Small Change is Tom Waits' fourth album, released in 1976. It was recorded at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood and self-produced. The album marked a shift towards a rawer sound and darker narratives.
The sound is more jazz and blues-oriented, with instrumentation including piano, saxophone, and percussion. Songs like 'Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)', 'The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)', and 'Small Change (Got Rained On with His Own .38)' exemplify his streetwise lyricism and dark humor.
Small Change was a critical and commercial success, reaching number 89 on the Billboard charts. It is considered a pivotal album in Waits' evolution towards a more experimental and theatrical style.