Everything is Sacred: Tom Waits' Collaborative Gems

While pulling together lists of top Tom Waits albums and songs for a discussion in response to an earlier post  (Tom Waits as the Devil),  I came across a couple of his collaborations with Kronos Quartet. They are brilliant (especially the song "Always Keep a Diamond in Your Mind"), and I wish there were an album's worth of them. In turn, this discovery sent me looking for other Tom Waits collaborations. I found more than I can include here, but unfortunately there's not a good resource where one can hear (or watch) them all in one place. With that in mind, here's the best of what I found--posted with the caveat that I have too little time for a thorough search. I'd love to put together a comprehensive collection, but right now I can't. Enough said. Enjoy!

Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet, "Cold Cold Ground"


Tom Waits and Kronos Quartet, "Always Keep a Diamond In Your Mind"
This is an audio-only track that starts with Tom poking fun at the Dalai Lama.


Tom Waits with Ken Nordine, "A Thousand Bing Bangs"

Watch A Thousand Bing Bangs in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Tom Waits & The Mats, "Lowdown Monkey Blues"

Tom Waits & The Mats - Lowdown Monkey Blues (Re-edited 2008) - Celebrity bloopers here

Tom Waits with Blind Boys of Alabama, "Go Tell It on the Mountain"


Tom Waits with Sparklehorse, "Dog Door"


I want to include the song Waits did with Tin Hat Trio ("Helium Reprise"), but I'm unable to find it online. I'll try to post the MP3 tonight.

Consolation prize: