5 Facts About Jerry Yester and Tom Waits's Closing Time
- Jerry Yester produced Tom Waits’s debut album, Closing Time, released in 1973.
- Yester was a member of the folk group The Lovin’ Spoonful before becoming a producer.
- He brought a polished, folk-rock sound to Waits’s raw, barroom style.
- The album was not a commercial success at release, but it gained critical acclaim later.
- Yester’s production helped establish Waits’s early signature sound, blending jazz and folk.