interview Archive
28 Oct 2020
Chocolate Samurai: More from My Conversation with Fantastic Negrito (Part Two)
Continued from Part One … Police violence and racial disparity have been in the news a whole lot more in recent times than they had been in a long time. […]
27 Oct 2020
Chocolate Samurai: More from My Conversation with Fantastic Negrito (Part One)
Thanks to my friend and former bandmate Jeff Japp, I discovered the music of Fantastic Negrito right around the time he released his stunning – and eventually Grammy-winning – debut, […]
26 Oct 2020
Fantastic Negrito: ‘These are My Friends’
This feature appeared previously in SF Weekly — bk When Xavier Dphrepaulezz reinvented himself as Fantastic Negrito, his self-described “black roots music for everyone” struck a chord with the listening […]
23 Oct 2020
Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite: Birds of a Feather Make Blues Together
This feature appeared previously in SF Weekly. The musical careers of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite have followed similar paths. Both were raised in America’s heartland: Bishop in Iowa, Musselwhite […]
22 Oct 2020
Elvin Bishop: Still Struttin’ His Stuff at 78 (part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One … Bill Kopp: Had you been playing guitar before you moved to Chicago in 1960? Elvin Bishop: I was fooling around with it in Tulsa. But […]
21 Oct 2020
Elvin Bishop: Still Struttin’ His Stuff at 78 (part 1 of 2)
Today, October 21, is the birthday of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. He came on the scene with Chicago-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the ‘60s. The eventual Rock and Roll […]
20 Oct 2020
Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite!
Renowned blues harp (or harmonica, if you like) player Charlie Musselwhite was born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis, and headed to Chicago to follow the blues. His landmark 1966 LP […]
16 Oct 2020
Modern Strangers: Self-made Men
Infectious tunes like the speedy pop of Modern Strangers’ “Where’s Your Man” – the speedy pop gem that’s the leadoff single from Modern Strangers’ debut album, Dangerous Fiction – combine […]
10 Oct 2020
It’s Always a Sausage Party with the Polka Brothers
This interview first appeared in the October 2019 issue of Bold Life Magazine. For a wacky, good-time experience – one that pairs especially well with beer – you can’t beat […]
08 Oct 2020
Guide for the Turtles Fan: An Album-by-album Discussion with Mark Volman (Part 3 of 3)
Continued from Part Two … Turtle Soup (originally released October 1969) For their fifth album, The Turtles made a highly unconventional choice in producer: they called on British musician Ray […]