Star Studded: Tom Faia used to work for A&M Records, where he wrote songs recorded by Country Music Hall of Famer Barbara Mandrell and legendary singer Dobie Gray.
Just a Number
Songwriting only gets easier for local favorite Tom Faia.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Age doesn’t seem to slow down luminaries like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and Neil Young. Tom Faia appears similarly unphased by life beyond 50.
“Sometimes writers lose their creative spark with age,” says the singer, guitarist and harmonica player. “The opposite seems to be happening with me.”
Over the past year, the musician has been writing tunes for his new album Keep on Movin’, to be released on Friday when he performs with his band, the Juice (Dave Evert on lead guitar, Scott Rudoni on bass and Bill Kucher on drums) at Gilbert’s Red Snapper Restaurant. The album offers unique points of view, and sometimes a touch of black humor.
“While they make you laugh, you’re hearing a story that’s pretty heartfelt,” he says. “I think it’s something the listener can relate to.”
The dark and up-tempo “Third World Beauty” is about a guy who falls in love with a girl from the developing world, but the exotic goddess is only after his money.
“One year later, god how you hate her/ What ever happened to the language of love,” sings Faia in a voice reminiscent of Time Out of Mind-era Bob Dylan.
Faia sustains the dark-humor theme on the railroad blues, harmonica-driven “Don’t You Want to Know,” which follows the shenanigans of a hard-partying woman who has trouble remembering what she does the night before. Fortunately Keep on Movin’ has no such gaps.
“I wanted to make a CD that, if you listen to it from start to end, all the songs go well together,” Faia says.
Ironically, the cover art for the album features a photo of Faia when he was a 23-year-old youngster hitchhiking in front of a one-way sign. He didn’t necessarily know where he was going, but he never expected his creativity would be its most fertile at the age of 66.
TOM FAIA CD Release Party happens at 7pm Friday, July 20, at Gilbert’s Red Snapper Restaurant, 30 Fishermans Wharf # 1, Monterey. Free. 375-3113.
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