JAZZ PHOTOGRAPHY RECAP: Androgynous Mustache Performs at FSC by Harvey Tillis
9/30/26 - Androgynous Moustache’s performance of Tom Waits’ Small Change at the Fulton Street Collective’s Jazz Record Art Collective was much more than the recreation of a classic album. It was a thoughtful, energetic interpretation that allowed the music to become something of its own.
What made the performance especially successful was that no one seemed intent on simply reproducing Tom Waits’ distinctive sound. There was no attempt to imitate his gravelly voice or mannerisms. Instead, each musician brought his or her own personality, musical sensibility, and feeling to the songs.
Bethany Thomas brought her own outstanding powerful character and emotional presence to the vocal parts. Dan Ingentron’s piano and vocals provided the foundation. Jimmy Farace’s imaginative sax playing added exciting color and edge, and the combination of Olya Prohorova on violin, Oana Tatu on viola, and Asher Sizemore on cello gave the arrangements a richness and depth that made the familiar songs feel newly discovered. Greg Nergaard’s bass supplied the movement and weight underneath it all, while the strangely familiar Andrews Christianson played drums & cymbals that kept the music alive with energy and momentum.
Adding another dimension to the evening, visual artist John Ross Wilson created a live painting during the performance. His work became an interpretation Tom Waits rather than simply an accompaniment to the music.
All together, the evening captured the spirit of Small Change without being confined by it. The melancholy, humor, romance, desperation, and rough-edged beauty of Waits’ songs were all there, but filtered through the sensibilities of eight very individual musicians and a visual artist, bringing their own voices, instincts, and emotions to music written fifty years ago.
All photos by Harvey Tillis
ABOUT:
Harvey Tillis is a documentary still photographer with a fine art eye available for recording sessions, environmental portraits, and creative projects. Contact him at harveytillisphotography.com
