A musical enigma wrapped in a riddle…

by Maddalena

I met David Tokaji several decades ago at a day-long Bob Dylan fest. I’d like to say he’s put out tons of albums since then and toured the world over. But I can’t. David is someone who SHOULD have quit that day job. But that wasn’t his choice.

Born and bred in Los Angeles, he’s a former college teacher and a current union organizer. Over the course of those selfless careers, he’s given us some of the best songs ever written. With a voice that sears your soul with every note he sings and every lyric he writes, he’s brought musical joy to this fan and many others for damn near three decades. I used to tease him that his ten years are up, we need a new album and a concert. But the wait has always been worth it. David fronts the band Dry September along with doing double duty as a Title Tracker with Russell Wiener and Andy Hill. More on the Title Trackers band in a future edition of SSSH..

Dry September and Beyond…

David’s minimalist body of work with his band, Dry September, is astounding. The first Dry September record featured his longtime bassist Matt Brannan, along with Mr. Weiner on guitar, Mr. Hill on keyboards, and Robert Dill behind the drums. It’s a short, six song debut that introduced the contemplative, Serious Girl, the beautiful, If Morning Ever Comes and the irrepressible, Be My Freak. His next release, Build a New Town, is perfection from first note to last. Listen and listen closely to his signature song Free Me below and tell me that’s not one of the most gorgeous songs ever written. Then he cheers you up with the fabulously fun and sexy Weirdos, amidst other gems. The last Dry September album, Roam the Night With Me, includes the powerful Power Lines and Palm Trees, an odyssey from the point of view of the Mexican immigrant coming to our country for a new life and a new start. It’s positively breathtaking!

An All to Brief Musical Reconnection

In 2018, he reconnected with his early Grundybergs band member, Mark Giambastiani, from his UC Davis college days and released Playing Baseball With Walt Whitman. Sadly, Mark’s life ended tragically shortly thereafter. Besides the terrific title track, it includes the jaunty, astute, anthemesque view of a better country in You Can Almost See America from Here plus several remastered songs from long ago like, The Colors You Hide and Waiting for the Redline. Whether he’s commenting on love lost or gained or simply stating the state of the world, David always delivers with spot on humanity and wisdom. Don’t miss any of these albums.

The Soul of a Troubadour

Do you hear a bit of Bruce? Of course, you do. But the great ones take their musical mentors and influences and whip them into a new brew of uniqueness all their own, culminating in songs that leave you musically satiated and satisfied. The rest become cover bands. There’s not a song of David’s that you won’t fall in love with over and over again. He’s genuine, articulate, witty, and humble, with the soul of a troubadour. There’s no holding back of his musical artistry. When David performs live, he leaves it ALL on the table, the floor and all parts in between. You will radiate with joy hearing him sing! Check out his records where records are still sold. You’ll thank me for sure! And thank you for listening to and reading another episode of Singer/Songwriter/Serendipitous/Homage (aka SSSH).