James Jackson Toth, AKA Wooden Wand, is your fearless friend, the stumbling guy who gets himself into incredibly f***ed up situations but comes out shining and lives to tell about it, entertaining you safely and immensely. You should be grateful. In my view, he's a great American songwriter in full bloom. Most likely you'll think that's a preposterous claim, and I won't blame you, but you'll be totally, completely, and unforgivably wrong not to agree. To me, it's obvious Toth is animated with the same spirit that's moved through Willie, Waylon, Merle, and Hank. Not to say he sounds like them, but his songs unfurl with a similar casual authority. There's no space between who he is and the work he does-never without a guitar, and always writing, listening to, or seeking out new music.