Joe Stanley, Dec. 1, 1935–Jan. 7, 2007. To five decades’ worth of D.C.–area musicians and fans, saxophonist Joe Stanley was—as the title of his only album claims—the King of the Honky-Tonk Sax.

There was a time, not so long ago—after World War II but before Willie moved to Austin—that most Texans would have shared a common, if working, definition of “honky-tonk.” But nowadays, many seem to ...