Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’: A Tribute To Don Heffington
There’s a heavy cast that appears on this 20-track tribute. It features many name artists & musicians on Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’: A Tribute To Don Heffington (Dropped Oct 18/Nine Mile Records/Clover Music Group) produced by Sebastian Steinberg (bass/upright bass/fuzz bass/piano/vocals/drums/baritone guitar/guitar/trombone/percussion) & Sheldon Gomberg with individual musicians as producers.
The material originates with the late L.A.-born Don Heffington, a drummer and versatile musician who played in various musical genres and collaborated with many artists. His most well-known tenure was with the critically acclaimed Lone Justice, who were known for their mix of country and rock.
Don did session work for Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Jackson Browne, the Watkins Family Hour & others. There are several songs by artists such as Buddy Miller (“Fired Again”), Dave Alvin (“Avenue C”), Jackson Browne, Peter Case & Fiona Apple. There are lots of genuine Americana pieces that would fit on their solo LPs. A cool haunting noirish narrative in the Alvin tune. Quite compelling with delicious instrumental interplay scattered throughout.
Many songs in this showcase are built on a foundation of clever creativity & arrangements. This makes navigating through the tunes satisfying. The genres are a mix of supple songs with bellowing trombones, pedal steel guitars & some doo-wop asides (“That’s Hollywood”).
It’s a box of a variety of tasteful chocolates, each having a surprise. If all folk music was this creative, entertaining & pertinent it would probably lasso a wider audience.
Highlights – “Kiss the Moon Goodbye,” “Fired Again,” “Avenue C,” “Crablice & Quaaludes,” “Generator,” “Everywhere I Look,” “Time To Drink Whiskey,” “New Rising Sun” & “Irish Heartbeat.”
Musicians – Sean Watkins & Buddy Miller (guitar/vocals), Smokey Hormel (electric guitar), Dave Alvin (guitar/vocals), Willie Watson (guitar/harmonica/vocal), Tony Gilkyson (guitar/electric guitar/vocal/producer), Greg Leisz, Tim Young, Randy Weeks & Mirza Sheriff (guitars), Sara Watkins (violin/vocals), Dave Jacques, Bob Glaub (bass), Jorge Calderón (bass & tres/producer), Ryan Fevers (upright bass/bass), Gabe Noel (upright bass/cello), Danny McGough (B3/bgv), David Garza (guitar/accordion/percussion), Bryan Owings & Michael Jerome (drums), Jim Keltner (drums/vocals), Kevin Smith (drum machine), Danny Frankel & Amy Wood (drums/percussion), Blake Mills (maracas/whistle), Amy Wood (harp/percussion), Fiona Apple (drums/humming/electric organ/vocals/percussion/tom/conga/glockenspiel), Steve Fishell (pedal steel guitar), Eamon Ryland (slide guitar), Ramsay Midwood (vocals/acoustic guitar/producer), David Witham (keys), Benmont Tench (Sintetizzatore Pazzesco/piano), Van Dyke Parks (piano/producer), Peter Case (piano/vocal/harmonica), John Would & Carl Byron (piano), Victoria Williams (vocal/piano/bgv), Eleni Mandell (vocals/producer), The Don Heffington Memorial Choir (vocals), Vikram Devasthali (trombone), Jackson Browne (vocals/producer), Anthony Wilson (D’Angelic choir), Tyler Chester (space echo), Doug Lacy (theremin/glockenspiel), Sarah Kramer (trumpet/maracas/producer), John C Reilly, Inara George & Laura Heffington (vocals), Don Heffington (vocal/guitar/acoustic guitar/saw), Marvin Etzioni (everything/producer), Tom Brosseau (recitation), Mercy (bark) & Sally Dworsky (bgvs).
Color image & great hair courtesy of Sarah Kramer. CD @ http://www.ninemilerecords.com/ & https://ninemilerecords.bandcamp.com/album/tonight-ill-go-down-swingin-a-tribute-to-don-heffington