Interviews

The original “Million Dollar Quartet” went down on December 4th, 1956, at Memphis’ Sun Studios, where Sun’s biggest stars — Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, gathered together for a sing, and a pound on the piano. It’s still considered a pivotal moment in rock and roll history.

Proving that the supergroup concept knows no barriers, once-and-present Sleater-Kinney singer/guitarist Corin Tucker hooked up with former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, longtime Seattle music stalwarts Kurt Bloch and Scott McCaughey, and drummer Linda Pitmon

Then It Fell Apart finds him suddenly rich, suddenly A-list, stuck on a seemingly-neverending tour for his breakout album Play, and making friends with folks already at that level.

We chatted about touring, new music, early life, Justin Bieber, and the industry. They come through on May 7th at the Neptune and this is going to be something you don’t want to miss.

Japanese free-jazz pianist Satoko Fujii turned 60 last year, but shows no signs of slowing down.  Indeed, she celebrated 60 by releasing twelve albums—one for each month, natch. She goes all over the world playing avant-garde jazz, often, though not always, with her husband, Natsuki Tamura.

The Delfonics owe some, though not all, of their bankability, to Quentin Tarantino, who deftly placed their old hits “La-La (Means I Love You” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time” in his 1997 feature Jackie Brown.

Jonny Shane, a drifter, sifter, surfer, and musical philosopher who performs riffing pop as Modern Love Child, settled down in Venice some time ago and doesn’t seem inclined to leave—except to tour.  He’ll visit Barboza on Friday night, April 26th,

The Seattle Women’s Chorus regales us with “Legends of Rock,” celebrating female voices in the music at least as far back as Tina Turner, at least as far forward as Florence Welch. That’s Sunday, April 28th, at Benaroyal Hall, featuring Aeysha “Musicbox” Brooks and special guest Sarah Rudinoff.

The “Prince From Minneapolis,” exhibit, running now at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) at Seattle Center, details the diminutive, mercurial, outspoken, yet often elusive superstar and fashion icon through the lenses of four photographers who worked up close with him:

Danny Goldberg, who took over Nirvana’s management in 1991 and saw the band and Kurt Cobain to the top, always refused to talk at length about those days.  Until now. His new memoir Serving the Servant:  Remembering Kurt Cobain covers everything Goldberg recalls from those mind-boggling years, bolstered with vintage documents and the memories of others on that ride.

The Get Ahead, Portland’s five-piece roots-and-folk-and-rhythm’n’blues-‘n’things quintet, brings their stuff to the Triple Door on Saturday, April 13th, touring behind their new album Deepest Light.

San Francisco trombonist/singer/songwriter Natalie Cressman and Brazilian guitarist/singer/songwriter Ian Faquini bring their duo act to the Royal Room on Saturday, April 13th, touring behind their new duo album Setting Rays of Summer.

The Seattle Men’s Chorus bequeaths us two nights of Believe:  The Music of Cher, Saturday March 30th and Sunday March 31st at McCaw Hall, featuring ace Cher impersonator Chad Michaels, and for one night only, an auxiliary chorus from Seattle’s Washington Middle School.

Seattle Musical Theater gives us Mamma Mia!, the musical with ABBA songs and a book by Catherine Johnson, running March 29 through April 14.

Joey DeFrancesco, a third-generation pro jazzer who shines on the Hammond organ (plus occasional trumpet), brings his act to Seattle’s Jazz Alley, March 28th through March 31st, celebrating his new album In The Key of the Universe