Tom Waits

Tom Waits is certainly one of the most «stand out» artists on music scene today. He became known for his music and experiments with different genres, he became known as an actor and soundtrack composer, and, of course, he became known for his distinctive voice, described as «like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car». Despite having little radio or music video support, he became highly popular, being nominated for numerous music awards and has won Grammy Awards for two albums – Bone Machine and Mule Variations. His songs were covered by a lot of top singers, including Bruce Springsteen(Jersey Girl), Rod Stewart (Downtown Train) and The Eagles (Ol' '55). Waits' lyrics are known for their atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy persons and places, while his music preferences include blues, folk, jazz and rock at the same time.

Thomas Alan Waits was born in Pomona, California, in 1949. His parents both were schoolteachers. He taught himself how to play the piano on a neighbor's instrument, and 1965, attending High School, he joined R&B/soul band called The System. After graduating he moved in San Diego (where he played his first paid gig for $25), and later to Los Angeles. Waits signed to Asylum Records in 1972, and released his first album Closing Time in 1973. Jazz- and folk-styled album became popular after a number of famous artists recorded covers on songs from it. Waits began touring with Charlie Rich and Frank Zappa. In 1974 he released The Heart Of Saturday Night. Next disk, double album Nighthawks At The Diner (1975), was recorded in a studio with a small audience in order to capture the atmosphere of a live show. This record featured lengthy spoken interludes between songs.

Small Change (1976) was performed in a much more cynical and pessimistic mood than previous records. It also became far more commercially successful. Next record, Foreign Affairs (1977) showed Tom Waits’ music searching, as it featured experiments with jazz and blues styles. Blue Valentine (1978) continued this experiments – it featured a lot of electric guitar and keyboards, but nearly no strings. Heartattack And Vine (1980) became Waits’ last record for Asylum Records. At the same year, he began a long working relationship with movie industry, being asked by Francis Ford Coppola to write soundtrack for his film One From The Heart.

After leaving Asylum, Tom Waits released Swordfishtrombones in 1983 with Island Records. On this album, he started to use uncommon instruments in his music. He continued his experiments on Rain Dogs (1985). Later, Tom Waits worked on soundtrack for musical Frank's Wild Years, which was premiered in 1986. Waits himself played the lead role. The album of the same name was released in 1987, featuring studio versions of this play.

In 1988, Waits released live album Big Time. In 1990 it was followed by The Black Rider: The Casting Of The Magic Bullets, «musical fable» in the avant-garde tradition about clerk, who must prove his hunting skills to marry huntsman's daughter. In 1992 Waits released instrumental album Night On Earth – actually, it was a soundtrack for the movie of the same name. This year Tom Waits recorded Bone Machine, concentrating on percussion and guitar sound with a little piano or saxophone. Next year, the soundtrack for The Black Rider musical, composed by Waits, hit the stores.

In 1998 Waits left for Epitaph record label and released Mule Variations (1999). In 2002, Tom released two albums at the same time – Alice and Blood Money, both based on material Waits wrote in previous years for theater plays. Real Gone (2004) became Waits' first album that featured absolutely no piano on any of its tracks. In 2006 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards was released – three-disc compilation including both new and old compositions. The live album Glitter And Doom Live appeared in 2009. That record let one enjoy the charm of incredible Tom Waits’ live performance.