In 1973 Tom Waits released his debut studio album Closing Time.  On the cover sits Waits, slumped over an old piano in the dark corner of some smoke filled bar.  It’s the perfect preview of what you’ll find on the record, a collection of heart felt piano bar numbers.  “Martha” is a beautiful song in which Waits reminisces about an old romance, a good example of his captivating piano work and poetic songwriting.

Recommended by: James Maher

In 1974, Tom Waits released his raucous second album, The Heart of Saturday Night. “New Coat of Paint” invites the listener to a night on the town lit by a “bloodshot moon”. His raspy, bluesy voice is a testament to years of drinking and smoking in the shadows of back alley piano bars. Mr. Waits is a jack-of-all-trades with his crass crooner voice, his beat poetry, and his on-screen antics as an actor. Every night is a Saturday night when you play this saucy number.

Recommended by: James Maher