Tom Moon

Longtime readers of Frontier Partisans know that Tom Russell is a giant in my pantheon of storytellers. His music has been the soundtrack for many an adventure down dusty desert roads and mountain trails, and he’s a key influence on my own songwriting and music. I learned to fingerpick because he said I should — and just as he promised, it opened new textures in both my playing and writing.

Southside Johnny with LaBamba's Big Band - Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits (2008) {Blue Harp Inc.}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 421 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 145 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 54 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2008 Blue Harp Inc. / Evangeline Records | GELM 4200
Rock / Bar Band / Progressive Big Band / Rock & Roll / Heartland Rock

Grapefruit Moon: The Songs of Tom Waits is Southside's tribute to one of his favorite songwriters, but also a pet sound: big band music. The idea to marry the brassy, ballsy sound of a big band to Tom Waits' cinematic, character-driven songs has been sitting in the back of Southside's mind for sometime.

When trumpeter Tom Browne hit the Billboard charts in 1980, one would have thought that he was an overnight sensation. However, the licensed pilot had several years under his belt working with Weldon Irvine, Sonny Fortune, and others. His debut smash single, "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)," took the music industry by storm. Between Browne's piercing horn intro and his chilling riffs in the vamp, the New York native and his cohorts lay down one jammin' groove. From the thunderous bass of Marcus Miller and Browne's trumpeting trips to the salacious vocals of Toni Smith and the colorful conversation referencing Browne, this single was slick and exhilarating.