Hank and Slim hear half remembered hillbilly hits echoing through the ghost towns of rural Tasmania. Dad and uncles worked too hard, drank too much, shot rabbits and drove trucks. The bar room jukebox and Holden cassette tapes played hymns of heartbreak and loss beneath the rainy mountains. The sensitive man acts tough, the poor man struts like a rooster. A shot of whiskey with dry humor. Hank and Slim sing beside the old grave, lonesome together.

Saxophonist Ralph Franke’s resume reads like a who’s who of the Australian entertainment industry of the last 40 years. Based in Sydney from the 80’s to the early 2000’s, Ralph has worked all over Australia as well as South East Asia and Europe. Whilst jazz has always been his first love, he has played a myriad of styles including rock, pop, reggae, ska, fusion and blues. International artists Ralph has backed include Sting, B B King, Mick Taylor (ex Rolling Stones) and Lisa Hunt (ex Aretha Franklin). Some of the Australian artists include James Morrison, Tommy Emmanuel, Mental As Anything, Dragon, John Paul Young, The Models and The Dynamic Hepnotics. Recently relocated to Tasmania, Ralph has, with the help of guitarist Gianni Puli, formed a new quartet also featuring Seb Folvig on bass and Charles Malovnek on drums. The RFQ offer a mix of standards with a twist, some classic tunes saluting past saxophone masters, some ska and New Orleans grooves as well more contemporary funk material