Next Gig: Tom Waits for Everyone

Saturday, July 15 at Mr. Henry’s

Once again, I’ll be back at Mr. Henry’s (601 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington, D.C., ) from 8 to 11 p.m., on Saturday, July 15. And, once again, I’m going to put a spotlight (about a half-a-dozen songs or so) on another artist whose work I admire. I’m talking this time about Tom Waits.

Helping me play these tunes and many others will be Harry Appelman on piano, Mark Saltman on bass and (all the way from Baltimore) Seth Kibel on reeds and flute. This should be a lively combination of talents. In addition to the Waits songs, we’ll also play a number of Great American Songbook, blues, pop and folk pieces. Something for everyone.

I decided to do this when I realized that I already sing a lot of his songs. That’s, of course, not the best reason. Tom Waits deserves the attention and praise he’s gotten for his career. He’s one of the best and most creative songwriters and performers of our time.

What are his songs like? Better that you explore this on your own because it’s a bit of a challenge to describe Waits’ songs and what he does with them. His range, going back to his earliest recordings in the 1970s (about when the photo above was taken) is vast and varied. Deceptively disguised by the sometimes eccentric characters who voice them, many of his songs are works of great poetry, some of which can arguably stand on their own without the support of a melody. They can make you laugh and then, a few measures later, leave a catch in your throat.

Every song, Waits has said, “needs to be anatomically correct. You need weather, you need the name of the town, something to eat. Every song needs certain ingredients to be balanced. You’re writing a song and you need a town and you look out the window and you see St. Louis Cardinals on some kid’s t-shirt. You said, okay, we’ll use that.”

You can make a reservation through the Mr. Henry’s ticketing app by clicking here. Tickets are $15 per person (plus service charge through the app), and Mr. H will ask that you make food or drink purchases of at least that amount, too.

The music will start at 8 p.m., but you can get there earlier and order food and such. Note that if, on the day of the show, you haven’t made a reservation, you can just call the restaurant at (202) 546-8412, and they’ll let you know if there’s room. Don’t worry. We will do what we can to fit you in (without offending the fire marshall).

For a hint of what I usually offer, go to: https://weintraubmusic.com/listen/

I hope you can make it. 

Jeff

The public domain photo above was published by Asylum Records.