THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Don Heffington, a beloved L.A. musician who died of leukemia in 2021, is the subject of the new charity tribute Tonight I’ll Go Down Swingin’, featuring Jackson Browne, Fiona Apple, Buddy Miller, John C. Reilly, Dave Alvin and Watkins Family Hour.
Heffington was one of the most beloved of all musicians on the L.A. scene over the last several decades, especially among figures associated with either the Largo or roots-rock scenes, with a renown that well outlasted and transcended his already-important tenure as the drummer for Lone Justice in the mid-1980s. His influence as both a sideman and a singer-songwriter in his own right is apparent from the illustrious guest list signed up by producers Sheldon Gomberg (Ben Harper, Rickie Lee Jones) and Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple, Iron & Wine) for this project, which was already in the works when Heffington died three years ago.
Other artists contributing tracks to the album include a fellow former Lone Justice member, Marvin Etizoni, along with Peter Case, Willie Watson (of Old Crow Medicine Show fame), Inara George, Victoria Williams, Eleni Mandell, Tony Gilkyson, Momo featuring Jim Keltner, Tom Brousseau, The Boltcutters, and Sarah Kramer with Jorge Calderón and Van Dyke Parks. Not surprisingly, the cast includes a good number of musicians associated with the scene at L.A.’s Largo, where Heffington was a frequent presence.”
