THE WORKS OF TOM WAITS to Benefit Music Education at Carnegie Hall
Greg Cohen, a longtime Waits collaborator, will lead the house band featuring Smokey Hormel, Rob Burger, Jay Bellerose and Cyro Baptista.
Michael Dorf Presents has announced The Works of Tom Waits, the 22nd annual installment of its Music Of benefit concert series. The one-night-only celebration will take place at Carnegie Hall on March 10, 2027, bringing together an acclaimed lineup of artists to reinterpret the work of one of American music's most original, uncompromising and influential songwriters, with longtime Waits collaborator Greg Cohen serving as musical director.
Greg Cohen, a longtime Tom Waits collaborator, will serve as musical director for the evening. Cohen played bass on landmark albums including Heartattack and Vine, Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Mule Variations, and his work with Waits extended well beyond the studio. He was a member of Waits' touring band and contributed to the theatrical works The Black Rider and Franks Wild Years, making him one of the most consistent presences in Waits' musical world. His deep knowledge of the catalog will guide the evening's interpretations at Carnegie Hall. The house band features Cohen on bass, Smokey Hormel on guitar, Rob Burger on keyboards, Jay Bellerose on drums and Cyro Baptista on percussion.
For more than five decades, Tom Waits has created a musical universe entirely his own—populated by dreamers and drifters, late-night philosophers, brokenhearted lovers, small-time hustlers and beautiful outsiders. His songs move freely between bruised lullabies, back-alley hymns, fractured blues and cinematic storytelling, and his unmistakable voice and vividly drawn characters have influenced generations of artists across rock, jazz, blues, folk, theater and film.
From the after-hours intimacy of Closing Time and The Heart of Saturday Night to the radical reinvention of Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Franks Wild Years, and through landmark albums including Bone Machine, Mule Variations and Bad as Me, Waits has continually expanded the possibilities of songwriting. His catalog includes enduring songs such as 'Ol' '55,' 'Downtown Train,' 'Jersey Girl,' 'Hold On,' 'Innocent When You Dream,' 'Time' and 'Take It with Me'—works interpreted by artists across nearly every genre while remaining unmistakably his own.
The Works of Tom Waits will invite a wide-ranging group of performers to inhabit that singular world, with each artist offering a distinctive interpretation of a song from Waits' extraordinary catalog. The first group of participating artists and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
'There is simply no one else like Tom Waits,' said Michael Dorf, founder of Michael Dorf Presents and City Winery. 'He has built an entire world through his music—one with its own language, its own weather and its own unforgettable cast of characters. His songs are fearless, deeply human and endlessly open to reinvention. Bringing this body of work to Carnegie Hall, interpreted by artists who have been shaped and inspired by it, promises to be one of the most exciting nights we have ever undertaken.'
Now entering its third decade, Michael Dorf's annual Music Of series has become one of New York City's most anticipated musical traditions. Since its inception in 2004, the series has brought celebrated artists to Carnegie Hall to honor the songbooks of Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Paul McCartney, Prince, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, R.E.M., Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many others.
The concerts are built around a singular idea: celebrating the artists whose music has changed lives while using that music to change the lives of young people. To date, the Music Of series has directed more than $2.5 million to nonprofit organizations providing access to music education. One hundred percent of net proceeds from The Music of Tom Waits will benefit music education programs serving young people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn, play, create and discover their own voices.
Previous beneficiaries of the Music Of series have included Music Will, Young Audiences New York, FIXS, Church Street School for Music and Art, Partnership with Children, the D'Addario Foundation, Save The Music Foundation, Midori & Friends, Grammy in the Schools, The Orchestra Now, Jazz House Kids and Newport Jazz Kids, among others.
This year, Dorf will expand the series' commitment to music education with the creation of the Glen Hansard Award, a new annual $25,000 scholarship supporting one exceptional young artist's education. Each of the Music Of series' beneficiary organizations will be invited to nominate a young person who demonstrates extraordinary artistic promise, a bold and original spirit, and a genuine commitment to using their talent for good. Dorf will select one recipient each year.
The award honors Glen Hansard, a longtime member of the City Winery and Music Of family. In addition to performing at City Winery many times, Hansard has appeared in eight of the annual Carnegie Hall tribute concerts—making him, alongside Bettye Lavette, one of the series' most steadfast artist supporters. Through those performances, he has played a meaningful role in helping the concerts raise critical funds for music education programs year after year.
'Glen represents everything this award is meant to celebrate,' said Dorf. 'He is an extraordinary artist with real edge and an enormous heart. He has shown up for this series—and for the young people it supports—again and again. Naming this scholarship for him is our way of honoring not only what he has contributed, but who he is.'
Tickets for The Works of Tom Waits are on sale now at MusicOf.org. Additional performers and event details will be announced in the coming weeks.
About Michael Dorf Presents
Established by Michael Dorf in 2003, founder of the Knitting Factory and City Winery, MDP has been presenting the Music Of series at Carnegie Hall for over 20 years. Working alongside Michael for the last 18 years has been Shlomo Lipetz, President of Venues at City Winery.
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