POP REVIEW : Stuart’s Passionate Vocals

Marty Stuart doesn’t want for self-assurance: At the Crazy Horse the mightily coiffed country star sang a tune about hillbilly heaven in which he had the spirits of Hank Williams and other departed greats anointing him to carry on their renegade ways.

While still several sizes away from filling those shoes, the singer-guitarist does give some new propulsion to country tradition.

Still in his early 30s, Stuart began touring with Lester Flatt at age 13, and later worked for years with Johnny Cash.

His 16-song set on Monday often leaned more toward infectious country-pop than to anything with the individuality, insight or depth of feeling of country’s greats, but he and his trio infused the material with passionate vocals and musicianship.

He honed close to tradition on a bluegrass version of the country standard “Long Black Veil” and a sonorous take of Cash’s “Blue Train,” which also featured a pair of lyrical guitar solos from Stuart.

He strutted his own gritty stuff best on his hard-driving hit “Tempted,” replete with a “Wild Weekend” guitar riff, and the Paul Kennerley-Hank DeVito ballad “Till I Found You.”