“I’m just a working musician who’s struggling to play polo.” If you’ve seen the documentary “Beware of Mr. Baker,” you know interviewing Ginger Baker can be a dicey proposition, maybe even injurious to your health. When I met with Baker in Boston in 1994, he lived […]
Richard Addrisi: “Never My Love”
“If people tell me they’ve never heard “Never My Love,” I say, ‘That means you’ve never been in an elevator or a supermarket.’ You can’t escape the song. It’s just there.“ March 11, 2002 By phone from his home in Los Angeles In […]
Johnny Winter’s Coming Out Party
When I heard that Johnny Winter had died on Wednesday, I flashed back to the first time I heard him play. But then whenever I thought of Johnny Winter, I thought back to that night – December 13, 1968 – which I am sure was just as […]
Celia Cruz
“I’m the queen because there is no one else!” April, 2, 2002 By phone from her home in Fort Lee, New Jersey I traveled to Cuba for ten days in late 2001, an eye, ear and mind opening journey. It […]
Mark Sandman of Morphine
“Our attitude is every tour could be our last tour.” At the Middle East Restaurant, Cambridge, Massachusetts February 10, 1997 As much as I (and many others) liked Morphine’s music, it was not a band anyone ever expected to see sign […]
Gary Talley of The Box Tops
“…the record started going up the charts. We were just dumbfounded.” By phone from his home in Nashville June 8, 1999 Not unknown but close to it, Gary Talley played guitar for The Box Tops, who had one of the indelible hits of the ‘60s, “The Letter.” And […]
John Fogerty
“….that big terrible rubber band that was tied tight around my heart loosened up…” May 19, 1997 By phone from San Francisco In 2013 John Fogerty released “Wrote A Song for Everyone,” a guest-filled album consisting mostly of covers of classic songs he wrote for Creedence […]
Joe Perry (2004)
“It’s never easy to make a record.” March 19, 2004 On the road between Hot Springs and Little Rock, Arkansas, one week into Aerosmith’s Honkin’ On Bobo tour After years of talking about it, Aerosmith finally made good in 2004 on its promise to record a blues album. Nobody was more excited about it […]
Cornell Dupree
“What I consider ‘me’ is a funky blues player.” From Dupree’s home in Ft. Worth, by phone August, 1995 Hang on and get ready for a super-funky-blues/soul ride thanks to some truly amazing video. Cornell Dupree, the subject of this interview, is the main man here and it’s a treat to hear and watch him […]
Aimee Mann
“It doesn’t even pay to sell out.” January, 1996, in advance of the “I’m With Stupid” release and tour By phone from her home in Los Angeles I caught sight of Aimee Mann on TV last week. She was rocking out with Ted Leo, her unlikely partner in a new band, The Both. Singing […]