Hear Dan Hicks’ “How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away”

The legendary Dan Hicks is cited as an influence by artists ranging from Tom Waits to Elvis Costello, who called him “an American treasure.” A long-time critics darling, Hicks created a pioneering blend of hipster jazz, gypsy swing and country that still resonates as strongly today as it did when his band Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks came roaring onto the scene in the late ’60s with their unique, genre-bending sound. When rock was getting louder, Dan threw it back to a simpler time, deftly blending elements of multiple American musical art forms to create a sound that the New York Times calls “defiantly unfashionable, proudly eccentric & foot-tappingly catchy.”

On the first anniversary of his passing (February 6th) Surfdog Records pays tribute to the legend of Dan Hicks with a compilation album in celebration of his life and legacy. Greatest Licks – I Feel Like Singin’ is set for vinyl & CD release, as well as digital, on February 24, 2017 with pre-orders available now.

Songs like “How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away?,” as described again by the Times, “display his dry and often absurd wit, as did his gently self-mocking stage presence.” Take a listen here: