Tom Waits’ 1976 album *Small Change* is being reissued by Anti-Records on 2 October to mark its 50th anniversary. The review argues that it remains the defining work of Waits’ early “beatnik-glory-meets-Hollywood-noir” period, capturing his distinctive blend of jazz, beat poetry, piano, alcohol, romance and urban weariness.

The album includes enduring songs such as ‘Tom Traubert’s Blues’, ‘The Piano Has Been Drinking’ and ‘I Wish I Was in New Orleans’. Its atmosphere is strengthened by veteran musicians including Shelly Manne, Harry Bluestone, Jim Hughart and Edgar Lustgarten, alongside producer Bones Howe; the review also notes that Waits continued performing ‘Tom Traubert’s Blues’ for decades, underlining the record’s lasting significance.