the Western heritage has its origin in their deep attachment to the phenomenal," says Lon Hannah, who is Joe’s son and Jack’s nephew. When the Sons Of The Pioneers were a trio with Roy Rogers, Tim Spencer, Bob Nolan, there was an innocence and exuberance to their sound that was just incredible.
It’s not as polished as their later work, but there’s a raw emotional sound we really love. Our sound is more polished, like that of their later work, because we really work hard on our phrasing and harmonies. But we try to put the raw emotion and feeling that the earlier trio had, too."
The Sons of the San Joaquin sound first took shape in the Great Central Valley of California, in the shadow of the mighty Sierra Nevada’s. That’s where the Hannah family migrated to during the Depression, from Missouri. "There were some prominent cattle ranches there," remembers Jack, "and that’s where our romance with cowboys began. Our dad became a fan of The Pioneers back in the 30’s and he’d sing a lot of those songs at home. We learned our first ones from him, singing in church, and soon were in great demand in Central California as a vocal duo.
Their musical career had to be put on hold while they pursued their second love, athletics. From 1950 to 1962, the Hannah Brothers played professional baseball, Joe catching for the Chicago Cubs organization, Jack pitching in the Milwaukee Braves farm system.
Once their baseball careers had concluded, Jack became a high school counselor and coach, and Joe became a high school teacher and coach. Lon, who taught on the elementary school level, also sang in church, in local musical theater and with the Bennett Consort, a snazzy vocal group in the Manhattan Transfer mold. It was only a matter of time before various elements of the Sons would coalesce.
In 1987, Lon approached his father and uncle with the desire that they sing together for his grandfather’s birthday celebration; almost by accident, the Sons of the San Joaquin were born.
The trio got its big break after Lon met cowboy singer Gary McMahon at a Western Music Association convention and the trio was invited to perform at the 1989 Elko, Nevada Poetry Gathering. Their appearance there caused a sensation.
In the space of a weekend, they vaulted from total obscurity to sharing the main stage with Michael Martin Murphey, who immediately invited them to join him on his Cowboy Songs Album. Murphey also has helped them produce their 1992 Warner Western album, "A Cowboy has to sing." This was followed in 1993 by" Songs of the Silver Screen," which revived B-movie soundtrack material recorded by the Pioneers, some of which had never been released on disc. In 1995 Warner Western released " From Whence Came the Cowboy," a career milestone that featured Jack Hannah’s highly praised originals. The title track, a tribute to the history of the cowboy, became a critically acclaimed video.
In 1997, The Sons released their first recording with Western Jubilee Recording Company. "Gospel Trails" is a special project featuring some of the Hannahs’ favorite hymns, sung in their signature cowboy harmony style. One of the selections, In the Sweet By and By, features a special appearance by Dale Evans as lead vocalist.
In 1992, Joe and Jack were able to take early retirement from teaching to pursue the Sons’ growing career full-time. Lon took a leave of absence from teaching before resigning in mid-1993. All the while, they continued to pursue their love of the cowboy lifestyle. All three are avid horsemen and Jack, when his touring allows, ropes steers and does day work on area cattle ranches.
With such authentic commitment to their material, it's no wonder that a number of avenues or expression are opening up to this dynamic trio. They have appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, Austin City Limits, and Nashville Now and also appear in Randy Travis’ music video," Cowboy Boogie". They currently offer a "Sons With Symphony" program, which combines western music with orchestral accompaniment worthy of grandest horse opera.
The Sons are finding rapidly growing fan support throughout the United States, Canada and the world at large. A lifetime of family singing, an uncanny vocal blend and a true love of cowboy music will make their performance in Winfield at the Walnut Valley Festival a rich, unforgettable experience.
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