DENVER: Popular opinion holds that there are two sides to Tom Waits’ career and character — namely, the early and late periods. True, a tidy line can be drawn between the American singer-songwriter’s first decade and everything that followed the auditory revolt of 1983’s “Swordfishtrombones,” his seventh studio album.
However, there were always numerous angles to this most monochrome chameleon. There was Waits the jazz-piano tinkler, misty-eyed balladeer and industrial/experimental noise-maker; then there was Waits the twisted bluesman, beatnik, stand-up, poet, huckster and raconteur. All of these aspects are framed in the poised panache of his best-loved role — the hat-topped hobo — and delivered in the grizzled, gruff garble of that zillion-cigarette croon.
This month heralds the finale in a series of reissues celebrating his first seven, seminal albums, which were recorded for David Geffen’s Asylum Records between 1973 and 1980. The centerpiece is the majestic “Small Change,” his fourth LP. By the time it was released, in 1976, Waits had been swallowed up by his own outlandish persona.
Cribbed from Australian folk song “Waltzing Matilda,” Waits’ signature singalong “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)” came bathed in schmaltzy cinematic orchestration.
Less subtle was Waits’ freewheeling, improvised rap “Step Right Up,” a dizzying dash of outlandish advertising claims and marketing jargon spewed out over a thumping double bass riff. Assisted only by a bluesy saxophone wail, the five-minute “Small Change (Got Rained on with His Own .38)” forensically details a mob-land killing.
Like most of the record, it is a conceit that sounds silly on paper, and should be laughable on the ear, but there is something about Waits’ distant delivery that compels you to hang onto every word.
Small change, big impact: Tom Waits is a one of a kind
Small change, big impact: Tom Waits is a one of a kind
- The centerpiece is the majestic “Small Change,” his fourth LP.
Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons
DUBAI: Australian Lebanese model and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty this week announced that she will serve as the storyteller for “A Night With The Legends,” a one-night musical tribute celebrating iconic women of Arabic music, taking place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 5.
Kahawaty will portray Scheherazade and deliver spoken narration during the program.
The evening will pay tribute to the legacies of Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Warda, Sabah, Asmahan and Layla Mourad.
Vocals will be performed by Lebanese vocalist Abeer Nehme, accompanied by the UK-based London Arab Orchestra under the direction of conductor Basel Saleh, alongside the London-based Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The program will also feature a 70-member all-female choir.
“I’m incredibly humbled,” Kahawaty wrote to her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. “As storyteller, I’ll be weaving history, memory and meaning into the musical experience in a one-night tribute celebrating the iconic women of the golden era of Arabic music.”
“I cannot wait to see you all there,” she added.
Kahawaty is also an entrepreneur. She co-founded fine jewelry label Kahawaty Jewels with her father, master jeweler Ghassan Kahawaty, launching the Dubai-based brand last year as a continuation of the family’s longstanding craftsmanship tradition.
“I grew up watching my father in his jewelry trade. I saw how happy he made people when he created these beautiful pieces,” Kahawaty previously told Arab News. “I’ve always wanted to continue my father’s legacy and my grandfather’s trade. I felt like this is the perfect time to launch Kahawaty Jewels in Dubai, which is a city I’ve been in for over 13 years.”
Kahawaty and her mother are also behind UAE-based food delivery business Mama Rita. In July last year, the pair expanded the venture with the launch of a cookbook, which featured a cover endorsement from Hollywood actress and producer Courteney Cox.
Writing on Instagram at the time, Kahawaty said: “The moment we held the Mama Rita cookbook in our hands for the very first time … after two years of pouring our hearts into it. And we’re beyond thrilled to share a special surprise on the cover — a quote from the one and only (Courteney Cox). Her iconic role as Monica in ‘Friends’ — the talented chef, perfectionist and loving control freak — mirrors so much of the dynamic between mum and me. And her true persona is even more beautiful, warm and generous.”
